Y1806 In February 1943, in a dimly lit command tent in the deserts of Tunisia, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel sat writing a letter to his wife, Lucy. Outside, the wind threw sand against the canvas. Inside, the only sound was the scratching of a fountain pen. Rommel was tired, sick, and cornered. But that night, he … Read more
Das Telefon vibrierte im unpassendsten Moment. Veronika saß einer Kundin gegenüber, die sich seit über einer Stunde nicht entscheiden konnte, welche Wohnung in einer Neubausiedlung in Berlin-Marzahn sie nehmen sollte. Der Berliner Immobilienmarkt erlebte gerade wieder eine hektische Phase, die Preise schwankten, die Käufer waren nervös. Der Beruf einer Immobilienbewerterin erforderte nicht nur Fachwissen, sondern … Read more
In December 1944, at Third Army headquarters in Luxembourg, an SS officer was brought before Gen. George S. Patton. The prisoner had been in the building for only 40 seconds when he decided to speak. He was handcuffed, with two guards flanking him, but his bearing was straight and his chin level. His eyes moved … Read more
Nur einen Augenblick zuvor war sie noch völlig selbstverständlich herumgelaufen. Dann hob er Isa in seine Arme. Nach dem Studium hatte er die Schäfer-Bau von seinem Vater übernommen. Die Gründe waren immer fachlicher Natur oder dienten dem Wohl anderer. Was, wenn ihr etwas zustößt, während sie allein ist, hatte er gefragt. Weil ich seine Frau … Read more
On the afternoon of April 25, 1945, First Lieutenant Albert Katsubu stood on the west bank of the Elbe River near the German town of Torgau. Through field glasses still dusty from the road, he stared at figures moving on the eastern shore. They were Soviet soldiers, the men who had been fighting Hitler from … Read more
On March 5, 1953, Joseph Stalin died at his dacha outside Moscow. He was 74. The stroke that killed him went undiagnosed in time because his doctors were afraid to examine him thoroughly. Stalin was in the middle of an anti-Semitic purge that had targeted the Soviet medical establishment, and the doctors who might have … Read more
On the afternoon of April 13, 1945, one day after Franklin Roosevelt's sudden death, a small group of army officers gathered nervously in the corridors of the White House. They had come to brief the new president, Harry S. Truman, on the situation in Europe, the final days of the war, the collapse of Nazi … Read more
Na pohřbu mého otce stála Chloe u márního květu a hladila mě po zádech, zatímco já jsem hleděla na rakev a počítala minuty do okamžiku, kdy budu moci zmizet. „Budeš v pořádku, Eleno,“ zašeptala. Přikývla jsem, protože nebyl vhodný čas říkat jí, že vím, co udělala. Že vím, kdo stál za Arthurovou smrtí. A že … Read more
V šestašedesáti letech jsem uměla jedině pracovat. Celý život jsem strávila službou jiným lidem, nejdřív vlastní rodině a potom cizím lidem v jejich velkých a studených domech. Nikdy jsem si nestěžovala, nikdy jsem nečekala víc, než co mi bylo nabídnuto. Ale ani ve snu by mě nenapadlo, kam až mě tahle cesta dovede. Pan Blackwood … Read more
La sera della cena, l’abilità che mi sarebbe servita più di qualsiasi cosa su quel tavolo era già con me da anni. L’avevo portata dentro come si porta un peso che non sai più di avere finché non ti serve davvero. Avevo passato l’intera cena annuendo a parole che non ero supposta capire. Sorrisi misurati, … Read more