Hardback faded spine rare title. Interesting read first Book Club issue.
The Last Train from Berlin by Howard K. Smith is a historical novel that chronicles the experiences of a journalist, based on Smith’s own time as a foreign correspondent in Nazi Germany. Published in 1942, it offers a compelling, firsthand account of the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime, focusing on the events leading up to World War II.
Smith’s narrative gives a personal perspective of the political climate of the time, including interviews with key figures and the effects of the regime on ordinary Germans. The book is a mixture of journalism and memoir, providing an insightful and often harrowing look at the situation in Germany during the 1930s and early 1940s.
The “Last Train” metaphorically represents a critical point of no return, where historical momentum is carrying Germany and the world toward war. It was one of the first books to offer a Western perspective on the rise of the Nazi Party and their control of Germany.
