Max's War: The Story of a Ritchie Boy
Ratings1
Average rating5
15
Ratings1
Average rating5
A sweeping World War 2 saga in which a young German Jew flees Europe, emigrates to America, and joins the Army to fight Nazis As the Nazis sweep across Europe, Jewish teen Max and his parents flee persecution in Germany for Holland, where Max finds friends and romance. But when Hitler invades in 1940, Max escapes to Chicago, leaving his parents and friends behind. When he learns of his parents' murder in Sobibor, Max immediately enlists in the US Army. After basic training he is sent to Camp Ritchie, Maryland, where he is trained in interrogation and counterintelligence. "Hellmann expertly marries heaps of historical detail with a thoughtful illustration of the dangers of nationalism. This ranks with the author's best work." Publishers Weekly Deployed to the OSS, Max carries out dangerous missions in Occupied countries. He also interrogates scores of German POWs, especially after D-Day and the Battle of the Bulge, where, despite life-threatening conditions, he elicits critical information about German troop movements. "Libby Hellmans's WW2 is meticulously, enviably researched, with an unerring eye for detail. It's the 20th century at its worst, and it's a story everyone should know, everyone should read." John Lawton, author of the Joe Wilderness series Post-war, he works for the Americans in the German denazification program, bringing him back to his Bavarian childhood home of Regensburg. Though the city avoided large-scale destruction, the Jewish community was decimated. Max roams familiar yet strange streets, replaying memories of lives lost to unspeakable tragedy. While there, however, he reunites with someone from his past, who, like him, sought refuge abroad. Can they rebuild their lives… together? This epic story about a Ritchie Boy is Libby Hellmann’s tribute to her late father-in-law who was active with the OSS and interrogated dozens of German POWs. If you enjoy the historical novels of Ken Follett, Kristin Hannah, and Kate Quinn, you'll love the Revolution Sagas by Libby Hellmann.
Reviews with the most likes.
What a gem of a novel. This sweeping saga of one man's journey from WWII Germany to America, from his family roots as a Jewish citizen in a war-torn country to his training as a Ritchie Boy, a group of young men in the United States tasked with interrogating prisoners on the front line and later serving as military intelligence officers. We see Max and his family struggle as they realize the precariousness of their situation – being Jews in a Nazi state puts them at grave risk and indeed, eventually Max's parents are killed. Everything he was raised to believe is called into question as countrymen betray friends and neighbors and he's forced to make hard choices that challenge his loyalty and his honor.
It's refreshing to read about a hero acting on moral principles, staying true to his code. The meticulous research that went into this novel shows in every line, as we the reader are right there with Max as he experiences challenge after challenge. This may have been written, as the author shares, as a tribute to her beloved father-in-law, but it's a story for the ages.
Highly recommended for its attention to detail but also for the broader picture it paints on a man who faced almost insurmountable odds yet emerged as a true patriot. If you're a fan of historical fiction, a lover of WWII tales, or just someone who enjoys terrific fiction, you won't be disappointed in Max's War.
