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Published May 2009
384 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
When World War II begins, Max Brekendorf, a young German naval officer, fights for his country with honor and courage. With the seemingly unstoppable German war machine overrunning Europe, Max looks ahead to a bright future with his fiancée. But as the war progresses, the life he envisioned for them grows ever more distant. Because of his exemplary conduct in the early years of the war, Max is given command of a U-Boat and comes face to face with the terrible reality of warfare in the North Atlantic.
On the home front, life has become increasingly dangerous and desperate. As the Third Reich steadily crumbles, Nazi loyalists begin to infiltrate Max's crew and turn their terror on Germany's own armed forces. Recognizing what his nation has become, Max and is forced to make a choice between his own sense of morality, and his duty to the Reich.
"Fans of naval fiction couldn't ask for more authentic action..." - Publishers Weekly
"A vivid and compelling portrayal of World War II naval service." - Library Journal
"A gripping and eye-opening first novel." - