I am a bit burned out due to a number of reasons. I have the desire and drive to write but the well is a bit dry at the moment. So what I am going to do is rewrite my first novel online. I wrote this a couple of years before AA I and right after I wrote a book on the German Police in World War II. It sold, maybe, 70 copies. I liked it and I think it is a good book.
The book you are going to read is based on actual events I researched. The characters are my invention. You will see where the original Gardener and Max started out from. The book is extremely violent and I have been told very depressing. So be it. The period it covers was an extremely violent and depressing period.
The story takes place during WWII and is told from the point of view of an enlisted German Police officer who served in one of the police battalions that were deployed there. Most of these battalions where hunter-killer units that deployed in company or below strength for the first couple years of the war. They primarily killed Jews but they also killed anyone who was lined up in front of them. Almost every one of these battalions shot at close range tens of thousands of civilians of all ages, often the numbers were higher.
I think some of the readers here may enjoy this story. Why? Because it is about what ordinary men did when when their government told them to do it. These men were career police, often middle aged, who were not fanatics. They did what they saw as their duty. The methods used by the German Security forces, especially in their anti-partisan war were extremely brutal but they also have been copied. Their system of Zones, ID's, labor divisions,and axillary units will read like current history. I hope you enjoy it.
The everyday man is capable of incredible evil when told by authorities figures that is doing the right thing and is a heck of a guy for it. Likely to be an interesting study, tho not a happy one at all. I have a book about a Polish police battalion, same idea really. Forgot the name and did not read very far in it, too many things to do at the time. I will have a look at yours, but if too depressing I may drop out. I do look forward to more AA writings. Later woof, Iam
ReplyDeletePS HEY ! Where is my free book?
My list of books was sent to the publisher. The nice lady there orders the books from the distributor. She then packages them up and sends them out. Since there were more than a few names on the list and she is only one nice lady it may take weeks.
ReplyDeleteBe patient. Wags on on their way. Woof!
OK, lol, no problem. By the way, I remember the name of the book now. It was "Police Battalion Number Nine". Sorry I forget the authors name and the book is in storage 70 miles from here.
ReplyDeleteWoof and out, Iam dog gone.
I would be very interested in that book if it is in English or German. Especially if it is about the German PB 9 which was a hard core killer battalion that was split up among the the different Einsatzgruppen. They were burned out by 1942 and shipped to Norway for the rest of the war.
ReplyDeleteYes it is in English. Maybe you could try an Amazon search. I will try to dig it out next time I am at my place in Deming. I will get the authors name, publisher etc.
ReplyDeleteI have one of the 70 copies :>)
ReplyDeleteForrest,
ReplyDeleteYou have cornered the Nova collectible market! ;)