Winter : A Novel of a Berlin Family

Rating:
Summary: 'Winter' - the prequel to the 'Bernard Samson' series
Review: All those who have read any of the stunning series of nine linked novels about Bernard Samson and his friends, enemies and relatives - which begin with 'Berlin Game' and end with 'Spy Charity' - long to know more about the central characters and how they came to exist
'Winter' is the chance to find the answers to many tantalising questions. Whilst it is a splendid story in its own right - covering a German family's rise and fall from pre-war times of Zeppelins and long dresses to the fall of Nazism in 1945 - the story appeals primarily to those readers who have already some aquaintence with the main characters of the novel series.
This is not Deighton's most poetic book - too much to cover in so short a space - but it is still a good read of the 'family saga' genre.

Rating:
Summary: Better appreciated if you know Bernard Samson
Review: Although 'Winter' is about the family of the same name and although it reads quite well as a stand alone novel, I appreciated it more having already read quite a few of the Bernard Samson stories. It puts Bernard in historical context and provides background for some of the central characters of the 'Samson series'- most notably Bret Rensselaer.

As a novel in it's own right Winter tells the tale of two German brothers - Peter and Pauli Winter. Starting from their childhood in 1899 we see them develop. Peter, the elder blossoming under the care of his father, while Pauli, easygoing and carefree is in his father's shadow - the second son complex - striving unsuccessfully to please his father. We end up liking Pauli more than the serious, staid Peter and this is surprising because Pauli becomes the chief legal advisor to Nazi Germany.

The strength of the story is in character development. Pauli is not weak, or evil. There is no basic character flaw here that led him to serve the Nazis. He's not A Nazi himself, nor is he anti-semitic.

The book is a good read because he is believable and plausible and is an interesting study of a good man gone wrong. It's a bit long for the story it tells though, and it's not because it details the historical events taking place - these are only mentioned in passing in conversations amongst the characters.

Rating:
Summary: Powerful, Gripping
Review: Deighton's work, "Winter" was a masterpiece about a German family from 1900-1945. Through their eyes we watch the chaotic and destructive era of 1914-1945. The two brothers, Peter and Pauli were allegorical of the German people themselves. Pauli as a young boy fights in the trenches of the Western Front, he is unready, but he goes anyway and gives his all. Peter flies dirigibles for the Kaiser's Navy. Both are horribly scarred by the war and this affects their postwar and WWII lives.

The backdrop of the Berlin that Peter and Pauli live in is very rich in detail. Deighton seems to have an excellent understanding of German history and culture. He gives us a whirlwind tour of the suffering in the postwar economy, taking us right into the '30s. Deighton gives a human face to the Gray ranks of the Germans of World War II. Speaking of which, we see the humanity of his characters, as none are black and white, all falling into shades of gray. I read this book months ago, and I still sometimes ponder on the great good and the great evil within Pauli. I do highly recommend this book. It is a great literary work.

Rating:
Summary: "War and Peace" of 20th century...
Review: I loved "Winter", great book detailing period 1899-1945, Germany,
by following history of Winter family. Book is exciting and
covers two world wars and all the important events in Germany
in between. Deighton's descriptions of houses interiors, clothing
styles, lifestyles, etc. are superb.

Rating:
Summary: Good, but "skimpy" even though it's a long book
Review: I'm not a fan of spy novels, but I like war novels, and after I had read (and loved) BOMBER, I thought I would enjoy WINTER even more. I liked this story, but I thought it should have been longer. It seemed a little rushed and underdeveloped, like it was trying to cover too many peoples' lives and not spending sufficient time with any one person to make you care very much for them. Other than Pauli Winter (the younger of the two main characters in the story, the other being his older brother), Deighton doesn't really develop the other characters very much. The story seemed to revolve mostly around Pauli's life and the others were sort of just supplementing him.

I thought the idea that Pauli's mom had fallen for the British spy "Boy" Piper was a good idea, but the way the "romance" was described seemed more like Deighton tells the reader that they fell in love in about one paragraph rather than create a convincing scenario to make the average reader believe it.

