A Woman In Berlin

This is a devastating book. It is matter-of-fact, makes no attempt to score political points, does not attempt to solicit sympathy for its protagonist and yet is among the most chilling indictments of war I have ever read. Everybody, in particular every woman ought to read it – Arundhati RoyOne of the most important personal accounts ever written about the effects of war and defeat – Antony BeevorThis is not an hysterical woman … you simply cannot dismiss it … profoundly, acutely embarrassing … an insight into the resilience of people in an unknowable situation – Robert SandhillComplex, closely observed diary by a woman living in conquered Berlin at the end of WWII * Kirkus Reviews *Let Anonymous stand witness as she wished to: as an undistorted voice for all women in war and its aftermath, whatever their names or nation or ethnicity. Anywhere * Los Angeles Times *An astonishing record of survival … the voice of Anonymous emerges as both shrewd and funny … a fresh contribution to the literature of war * Entertainment Weekly *A stunning account of a German woman’s battle to survive repeated rape at the hands of the victors among the ruins of Berlin … While leaders plot their dreams of glory and victory, the lives of ordinary people–on all sides–are trampled and destroyed. A most salutary work – David Hare * Guardian *The author has a fierce, uncompromising voice, and her book should become a classic of war literature * Publishers Weekly *Marvelous … As it is a human instinct to survive, this book, which could have been horrifying, is instead exhilarating: a rare tribute to the human spirit * Daily Mail *Coolly written, tearingly honest … This is a classic not only of war literature but also of writing at the very extreme of human suffering * Daily Telegraph *This is a devastating book. It is matter-of-fact, makes no attempt to score political points, does not attempt to solicit sympathy for its protagonist and yet is among the most chilling indictments of war I have ever read. Everybody, in particular every woman ought to read it. * Arundhati Roy, author of The Good of Small Things *Complex, closely observed diary by a woman living in conquered Berlin at the end of WWII. * Kirkus Reviews *Let Anonymous stand witness as she wished to: as an undistorted voice for all women in war and its aftermath, whatever their names or nation or ethnicity. Anywhere. * Los Angeles Times *An astonishing record of survival … the voice of Anonymous emerges as both shrewd and funny … a fresh contribution to the literature of war. * Entertainment Weekly *A riveting account of a military atrocity … The author doesn’t try to explain or moralize the horror. She simply records it as perhaps no one else has, in all of its devastating essence. * The New York Observer *A stunning account of a German woman’s battle to survive repeated rape at the hands of the victors among the ruins of Berlin … While leaders plot their dreams of glory and victory, the lives of ordinary people–on all sides–are trampled and destroyed. A most salutary work. – David Hare * The Guardian *The author has a fierce, uncompromising voice, and her book should become a classic of war literature. * Publishers Weekly *Marvelous … As it is a human instinct to survive, this book, which could have been horrifying, is instead exhilarating: a rare tribute to the human spirit. * Daily Mail *Coolly written, tearingly honest … This is a classic not only of war literature but also of writing at the very extreme of human suffering. * The Daily Telegraph *

Author, now deceased, is thought to have been a journalist or publisher.