One of the great classics of prison literature; Letters and Papers from Prison effectively serves as the last will and testament of the Lutheran theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a young German pastor who was executed by the Nazis in 1945 for his part in the “officers’ plot†to assassinate Adolf Hitler. This expanded version of Letters and Papers from Prison shifts the emphasis of earlier editions of Bonhoeffer’s theological reflections to the private sphere of his life. His letters appear in greater detail and show his daily concerns. Letters from Bonhoeffer’s parents; siblings; and other relatives have also been added; in addition to previously inaccessible letters and legal papers referring to his trial. Acute and subtle; warm and perceptive; yet also profoundly moving; the documents collectively tell a very human story of loss; of courage; and of hope. Bonhoeffer’s story seems as vitally relevant; as politically prophetic; and as theologically significant today; as it did yesterday.
#182810 in Books Simon Schuster 1995-05-01 1995-05-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.25 x 1.20 x 6.12l; 1.81 #File Name: 0684803291576 pagesSimon Schuster
Review
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Masterful!By Kindle CustomerJust as informative and thorough asw the author's 2 other WW II books; "The Longest Day" The Longest Day: The Classic Epic of D-Day and A Bridge Too Far: The Classic History of the Greatest Battle of World War II. This book was written more than 50 years ago so the author provides his personal interviews with many of the key participants. Beyond the battle itself; which does not begin until nearly 2/3 into the book; the book provides interesting insights into why the Western Allies chose not to attack Berlin; the internal squabbling at their high command and how Berlin came to be deep inside the Soviet zone of occupation after Germany's surrender.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A true classic that stands the test of time with flying colorsBy Flying PhotographerIn this book you will find the story of the last major European battle of WWII that culminated with the occupation of Berlin by the Soviet troops in April 1945. The author succeeds brilliantly in presenting many viewpoints of this quickly changing time period; ranging from the Supreme Commanders of all sides to the regular civilian enduring the siege of the city. If you saw "The Downfall" you will recognize many chapters; but make no mistake; this book is much broader in scope and goes into much more detail than just the last days at the Führerbunker. The deep and long research that the author performed is readily apparent and actually represents a refreshing read when compared to the many personal accounts that lately have flooded the libraries - not a small feat for a book that was written basically 50 years ago!If anything I would have expected a final chapter to bring some better closure to the story; dealing with the final week of the III Reich and maybe the first weeks of the official occupation by the Allies.This is a true classic that still should be regarded as the benchmark history book for the final battle around Berlin that simply cannot be missed - highly recommended.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Better than A Bridge Too FarBy Scott A. Prost-domaskyI rated this better than "A Bridge Too Far" (ABTF); which might be because I am more familiar with ABTF and Operation Marketgarden than I am with the last battles to end WWII in Europe as described by this book. This book describes the last days of the Third Reich (ironically named "the Thousand Year Reich") after the Americans and Brits turned back the Germans' Ardenne Offensive in the West and the relentless march of the Soviets in the East from 4 perspectives: Western Allied soldiers; Soviet soldiers; the civilians in Berlin; and the German military defending Berlin. I learned quite a few things after reading this book: Eisenhower threatened to hand in his resignation if Montgomery doesn't stop his self promoting statements to the press; AND that the Soviet soldiers weren't exactly pleased to learn that even the lowliest Polish peasant they encountered as they fought their way west to Berlin through Poland had much higher living standard than they generally did. They discovered that their Communist leaders had lied to them all these years about how prosperous they were in the Soviet Union; and how bad the average folk had in the decadent capitalist countries. Of course none of them had enough courage to do something about the lies by starting another Russian revolution. The other interesting thing I learned is that there really was a difference between the way the western Allies treated the civilian population as they fought their way through Germany and the way the Soviets treated civilians on the Eastern Front. There was very little pillaging; plundering; raping and looting in the west; but quite a bit of all 4 in by the Soviets in the east (interestingly; not by the professional soldiers who led the way; but by the 2nd; 3rd; etc. waves of draftees who cleaned up resistance after the professionals went through.Would love to see this book in a movie; something similar to what was done with ABTF.