I honestly wouldn't have minded if this book was twice as long, because Deighton has a rich writing style that I very much enjoy, and there were hints of it in this book but it should have been developed more. As it is, a worthy effort, but not a classic like Bomber or The Ipcress File (the only spy book I've read from Deighton).

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Summary: A Masterful Historical Novel from German Point-of-View
Review: Len Deighton is one of the few writers who seems to be able to dance from one genre of writing to another with total ease.
Not only is he a great spy novel writer, but he is also an excellent historian and writes novels about war. Unlike most Deighton readers, I find his nonfiction history and his war novels to be the best. Deighton has spent his life researching history, and takes this encyclopedic knowledge and builds novels around three-dimensional characters that give that same history a very real and human flavor.
The book "Winter" is about an aristocratic Berlin family. The father is a German nobleman, the mother is American. The two Winter brothers grow up and take very different paths-the older ends up American, the younger ends up as a high official in Hitler's SS. The book follows the characters from the birth of the Winter brothers through the last desperate days of WWII when each must face the consequences of his individual life choices.
Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in the motivations of Germans in Hitler's Germany, and the fact that German feelings about Hitler ran from adulation to hatred.
This is an easy read, very enjoyable, with believable characters, a fast-moving plot and lots of history.

Rating:
Summary: A Chilling Historical Novel Of Germany During 2 World Wars.
Review: Master spy novelist Len Deighton has created a chilling history of Germany from 1900 through 1945, told through the characters of an upper middle-class German family - the Winters. Deighton, with his knowledge of Germany and the German people, along with his meticulous research, brings his characters and history alive in "Winter: A Berlin Family."

Veronica Rensselaer Winter, a wealthy American heiress married to a patriotic and ambitious German, Harald Winter, gives birth to her second son Paul in Vienna in 1900. Paul and his older brother Peter are the novel's central characters in this complex family drama that gives chilling insight into the "normal," everyday men and women who made the horrors of Nazi Germany possible. Deighton creates an excellent backdrop for pre-World War I Germany, with the brothers' wonderful boyhood in Berlin. They suffer all the horrors of fighting in the Great War and both change considerably as a result. The war's aftermath brings political anarchy to the country, where money is so inflated it is worthless and jobs are almost nonexistent. Although poverty scarcely effects the wealthy Winter family, they are very aware of their fatherland's turmoil. Communists and Nazis battle for power and more people turn to Hitler as the answer to Germany's recovery from its humiliating defeat. Deighton paints a sinister picture of the rise of Nazism and WWII, as well as the Final Solution for the Jewish population of Europe. People like Pauli Winter, who becomes the quintessential Nazi bureaucrat, is portrayed superficially as a "nice Nazi." Underneath, he is just the type of murderer who helped make the deaths of countless millions possible. His brother Peter takes an entirely different route, but never fails in his loyalty and love for his younger brother.

This book is unusual for a novel about Nazi Germany. The author has created realistic characters and developed them well. The horrors of the Great War's effect on the German people are demonstrated clearly enough that it becomes obvious, if not acceptable, why they turned toward Hitler for relief and change. It is easy to care for both brothers, their family and friends, so that when Deighton's characters change their morality, for the sake of political expediency, some readers may justify (temporarily) their actions and many others will loathe those who went with the flow - or directed it. This novel is much more than a family history - it is a well-written and amazingly accurate history of Germany during the first half of the 20th century. Highly recommended!
JANA

Rating:
Summary: Good, if you're the right type...
Review: Winter is the story of a Berlin family and traces their lives through two world wars and the periods in between. I have never read a novel that did a better job of helping me understand how it might have felt to be a German during those times. Or any time. The characters are vividly portrayed, and the story line is facinating. This is my favorite Len Deighton book, although SS-GB is a close second.

This is a book you'll read more than once. I have made it a permanent part of my library.

Rating:
Summary: An unforgettable story.
Review: Winter is the story of a Berlin family and traces their lives through two world wars and the periods in between. I have never read a novel that did a better job of helping me understand how it might have felt to be a German during those times. Or any time. The characters are vividly portrayed, and the story line is facinating. This is my favorite Len Deighton book, although SS-GB is a close second.

This is a book you'll read more than once. I have made it a permanent part of my library.