Last Stop Vienna

by Andrew Nagorski

Germany in the 1920s, in the early days of Hitler and the Nazi party, was a country plunging into darkness and violence. Andrew Nagorski has written the story of a doomed generation, of evil,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0743237501
• ISBN13: 9780743237505
• Release Date: December 2002
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.2" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

Thrilling and Edifying

A vivid and engaging piece of historical fiction, Nagorski's tale traces the life of a young Karl Naumann against the stark backdrop of Germany's decaying liberal order. What begins as a coming of age story quickly maps to the increasingly dramatic events culminating in the Nazi takeover. But Naumann's investment in the events shaking Germany take on an entirely different character as he meets -- and falls in love with -- Hitler's troubled niece, Geli. Nagorski's prose is absorbing, and his grasp of the period's history is excellent. At turns thrilling and edifying, it's a story not to be missed.

Read This Book!

I derive no greater reading pleasure than when I learn something while being highly entertained. Andrew Nagorski?s Last Stop Vienna is an amazing novel that manages to teach as well as engage. The rise and rule of Adolf Hitler is the most notorious tale of the twentieth century, yet how many people truly understand the dire social, economic, and political climate in 1920?s and 1930?s Germany that enabled the emergence of a man like Hitler? Perhaps better than any novelist in recent history, Nagorski does. Through the eyes of young and idealist Nazi Brownshirt, Karl Naumann, Nagorski tells a story that demonstrates in eerie and vivid detail how readily evil can rise out of desperation. Last Stop Vienna is not only a compelling book but also an important one. We live in an age where the conditions in many countries throughout the world are jarringly parallel to those of pre-World War II Germany. It would behoove us all to gain an understanding of such matters. Andrew Nagorski has provided us a great service by making it easy and enjoyable to edify his readers using his 288-page gem, Last Stop Vienna.

Historical Fiction At Its Finest

Last Stop Vienna is historical fiction at its finest. It is so rare to find a journalist/historian who is also a wonderful storyteller with a masterful gift for prose. Andrew Nagorski is such a writer. He crafts a mesmerizing tale that not only entertains but educates. Nagorski's encyclopedic knowledge of a Germany ravaged by the Treaty of Versailles combined with his familiarity of character and place lends an authenticity to the novel that is both captivating and illuminating. Add to that a brilliant imagination and a lyrical ability to compose a compelling and original work of fiction from recent historical events and you have an extraordinary novel. Last Stop Vienna is a very special book by an informed and talented novelist. I recommend it highly.

THOROUGHLY ENGROSSING

I read this novel in one sitting, but it stayed with me well beyond that. Nagorski has written a fascinating alterna-history that makes you wonder how our world might have turned out differently if a Karl Naumann-like figure had existed. Nagorski is masterful in evoking the time period, and he's a brilliant, even profound, writer. For anyone interested in a thought-provoking historical novel...this is a must-read.

LOVED IT, LOVED IT, LOVED IT

This book was recommended to me by my mother and to be honest, the only reason I listened to her was because I liked the cover. I'm really not a history buff but I have to say I was surprised at how much I loved Last Stop Vienna - and I learned an incredible amount. I couldn't stop reading it and, instead of skipping over the historical descriptions as I usually do, I was truly fascinated by Nagorski's ability to write so clearly and incisively, that I had a blast reading all of it! Of course, I relished the love affairs and love triangles and all the intrigue...especially when it came to Hitler's own perversions that I didn't know much about before! I wish they had added more sexual intrigue in the history courses I hated so much in college. I'm telling everyone about this book! Jen Senko