The Cup of Wrath: A Novel Based on Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Resistance to Hitler

Rating:
Summary: Devils victory ?
Review: I want you to read this book ASAP. You will find yourself surrounded by a world of demons and dense schemes of evil. In the midst of lies, destruction, hate and abuse. You will notice that once generations have made their choice to tolerate and serve evil, the time will come when there is no turning back. But you will live with those who kept on walking. You will live and breathe with them, who sought comfort and way by listening to God. What do you do, when evil sneeks over your doorstep with a winning smile ? Is it possible to stop or overcome a devilish structure of oppression and death such as the Nazi State ? You'll find anwer in this book. Be amazed by the light of warm love and determination to help and save. See it shining even in the midst of a military secret service , the "Abwehr". One feels reminded of Masada and Yad Vashem. Yes, you will cry and rejoice with Dietrich, Mary, Josef Müller, Admiral Canaris, persecuted Christian and Jewish people and all the others who walked on. Excellent research makes this story factual. The story is close. Very close. This book will change your life.

Rating:
Summary: Fiction powerfully harnessed to serve biography and history
Review: In recent years, there has been a great deal of controversy about fiction masquerading as biography. (One thinks of Edmund Morris's DUTCH: A MEMOIR OF RONALD REAGAN and Joe McGinniss's THE LAST BROTHER, his fictionalized biography of Ted Kennedy.) In the case of CUP OF WRATH, there seems to be no doubt that fiction has been employed very ably to tell the story of the life and times of German Resistance hero and martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Given the paucity of Bonhoeffer's extant writings about himself--primarily if not exclusively assembled in his friend Eberhard Bethge's DIETRICH BONHOEFFER: LETTERS & PAPERS FROM PRISON--this book offers what may be the closest approximation possible to an inner life of the German theologian and political activist. It portrays very skillfully the inner turmoil which a Christian pacifist and idealist faced when confronting the evils of Hitler and the Third Reich--and the seemingly inevitable need to take violent action to bring the criminal regime down. Given the author's ready access to Bonhoeffer's surviving relatives and colleagues, and their review of the book in draft, this fictional biography offers a sense of verity and immediacy that few nonfiction biographies provide. The character development and interaction among members of the protagonist's family, friends, and colleagues are exceptionally well done. Further, none of the conversations in the book seems artificial. Particularly noteworthy are the final pages, narrating Bonhoeffer's torment and death at the hands of the S.S., while faced with the torture and deaths of many of his fellow members of the Resistance. I have read few books on either Nazi Germany or totalitarianism in general that so vividly portrayed the dilemma faced by people of good will when forced to deal with the ultimate evil. It is hard to believe that this book is only the author's first--or that it has not gotten more of the recognition it deserves.

Rating:
Summary: Fiction powerfully harnessed to serve biography and history
Review: In recent years, there has been a great deal of controversy about fiction masquerading as biography. (One thinks of Edmund Morris's DUTCH: A MEMOIR OF RONALD REAGAN and Joe McGinniss's THE LAST BROTHER, his fictionalized biography of Ted Kennedy.) In the case of CUP OF WRATH, there seems to be no doubt that fiction has been employed very ably to tell the story of the life and times of German Resistance hero and martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Given the paucity of Bonhoeffer's extant writings about himself--primarily if not exclusively assembled in his friend Eberhard Bethge's DIETRICH BONHOEFFER: LETTERS & PAPERS FROM PRISON--this book offers what may be the closest approximation possible to an inner life of the German theologian and political activist. It portrays very skillfully the inner turmoil which a Christian pacifist and idealist faced when confronting the evils of Hitler and the Third Reich--and the seemingly inevitable need to take violent action to bring the criminal regime down. Given the author's ready access to Bonhoeffer's surviving relatives and colleagues, and their review of the book in draft, this fictional biography offers a sense of verity and immediacy that few nonfiction biographies provide. The character development and interaction among members of the protagonist's family, friends, and colleagues are exceptionally well done. Further, none of the conversations in the book seems artificial. Particularly noteworthy are the final pages, narrating Bonhoeffer's torment and death at the hands of the S.S., while faced with the torture and deaths of many of his fellow members of the Resistance. I have read few books on either Nazi Germany or totalitarianism in general that so vividly portrayed the dilemma faced by people of good will when forced to deal with the ultimate evil. It is hard to believe that this book is only the author's first--or that it has not gotten more of the recognition it deserves.

Rating:
Summary: A Must Read For All!
Review: This is an incredible story, and is a must read whether or not you are interested in World War II history. The author vividly recreates the era of the thirties and forties in Nazi Germany and allows you to gain deep insight into the mind and character of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Before reading this book, I had only heard of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. This incredible story showed me in great detail what a holy man he truly was. You will find yourself drawn into the intrigues of the anti-Hitler conspiracy. The bravery and courage of this gentle man against such an evil regime is sobering, particularly given the moral relativism which is so prevalent today. I have been reading World War II history, and the history of Nazi Germany for over 30 years. Not until I finished this book did I truly comprehend the evil that Adolf Hitler represented. For her first novel Mary Glazener was magnificant!!

Rating:
Summary: A Must Read For All!
Review: This is an incredible story, and is a must read whether or not you are interested in World War II history. The author vividly recreates the era of the thirties and forties in Nazi Germany and allows you to gain deep insight into the mind and character of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Before reading this book, I had only heard of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. This incredible story showed me in great detail what a holy man he truly was. You will find yourself drawn into the intrigues of the anti-Hitler conspiracy. The bravery and courage of this gentle man against such an evil regime is sobering, particularly given the moral relativism which is so prevalent today. I have been reading World War II history, and the history of Nazi Germany for over 30 years. Not until I finished this book did I truly comprehend the evil that Adolf Hitler represented. For her first novel Mary Glazener was magnificant!!