Danzig A Novel of Political Intrigue William N Walker 9781533073921 Books
Download As PDF : Danzig A Novel of Political Intrigue William N Walker 9781533073921 Books
The looming menace of Nazi oppression hung like a dark cloud over the Free City of Danzig. Inspired by actual events, Danzig is a story of diplomatic conflict and political intrigue in Central Europe during the 1930’s. Richly atmospheric, it is gripping historical fiction in the grand tradition. The Free City of Danzig was established by the Treaty of Versailles as a mandate to be protected by the League of Nations and its High Commissioner. In 1933, the Nazi party took control of Danzig and pursued a hostile and violent agenda aimed at overthrowing the League's High Commissioner and subverting its constitutional protections. Sean Lester, an Irish diplomat, was the League's High Commissioner and Paul Muller, a young man fresh from university, was his secretary during this tense period. The story portrays the roles played by Lester and Muller as repeated crises engulfed Danzig and high stakes confrontations led to diplomatic clashes and, finally, political betrayal. Their story vividly captures the struggle between rampant Nazi ascendency and the League’s mandate to preserve Danzig’s fragile democracy. Through the eyes of Lester and Muller, from their perch at the epicenter of the Danzig conflict, we watch Hitler consolidating power and flexing growing German strength; we see Britain embracing a policy of feckless appeasement, unwilling to confront the looming German menace; and we are caught up in the hothouse atmosphere of a hesitant League of Nations, brimming with intrigue and infighting and ultimately failing to deliver on its promise of peace through diplomacy and collective security. The story encompasses fast-paced events in Geneva, Berlin, Warsaw and London, as well as Danzig itself, capturing the drama of unfolding crisis that engulfed Europe in the 1930’s on what we now know was the path to war. This is a work of fiction, but aficionados of interwar novels will relish the authenticity of the narrative. Most of the story's characters were real people and the events described actually happened. Danzig brings them vividly back to life and invites readers to experience the drama of clashes within the Nazi leadership, rivalries among Western politicians pursuing competing agendas, and the lonely role of the League's High Commissioner trying to face down dangerous adversaries. It is a gripping tale in a fateful time the struggle for the Free City of Danzig.
Danzig A Novel of Political Intrigue William N Walker 9781533073921 Books
Cameron Watt in his “How War Came” devotes an entire chapter to Danzig: “Hitler Steps up the Pressure: “Die for Danzig.”” The events in William Walker’s book occur prior to 1939; more specifically the period between 1934 -1936 when Sean Lester was the League of Nations High Commissioner for the “free city” of Danzig. Walker places Danzig at the fulcrum of the growing struggle between Hitler and the rest of Europe.The mostly German city of Danzig (pop. 400,000) was established by the Treaty of Versailles as a “free city” that would give Poland an outlet to the Baltic Sea. Today it is the Polish city of Gdansk. The League of Nations was responsible for maintaining its constitutional safeguards which would have worked well in more harmonious times, but with the rise of Hitler the German majority of the city moved sharply in the direction of the NDSAP (Nazi Party) thereby creating a crisis for the League.
Although this is far from the best written historical novel Walker integrates the actions of some very real people with his protagonist, Paul Muller an upper-class League diplomat of Swiss-English parents. In the novel he is Lester’s chief aide and we find him fighting battles in Geneva, the League’s headquarters and on the streets of Danzig. He sees up close the role of Nazi thugs intimidating their opposition and the appeasement policy of Anthony Eden in Geneva as he continually sells out Lester. Eden would later break with that policy, but early on he was an appeaser.
Through Muller we become a fly on the wall in meetings at the League and in Danzig where Lester tries to negotiate with NDSAP leaders Arthur Greisser and Albert Forster who are following direct orders from Berlin and we also get a sense of the opposition Social Democrats who are fighting a losing battle. We also see which is timely for today, the very real risks diplomats and their families take in difficult environments.
I recommend William Walker’s book to those readers who want to get a sense of what dealing with the growing Nazi threat diplomats faced on a day-to-day basis as they struggled to maintain a semblance of collective security.
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Tags : Danzig: A Novel of Political Intrigue [William N. Walker] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The looming menace of Nazi oppression hung like a dark cloud over the Free City of Danzig. Inspired by actual events,William N. Walker,Danzig: A Novel of Political Intrigue,CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform,1533073929,FICTION War & Military
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Danzig A Novel of Political Intrigue William N Walker 9781533073921 Books Reviews
I think that this novel starts weakly, but having said that it improves as it moves along. There is overmuch emphasis on alcohol consumption and its apparent lack of effect on main characters. Now having said that the historical subject which is the Free City of Danzig created after the first war is not well known which this novel addresses. It is also the swann song of the ineffective League of Nations in that and other regards. For history buffs this is a good novel.
