Kelly Durham

An interesting perspective on ww2 told by a morally gray character this book is an engaging read.
Most of the German characters in this book were written very sympathetically as if the author doesn't want the reader to have any ill will against them. They were in general caring if somewhat naive and unaware of the major atrocities being handed out by the Nazis and S.S. That I found the hardest to believe as they were mid to high ranking in the properganda department. I think people in those show more positions would have known but the author only touched slightly on the deportation and persecution of the Jews. show less

Berlin Calling is a book with a different subject matter on WWII. It tells about an American girl getting a job putting out propaganda to the English and Americans during the war. Its and exciting book as the girl begins to realize that the Nazis are not as good as she thought. She is then drawn into helping the Americans by becoming a spy. The book is full of suspense and romance and kept me turning pages to see what the outcome would be. I really enjoyed reading this book. It kept me up show more past my bedtime when things started to climax to a great ending. Thanks Net Galley for a great read. show less

The material this book explored was fascinating. Seeing the developing war fronts from the perspective of Americans living in Germany and the developing field of propaganda in this conflict kept me spellbound. It’s a bit freaky how easy it is to turn an event or phrase around to mean one thing to one person and another to another. This is a fantastic story to explore, and I loved it.

I also liked the characters in general. They were pretty vivid, for the most part, changing with the events show more and circumstances portrayed. I liked seeing those impacts, especially in the changes in Kurt and Dieter. Yet, I had a hard time connecting with Maggie. I felt like she was too perfect: so beautiful, so competent, so intelligent, and sexy enough that all the guys wanna bonk her. There are a few slight changes as she takes on her further roles in the book, but for the most part her characterization stays the same.

The flow of the book also felt a bit off. I liked the flow of the first half; it was a smooth transition through the first few years of the war, exploring the declining relations between the big powers of the day and the opening maneuvers of WWII. Yet, the latter half is another story. It felt choppy and jumped years and situations too quickly. Characters changed locations suddenly, threads were dropped, and the resolution of the characters fates rushed the reader like a bull in a china shop. Not a fun reading experience…

Not a bad look at WWII, this book explore some interesting aspects of that conflict and the characters that experienced them. I liked most of the characters and the changes I saw in them. Yet, the main character is a perfect paragon that made me cringe, and the flow of the book needs some serious work. Not a bad volume to while away and afternoon with, but not the best out there, either. show less

I would like to thank NetGalley, and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC of "Berlin Calling" by Kelly Durham. The genre of this book is historical fiction. The author writes about a different aspect of World War Two in Germany. One of his main characters Maggie O'Dea, is an Irish descent American citizen studying abroad in Germany. Maggie is extremely naive, and falls in love with a handsome German soldier. Her soldier convinces her to follow him to Berlin, and gets a job for Maggie in the show more Propaganda Ministry. There, Maggie works in writing and broadcasting as "Betty". As nationalism picks up in Germany, Maggie goes with the flow, and feels justified in supporting Germany in broadcasts to England.
Maggie's boyfriend is away at the front, and she meets many intriguing characters. She meets journalists in Germany also from America, that warn her of the dangers ahead. As Germany starts invading other countries,Maggie makes excuses and becomes extremely conflicted. Maggie has met Joseph Goebbel and others in his circle.
Some of the journalists provide horrific details that are occurring throughout the world. Maggie is approached to give any information that she hears, which can put her life in danger. Now she is broadcasting to America convincing the Americans that German has weapons of mass destruction. Maggie has many doubts of the propaganda that she has been told to report.
It is difficult to believe that an American living in Germany could play such a part in the war. The author writes that this novel was based on an American student who did actually work for the German Propaganda Ministry, and this was his motivation for his story.
The author discusses the horrific, appalling and deplorable conditions of war and its effects on people, families and countries. I find that Kelly Durham describes a cast of characters, each with major conflicts, and shows the effects of war on their personalities. I also reflected how journalists faced dangers reporting the news during this time. In addition journalism and propaganda had a major influence on the war. I would recommend this book for people who like to read historical fiction during the World War Two timeline. show less