Berlin Diaries, 1940-1945 Book

I was hesitant to choose this book. I was worried that I would be put off by snobby views and the luxurious lifestyle I was expecting of the main protagonist - a Russian princess. Wouldn't I find the abundance of privileges in comparison to how others were living unpalatable? The author was not snobbish! Yes, they did sometimes eat oysters and caviar and drink champagne, but she was intelligent and well-educated and perceptive of others. Her friends and acquaintances were interesting people to learn of. Her experiences were worth sharing. Some were wonderful - a wedding. Some were simply horrible - the bombing of Berlin. I felt I was there in both instances.

What drew me to this book was I wanted to know more about the July 20th plot to kill Hitler. She worked with and knew the people involved with this plot. It is fascinating to watch the events unfold…and horrifying to read of its consequences. This book is not your typical holocaust book on WW2, but it is just as important to read this as those books if you are looking to understand what happened in WW2. And I promise you, you will be there during the bombing in Berlin…….

Fascinating people and fascinating events told in a riveting manner. I highly recommend this book.

I listened to the audiobook version. The narrator was so calm! This fit wonderfully to its being a diary. The calmness added strength to the words.

Only one thing bothered me. It seems strange that she was so tightly aligned with the people involved in the plot. How did she escape unscathed? Would one dare to write what she writes? Wouldn't this be too dangerous? I know she wrote in a disguised script, but still…. Is this truly a diary? How much of it was written after the event? It is stated that her brother's thought and explanations are added, but that she did not alter her diary writings when the book was to be published. Still, I am a bit skeptical.