Authors:Herbert J. Stern and Alan A. Winter

Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing

ISBN: 978-1-950994-72-4

Alan J. Winter has written four books previously- Island Bluffs; Snowflakes in the Sahara; Someone Else’s Son; Savior’s Day. (2020, back cover) Savior’s Day was selected as Best Book in 2013 by Kirkus. He is a graduate of Columbia University’s Creative Writing Program and has graduate degrees from Columbia and NY University.

This book opens in Berlin in 1933. Chapter 1 reverts back to 1918. Two men who are casualties of the war become unlikely friends. One has amnesia and the other hysterical blindness. The one with amnesia helps the hysterically blind man see again. The nameless man falls for this nurse, Anna because she is so kind. Eventually, their romance fizzles out and he moves on to the next woman. Anna is hurt because she was in love with him. He is tall, lanky, and handsome. She feels safe next to him. The nameless man undergoes all sorts of therapies to try to assist his amnesic mind to recall something, anything from his past to no avail. Eventually, the physician gives him the name Friedrich  Richard. The real Friedrich Richard has died. Friedrich has several romances, one with a famous actress who later moves to America. For a number of years this unknown man lives under this assumed name and even begins to believe himself that man. Will his memory ever come back?

The hysterically blind man is known as Wolf, but his full name is Adolph Hitler. This book traces the history of his rise to power, his distaste for the Jews and his lengthy female conquests. Apparently, Wolf has a penchant for young women and even beds his niece. He also has little respect for women and no time to play favorites. 

The two men remain friends and continue to roam in the same circles until it is time for Wolf to rise to the title of Chancellor. The only divide between the men is that Friedrich has many Jewish friends and Wolf wants them extinguished because he believes that they are unclean and water down the purity of the German race. As his party gains momentum and seats in their government and notoriety with the people in Germany Wolf is asked to be the vice-Chancellor under a man he dislikes and disrespects. Wolf is adamant not to share that power or assume the role of Vice-Chancellor even if it means he is getting closer to his end game. 

Want to know what happens next? Read it. I totally enjoyed this book and the writing style of both authors. I would highly recommend it as your winter read.