Growing up in spite of Hitler

by Peter Grabow

Overview

Many books have been written about the brutality and atrocities committed by the unbelievably evil government of Nazi Germany. The author of this book, born three years before Hitler and his henchmen came to power has now reached the age of 82 and is therefore part of a generation inexorably and seriously reducing in numbers. He feels compelled to recount his experiences of living through one of history's most traumatic epochs, not only in his own, largely dysfunctional family with dangerously anti-Nazi tendencies but somehow surviving the horrific terror-bombing of his own city, Hamburg, (the 'Hiroshima' of Germany) -which was one of the direct consequences of Hitler's brutal and merciless actions.
He bears no animosity towards such retaliatory action by allied forces but would like to document that the great majority of the German civilian population, at the time unaware of the horrendous massacres perpetrated by the SS and other organisations, suffered immeasurably large loss of life.
In a conflagration such as WW II, unleashed by a criminal and unscrupulous regime, no one emerges without blame for the 50 million souls that were lost! The author survived the inferno in his own way and is thankful for any day still given him.
Therefore, this is the story of one innocent child being born into and living through the whole of the tumultuous era of Nazi Germany, avoiding being contaminated by the evil around him.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940033119103
Publisher:	Peter Grabow
Publication date:	03/24/2012
Sold by:	Smashwords
Format:	eBook
File size:	355 KB

About the Author

I was born in Hamburg, Germany three years before Hitler and his henchmen came to power and, therefore, had the misfortune of having to spend my formative years under the Nazi regime lasting 12 years. Another calamity I endured was the fact that I grew up in a somewhat dysfunctional family. My father, an extremely self-centered man, passionately opposed the regime, thereby causing a fair amount of bedlam in my family, and eventually divorced my mother. I soon was compelled to face the utter chaos surrounding me on my own.

A great number of books have been written about the brutality and the atrocities perpetrated by the Nazis. Although not being personally pursued or harassed by them I, like the vast majority of the civilian population, suffered from the consequences of the inhumanity of the regime. From the age of ten years to the end of war at fifteen I had experienced the horrific and disastrous area bombing, somehow survived the infamous firestorm of Hamburg, saw untold dismembered and burned corpses of all ages lying in the streets, and witnessing other unspeakable misery. Therefore, now, at the fair old age of 82, I feel justified to put pen to paper to write about these experiences and of life in war-torn Germany, recounting what it was like to desperately (and largely on my own) fight for survival in those utterly chaotic times.

After the war, I married one of my supposed "enemies", emigrated into enemy territory to live in England for twenty years, migrated to New Zealand for thirty, and was unfortunately widowed after 50 years of marriage.

Now, seventy or more years later, I live very happily re-married to Mary ("Queen of Scots"), in Queensland, Australia where we intend to spend a peaceful and happy life for a little while longer.