Fans of Alan Furst will be extremely disappointed. This is basically a history lecture tricked out as (barely) a novel. The characters are always giving each other extensive expository lectures about things that as informed contemporaries they would have already known, but which the author is eager to lay down heavy on his long-suffering readers. Really, he has no alternative plan because he has neither plot nor characters, just a lot of research to unload.
I met Bill at my golf club and he mentioned he had written a book about a period in history that has fascinated me for years and which was the focus of my major at Edinburgh University the interwar years in Europe of the 1920's and 1930's.
I gladly got hold of a copy and read it from cover to cover in short order as it is a well composed novel which features many of the issues of that era that are sometimes hard to comprehend How could a society descend into the awful nightmare of nazism?
I read many books on the subject at Edinburgh, and it's too bad this book was not around as a companion to the strictly academic works. The novel brings to light just how society can break down with wth the right concoction of fear, ignorance and economic dislocation. It also helps to recall the logistics of life in the period; no iPhones and generally available sources of media. Hence people could be better controlled by sufficiently motivated groups.
I liked the color it brought to the interfaces at the League of Nations and how with the benefit of hindsight the alllies lost the plot and facilitated the regime off terror that subsequently plunged not just Europe but the world into a second bloody confrontation in a generation.
I also liked Bill's ability to convey the bullying antics of the local Nazi leadership in Danzig, as well as the organized methods led by Berlin to foment discontent.
I really enjoyed this book. And I think you will too.
This novel showed what happened in Danzig just prior to WWII, mainly in1933 to 1936 I was glad to get a feel for the Polish side of their short war. I didn't realize what a fool Beck (Polish leader) was and how early the British (Eden) were appeasing. Of course the Germans were - well - Nazis - no surprise there. It was interesting to learn how the Free State of Danzig, under the guardianship of the League of Nations, came about and disappeared.
I had visited this place last summer, and it was interesting to hear the story about where the first shots of WWII were fired.
Interesting story about Poland the League of Nations that is seldom told. I had heard of Danzig and the Polish Corridor but only in connection with the end of World War I and the containment of Germany. I enjoy historical fiction about the First World War and the meager influence of the League of Nations, and I am glad to have found this book.
5 stars well-deserved from knowledgeable history buffs, perhaps fewer for general readers. This is really the history of the League
of Nations as it related to the Danzig question at the dawn of WWII, written in novel form. While the characters enhance the
flow of the story, they are secondary to the history itself. Great reading though--it is an absorbing story, well-written throughout.
I would hope to see more in the same vein from this author.
Cameron Watt in his “How War Came” devotes an entire chapter to Danzig “Hitler Steps up the Pressure “Die for Danzig.”” The events in William Walker’s book occur prior to 1939; more specifically the period between 1934 -1936 when Sean Lester was the League of Nations High Commissioner for the “free city” of Danzig. Walker places Danzig at the fulcrum of the growing struggle between Hitler and the rest of Europe.
The mostly German city of Danzig (pop. 400,000) was established by the Treaty of Versailles as a “free city” that would give Poland an outlet to the Baltic Sea. Today it is the Polish city of Gdansk. The League of Nations was responsible for maintaining its constitutional safeguards which would have worked well in more harmonious times, but with the rise of Hitler the German majority of the city moved sharply in the direction of the NDSAP (Nazi Party) thereby creating a crisis for the League.
Although this is far from the best written historical novel Walker integrates the actions of some very real people with his protagonist, Paul Muller an upper-class League diplomat of Swiss-English parents. In the novel he is Lester’s chief aide and we find him fighting battles in Geneva, the League’s headquarters and on the streets of Danzig. He sees up close the role of Nazi thugs intimidating their opposition and the appeasement policy of Anthony Eden in Geneva as he continually sells out Lester. Eden would later break with that policy, but early on he was an appeaser.
Through Muller we become a fly on the wall in meetings at the League and in Danzig where Lester tries to negotiate with NDSAP leaders Arthur Greisser and Albert Forster who are following direct orders from Berlin and we also get a sense of the opposition Social Democrats who are fighting a losing battle. We also see which is timely for today, the very real risks diplomats and their families take in difficult environments.
I recommend William Walker’s book to those readers who want to get a sense of what dealing with the growing Nazi threat diplomats faced on a day-to-day basis as they struggled to maintain a semblance of collective security.
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