The Bitter Taste of Victory: Life, Love and Art in the Ruins of the Reich
by Lara Feigel
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When Germany surrendered in May 1945 it was a nation reduced to rubble. Immediately, America, Britain, Soviet Russia, and France set about rebuilding in their zones of occupation. Most urgent were physical needs—food, water, and sanitation—but from the start the Allies were also anxious to indoctrinate the German people in the ideas of peace and civilization.Denazification and reeducation would be key to future peace, and the arts were crucial guides to alternative, less militaristic show more ways of life. In an extraordinary extension of diplomacy, over the next four years, many writers, artists, actors, and filmmakers were dispatched by Britain and America to help rebuild the country their governments had spent years bombing. Ernest Hemingway, Martha Gellhorn, Marlene Dietrich, George Orwell, Lee Miller, W. H. Auden, Stephen Spender, Billy Wilder, and others undertook the challenge of reconfiguring German society. In the end, many of them became disillusioned by the contrast between the destruction they were witnessing and the cool politics of reconstruction.
While they may have had less effect on Germany than Germany had on them, the experiences of these celebrated figures, never before told, offer an entirely fresh view of post-war Europe. The Bitter Taste of Victory is a brilliant and important addition to the literature of World War II.
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A detailed look into the lives of many writers, actors and artists who visited Germany in the years immediately post WWII. Particularly relevant to UK readers who have forgotten what the European project was for and how it was born in the ruins of Europe confronted with an unrepentant Germany and a threatening Russia. 'Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose'
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The Guardian Book of the Day (2016-01-24)
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Bitter Taste of Victory: Life, Love and Art in the Ruins of the Reich
- Original publication date
- 2016
- Important places
- Germany
- Important events
- World War II; Allied Occupation of Germany
- Original language
- English
Classifications
- Genres
- History, Nonfiction, General Nonfiction, Biography & Memoir
- DDC/MDS
- 940.554 — History & geography History of Europe History of Europe 1918- 1945-1999 1945-1949
- LCC
- DD257.2 .F45 — History of Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania Germany History of Germany History By period Modern, 1519- 19th-20th centuries Revolution and Republic, 1918- Period of Allied occupation, 1945-
- BISAC
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- Members
- 112
- Popularity
- 288,826
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (3.93)
- Languages
- English, Spanish
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 7
- ASINs
- 2
