AN INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR
I asked George to tell us more about the research he did into the 1930s era, Adolf Hitler and World War II. Here is his response:
The research behind
Sudetenland was a long process. I started in earnest back in 1996. There were
three pivotal sources that helped launch me on my way. The first was a
tremendous article I ran across in a journal called Command Magazine by Dr.
Peter H. Gryner. The piece was very well researched, very in-depth and did a
fantastic job of setting up the political and military dynamics between
Czechoslovakia and Germany in 1938. I knew I wanted to use the Sudeten Crisis
of that year as setting for the novel and this article provided an early
factual template to work from.
The second major source was
Berlin Diary by William Shirer. He was one of the early wire news reporters who
made the jump into radio working for Edward R. Murrow at CBS. Shirer was in
Vienna, Prague and Berlin during the period I was writing about and his
first-person observations were colorfully descriptive. From other sources I was
able to get transcripts of some of his broadcasts that he mentioned in the
book. There was so much wonderful material the only way I felt good about using
it all was by making him one of the real-life characters in the book so he
could deliver his own observations. Shirer's remarks on Hitler at the Godesberg
summit in September 1938 are priceless.
The third major volume was Master
of Spies by Frantisek Moravec. Few people know that Czechoslovak Military
Intelligence had an extensive network of spies and agents in Germany before
World War II that churned out amazingly accurate reports on what the Nazis were
up to. Moravec was in charge of that operation. Some of the intelligence coups
they pulled off were astonishing and Moravec goes into great detail about them.
Moving forward the research
shifted to subject-specific searches. If I found a good tome in a library that
had facts and observations I could make use of, I would order a used copy
online. Later, Internet searches supplanted trips to the library as Google has
digitized so many non-fiction books you can get quick access to sizable
excerpts. In this fashion I came across many useful academic textbooks with
bits and pieces of what I needed.
Then there was the serendipitous
pursuit of old postcards. It is remarkable what you can find on eBay. Finances
only permitted me one research trip and that was an extended stay in Prague. But
I had major portions of Sudetenland happening in Bohemia, plus the major
European capitals. Old color postcards were a marvelous way to get a window on
city districts in the way they looked between the wars.
An example of a small research
quest of mine was the train station in Košice, Slovakia. Look it up today and
you will see various photographs of the station built during communist times.
So I did the translations and started searching using Czech terms. I was lucky
enough to find a digitized train enthusiast magazine that talked about the old
station built during Austro-Hungarian rule, and it included pictures. The
building was absolutely charming and looked like something you would find at
Disneyland.
Another major resource was old
wire reports from the era. You can get access to quite a few digitized
newspapers these days, which opens up reports from correspondents in the field.
These accounts are tremendous but you have to be careful with them. In smaller
towns the reporters often submitted the name phonetically in English so you
have to go back and fact check the names in their native language. That can be
interesting when the reporters in Bohemia at the time were mangling the German
names and on maps today the names are all in Czech.
Lastly, I have adored 1930s
cinema since I was a kid. Watching all of those old movies has given me a good
feeling for the era, which was invaluable in setting the tone for characters
and events in Sudetenland.
ABOUT THE BOOK
AN EXCERPT
"The Germans are very keen to
have news of the conference broadcast live across the world. They are very
confident of the outcome. Godesberg is a great victory for them," Shirer
felt a tad uncomfortable at helping them promote their success.
"Yeah, that's what I have been
reading in the local rags," Endicott found the towing of the government's
pitch lines to be remarkably uniform.
"Don't be too hard on us, my
friend," an overly cheery German broke into the conversation to sit down
at the table without waiting for an invitation. "Godesberg is one of those
rare occasions where everything we print is actually true."
Shirer laughed and slapped the
tabletop. "Eavesdropping again, Manfred?"
"Of course! And so do you. I am
just better at snooping than you are," the German boasted, although he
ranked Shirer's attention to detail as amazingly high.
"Charles," Shirer turned
to Endicott. "Meet Herr Culemann, one of Germany's leading editors."
"Pleased to meet you. Charles
Endicott, Hearst International News Service," Endicott reached over the
table to offer his hand.
"I just read your story. Great
work there: Kidnapped By the Sudeten Freikorps. I am glad you survived
unscathed. Many of their number are severely undisciplined," Culemann was
sincerely pleased no harm had come to the American.
"Thanks on both counts.
Sometimes I get lucky," Endicott hoped the roll lasted for a while longer.
"Say, you look like a man in the know. When does Herr Hitler arrive?"
"Oh, the chancellor is already
in Godesberg... upstairs as we speak," Culemann informed them.
"Now you're talking,"
Endicott perked up. "When do you think we will get a chance to see
him?"
"Any time really. One never
knows. He could stroll through the lobby in five minutes on the way to his river
yacht. The vessel is tied up at the water's edge," Culemann located the
vessel through the window and showed them.
"Somehow I expected something
more formal," Endicott sounded let down.
"Do not despair, the
Teppichfresser will not disappoint," Culemann lowered his voice as he
teased the Americans.
"The what?" Endicott did
not understand the term.
"Carpet eater?" Shirer's
translation did little to ease his own confusion.
"You two have obviously not
been paying attention to the discussion at the next table," Culemann
nodded in the direction of two party hacks nearby.
"I imagine not," Shirer
had been ignoring their boorish neighbors on purpose.
"Perhaps you have heard... the
chancellor often has strong reactions to bad news," Culemann continued in
a whisper. "Chamberlain promised him that he could deliver the Sudetenland
on a platter and all of the news from Prague says Beneš is obstinately refusing
to go along. Those two over there were just mentioning how this continued
stubbornness by the Czech president has brought on one of Hitler's rages
causing the leader of the great German Empire to fling himself on the floor
where he chews on the edge of the carpet."
"You have to be kidding,"
Endicott found such a tale difficult to believe.
"Trust me, on such matters, I
never kid," Culemann wagged his forefinger at the Americans.
SPECIAL LINKS
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George will be
awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter
during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
