Barry (solaris2k) reviewed Valkyrie: An Insider's Account of the Plot to Kill Hitler on + 6 more book reviews
How can you make a book about the plot to kill Hitler, written by one of the conspirators, less than thrilling, and, indeed, tedious? Beats me. The whole first half of the book was spent introducing the characters. The author seems to want to point how what "good Germans" each one was. Perhaps he felt the need to stress the fact that they were not Nazi sympathizers or Hitlerian acolytes, at least by war's end. The climate of the times in which this book was published may have necessitated such an approach. But why make it so dull and unfocused?
It's not until the final quarter of the book, when the actual "Putsch" is attempted that the book gains any momentum. Perhaps also, this is where the author's personal experiences really begin, until that point he seems to have been an observer. I don't feel I gained much insight into the men who were driven to plot the assassination of their own commanding officer and head of state.
It's not until the final quarter of the book, when the actual "Putsch" is attempted that the book gains any momentum. Perhaps also, this is where the author's personal experiences really begin, until that point he seems to have been an observer. I don't feel I gained much insight into the men who were driven to plot the assassination of their own commanding officer and head of state.
