Germania: A Novel [Deckle Edge] [Hardcover]

Brendan McNally (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 10, 2009

In their youth, Manni and Franzi, together with their brothers, Ziggy and Sebastian, captured Germany's collective imagination as the Flying Magical Loerber Brothers -- one of the most popular vaudeville acts of the old Weimar days. The ensuing years have, however, found the Jewish brothers estranged and ensconced in various occupations as the war is drawing near its end and a German surrender is imminent. Manni is traveling through the Ruhr Valley with Albert Speer, who is intent on subverting Hitler's apocalyptic plan to destroy the German industrial heartland before the Allies arrive; Franzi has become inextricably attached to Heinrich Himmler's entourage as astrologer and masseur; and Ziggy and Sebastian have each been employed in pursuits that threaten to compromise irrevocably their own safety and ideologies.

Now, with the Russian noose tightening around Berlin and the remnants of the Nazi government fleeing north to Flensburg, the Loerber brothers are unexpectedly reunited. As Himmler and Speer vie to become the next Führer, deluded into believing they can strike a bargain with Eisenhower and escape their criminal fates, the Loerbers must employ all their talents -- and whatever magic they possess -- to rescue themselves and one another.

Deftly written and darkly funny, Germania is an astounding adventure tale -- with subplots involving a hidden cache of Nazi gold, Hitler's miracle U-boats, and Speer's secret plan to live out his days hunting walrus in Greenland -- and a remarkably imaginative novel from a gifted new writing talent.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Former journalist McNally puts a magical spin on the last days of the Third Reich in his debut, a busy, beguiling novel perhaps too overstuffed with a dizzying cast and troves of lesser-known historical footnotes. Embedded in politics and far from the atrocities of the Nazi regime, figures like Albert Speer, Heinrich Himmler and Karl Dönitz become curiously sympathetic as they try to manipulate their ways out of their ineluctable futures. Woven throughout is the story of the Loerber quadruplets (known before the war as the Flying Magical Loerber Brothers—think: the Comedian Harmonists), who have psychic abilities and positions of power inside and in opposition to the Nazi regime: Manni is an assassin who can manipulate people's wills; Sebastian, long thought dead, works for the Blood of Israel resistance and can mass-broadcast dreams; Ziggy is a U-boat captain who can hear and control others' thoughts; and Franzi is a triple-agent in the SS's occult studies division and becomes Himmler's masseur and psychic adviser. The Loerber brothers, however, turn out to be less interesting on the page than Himmler, Speer and their contemporaries, though McNally's blending of the fantastical with historical record broadens and enriches an oft-told story. (Sept.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal

Set in the closing days of the Third Reich, this is the story of quadruplets, the Flying Magical Loerber Brothers. Twelve years earlier, the brothers were the toast of Berlin with their high-energy mixture of acrobatics, mind reading, and vaudeville. Now Hitler's regime is falling, and the brothers have gone their own ways: Manni is an assassin, Ziggy a decorated U-boat captain, Franzi adviser to Heinrich Himmler but really a double agent for the Russians and the British, and Sebastian, long thought dead, is undercover with a Zionist terrorist group. The Russians want Franzi dead—he knows too much about their operation—and his brothers unite to spirit him to safety. In this wild debut, McNally throws in everything from flying boats and a fleet of miniature subs to mind control, a repulsive Himmler, and a narcissistic Albert Speer. There's enough energy here but, unfortunately, not enough direction. The plot goes astray halfway through, the psychic element adds nothing, and the conclusion doesn't point anywhere. This isn't a bad first novel; it just isn't a good one. Not recommended.—David Keymer, Modesto, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster (February 10, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416558829
• ISBN-13: 978-1416558828
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,873,577 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Before turning to fiction, Brendan McNally worked as a defense journalist, first at the Pentagon and later in Prague, where he investigated the Eastern European arms trade. His investigative work included uncovering the Czech government's role in helping supply nuclear technology to Iran for the Prague Post and Iraqi deployment of Chemical Weapons for the New York Times. Brendan currently writes feature stories for the popular monthly D Magazine. He lives in Dallas, Texas, with his wife and daughter. Germania is his first novel.

Learn more on my website: www.brendanmcnallyauthor.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing and well-written historical fiction about the Flensburg Government, December 8, 2008

By 

ANT "azraelart" (Crofton, MD USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Germania: A Novel (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

At first glance, Germania appears to follow the lives of the Four Magical Flying Loerber Brothers, a fictitious Weimar-era troupe of acrobats and performers, who were huge stars in pre-war Germany. While the stories are centered mostly around these characters, I came to find that the main crux of the story was the brief period after Germany's surrender known as the Flensburg Government, when Grand Admiral Dönitz was ruling (in a loose sense) the country. Between the facts presented surrounding those principal characters (Albert Speer, Henirich Himmler, and others), and the fanciful addition of the Loerbers, there is an incredible dynamic created that not only expresses the absurdity of three weeks after surrender, but tries to explain the actual historical events in the same strange light surrounding the defeated Axis power.

What struck me as interesting was the historical basis for this novel. Just as with Shaara's works, McNally provides us an insight into World War II through use of fiction, but in a different sense. Rather than merely rely on imaginative powers to conceive of words that historical figures might have used, there is the additional element of fictional characters who serve to move the plot forward, as well as signify the era in a sense.

Not knowing a great deal about the Flensburg Government as I began to read this novel, I was intrigued by the political atmosphere and social upheaval of the time. I think the absurd nature of the Loerbers perfectly captures this period in time, however. My only complaint would be that I felt somewhat empty at the end. I suppose that is due to the very nature of the topic, in which case, bravo to McNally for wonderfully capturing his point.

A definitely must-read for WWII history fans/buffs, those who are curious how a people could turn against one race, those who enjoy post-war German literature, or anyone in the mood for a very well done historical fiction. While it nearly lost a star for me due to the apparent fizzling out at the end, upon reflection, it was merely the perfect denouement to sum up the Flensburg Government, Germany's wartime era, and this most excellent novel.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An amazing story, August 8, 2011

By 

Ron Chicaferro (Scottsdale, AZ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Germania: A Novel (Paperback)

Brendan McNally's first novel, Germania, is superb. It's the history of what happened at the end of World War II in a part of Germany called Flensburg. Much has been written about the start of World War II but reading about the ending was an eye-opener. How some of the SS tried to escape punishment. How some of the regular German military officers had to pay the ultimate price for the excesses of the SS. How the regular German military had to admit, first to themselves then to history that they really did know what was going on in the concentration camps. An amazing story about a terrible time in world history. Truly a 'Must Read' book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating and original, July 20, 2010

By 

D. O'Reilly "Dom O'Reilly" (West London, forever) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Germania: A Novel (Hardcover)

This is a cracking read, both as a piece of history and a character study. It is fascinating in the detail of a little-known and short-lived period of German history immediately after the Second World War and also as a story of sibling rivalry.

I didn't know what to expect when I picked it up and I stayed that way until the final sentence.

It's a book that will keep popping back into your thoughts long after you've read it.