A captivating account of the Nazi Olympics - told through the voices and stories of those who were there.
Oliver Hilmes studied history, politics and psychology in Paris, Marburg and Potsdam, and holds a doctorate in twentieth-century history. His books include Malevolent Muse- The Life of Alma Mahler, Cosima Wagner- The Lady of Bayreuth and Franz Liszt- Musician, Celebrity, Superstar. Berlin 1936 was a top-ten bestseller on publication in Germany.
Engrossing
*Daily Telegraph*
Eighty years after the events it depicts, Berlin 1936 is a small
masterpiece – you actually feel like you were there… The book was
originally in German, but Jefferson Chase’s translation is so
perfectly judged, you’d never even notice
*Daily Mail, **Books of the Year***
Entertaining... A vivid collage of vignettes gleaned from diaries,
police reports, snippets from newspapers, and so on. It dances from
comedy to tragedy, from the ironic to the sinister, to give a
picture of a darkening Germany... Hilmes has an eye for incidental
detail.
*The Times*
A German historian charts the Berlin Olympics day by day through a
series of memorable vignettes of life under Nazism. Hilmes’
deceptively jaunty, even comic tone echoes that of the Games
themselves
*Financial Times, **Books of the Year***
This book reads like a tourist guide to a city on the eve of
destruction
*The Times, **Books of the Year***
Written with great verve, compassion and humour, Hilmes' book
brings to life a panoramic cast of characters ... Compelling,
suspenseful and beautifully done
*Anna Funder, author of STASILAND*
Jefferson Chase’s excellent translation gives us taut prose that
adds to the sense of unease
*Guardian, **Books of the Year***
Thrilling ... Berlin 1936, with its keyhole glimpses into otherwise
private lives, gives us an engaging portrait of those last flashes
individuality in the Third Reich.
*Daily Telegraph*
This fascinating work captures the simmering complexity of a
society as it enters one of the darkest chapters of modern history.
With chilling immediacy, Hilmes offers portraits taken from a whole
cross section of Berlin, characters as vivid as any from an Otto
Dix or George Grosz painting
*Chloe Aridjis, author of BOOK OF CLOUDS*
Anybody looking for an alternative history of one of the most
controversial Games in the history of the Olympics should look no
further
*Daily Express*
Hilmes has a gift for storytelling ... entertaining ... a
delicately crafted treat
*Guardian*
Fascinating… meticulous research
*Times Literary Supplement*
Hilmes’ narrative mosaic becomes mesmerising.
*i*
A breathtaking book
*Die Welt*
Hilmes has unearthed many memorable vignettes ... Jefferson Chase's
smooth translation contributes to a chillingly breezy read.
*Spectator*
A punchy, vibrant, and highly original account of the most
controversial of all modern Olympiads.
*David Clay Large, author of NAZI GAMES: THE OLYMPICS OF 1936*
A riveting, immersive glimpse into German—and indeed global—life
tiptoeing towards disaster. Through Hilmes's creative approach to
historical storytelling, a multivocal Berlin lives and breathes
vividly.
*Jessica J. Lee, author of TURNING: A SWIMMING MEMOIR*
Fascinating… Oliver Hilmes’ pen portrait immerses the reader in a
city still resistant to totalitarian control
*The Tablet*
A dense, enthralling portrait of those sixteen days, reflective of
the whole of Germany. As riveting as a novel.
*Neues Deutschland*
Carrying readers to venues far from the fields of athletic
competition, the richly detailed 16-day narrative spotlights men
and women who receive no medals but who deserve empathetic
attention … A riveting drama.
*Booklist (starred review)*
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