Wolfsangel: A German City on Trial, 1945-48 - Softcover

Nigro, August

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1574883496 ISBN 13: 9781574883497

Publisher: POTOMAC BOOKS, 2001

Synopsis

The dramatic story of a U.S. bomber crew's fateful mission during World War II, the airmen's lynching by an enraged mob, and the extraordinary war crimes trial that sent five German citizens to the gallows

About this title

About the Author:

August Nigro is a professor of English literature at Kutztown University.

Review:

"A truly remarkable book that ... captures the horrors of total war, shows the brutal reality of collateral damage..." -- Dr. Howard Ball, Professor of Political Science, University of Vermont, Author of Prosecuting War Crimes and Genocide: The Twentieth-Century Experience

"This is a thoughtful and pointed account of WWII civilians at war." -- Publishers Weekly

“A chilling tale . . ." --Proceedings

On August 26, 1944, a small town in western Germany endured fifty-nine minutes of `strategic bombing' by the RAF which destroyed homes and businesses alike. The dead and wounded were civilians. A few hours later, the crew of a downed B-24 Liberator captured after a bombing raid on another town, was marched through the rubble of Russelsheim. The citizens of Russelsheim, presuming that these eight young men were the `Canadians' who had destroyed their town, cursed and spat upon them at first. Then a middle-aged housewife screamed, "There are the terror flyers. Tear them to pieces! Beat them to death! They have destroyed our houses!" With those words, she threw a brick which ignited a riot which resulted in the death of the airmen. A year later, after the war was over, an American military court tried eleven Russelsheimers for war crimes and murder. Augusto Nigro explores the horrors of war and the impact of unrelenting terror on ordinary citizens. He questions the morality that condones the bombing of towns and villages well beyond the lines of combat yet prosecutes and hangs people who kill those who bomb and terrorize. Are there any rules in all-out war, he asks? WOLFSANGEL is an important book. Well-researched and thought out, it tells this little known story in simple, straight forward language that makes for easy reading while touching on the illusive nature of `right and wrong' in a world turned upside down by war. The unanswered questions of 1944 remain issues today as we face a `war on terrorism' by bombing towns and villages suspected of harboring those who terrorize us. It makes the head spin. --By Joyce Faulkner

I know the story rather well. My grandfather was William Adams. He was one of the crew members on the Wham Bam Thank You Mam. IN fact, he was the nose gunner on the downed-plane. Anyway, this book is accurate in some accounts but the author neglected to satisfy all omniscent accounts related to personal information. I'm aware that he couldn't understand every detail but he shouldn't have assumed and overlooked family data. My grandfather had two sons AND two daughters. I'm confused why he never questioned my grandmother about the incident. She knew my grandfather better than any other. SO, why couldn't he have talked and interrogated her? Sometimes personal information can help a person understand the story better and help to further promote precision. I am a great lover of historic events but when a personal association to my grandfather's past incident is addressed with inadequate data about his life, I'm offended. However, I am appreciative to the fact that another person spent time and was interested in this case. I commend the author for researching desire but hope that he will resort further into the field of personal information. There are some "typos" in the book that should be rechecked as well. I understand that it is impossible to complete anything perfect but alterations and revisions should be made to help "perfect" the completed novel. --By Adam Dietrich

About this edition

• Publisher: POTOMAC BOOKS
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 1574883496
• ISBN 13: 9781574883497
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 186