Alone in Berlin

Hailed as an international bestseller and lauded as one of the most extraordinary novels about World War II, Hans Fallada's 'Alone in Berlin' is a riveting wartime thriller rooted in a true story. Set in 1940 Berlin, a city gripped by fear, the narrative follows the courageous defiance of an ordinary man against the tyrannical Nazi regime.

At 55 Jablonski Strasse, a microcosm of Berlin society unfolds. The bullying Persickes, staunch Hitler supporters; the retired judge Fromm; and the unassuming couple Otto and Anna Quangel, all navigate life under Nazi rule. When the Quangels learn of their beloved son's death in France, their world shatters. Galvanised by grief, they embark on a perilous campaign of silent resistance.

A deadly game of cat and mouse ensues between the Quangels and the ambitious Gestapo inspector Escherich. The plot thickens as petty criminals Kluge and Borkhausen become entangled, leading to a web of deception, betrayal, and murder that tightens around the Quangels like a noose.

This Penguin Classics edition includes an illuminating afterword by Geoff Wilkes and facsimiles of the original Gestapo file that inspired Fallada's gripping tale.

Praised as a "fast-moving, important and astutely deadpan thriller" by the Irish Times, and "an unrivalled and vivid portrait of life in wartime Berlin" by Philip Kerr, 'Alone in Berlin' offers a haunting glimpse into one of history's darkest chapters. As The New York Times aptly puts it, reading Fallada's testament is like being accompanied by a wise, somber ghost, whispering, "This is how it was. This is what happened."

Product Information:

Book ISBN:	9780141189383
Book Author:	Hans Fallada
Book Format:	Paperback / softback
Book Imprint:	Penguin Classics
Book Publisher:	Penguin Books Ltd
Book Dimensions:	197 x 130 x 28 cm
Book Publication Date:	2010-01-28
Book Pagination:	608 pages
Book Weight:	416g