Hans Hellmut Kirst (1914–1989)

This is a historical novel setting out the events which ultimately led to the dismissals of Field Marshal von Blomberg and General von Fritsch, the two most senior German military officers, and Hitler taking over effective control of the German armed forces.
Starting from historical facts, the author fleshes out the human dimension of the personal tragedies of Von Blomberg and Von Fritsch and the corruption and evil inherent to a totalitarian political system.
I found the novel worth reading as an addition to the historical studies of the Nazi era.… (more)

Original reviews calling this "the German Catch-22" do a bit of a disservice to the book, as they mislead readers into thinking this is a surreal comic extravaganza like Joseph Heller's monumental work. This book deals indeed with the absurdity ever present in military life, but it does so in a much more realistic and less antic way. Like Heller's Yossarian, Gunner Asch of the German army is acutely aware of the paralyzing stupidity inherent in military bureacracy and sets out to do something individual and self-affirming in opposition. But the adventures of the hero of Hans Hellmut Kirst's novel are mellow and low key by comparison. There is little that is laugh-out-loud funny in this book. Rather it is a gently amusing story, with a compelling, quiet drive that ends in a subtle but very satisfying punchline. I look forward to reading the follow-up books about Asch's further adventures.… (more)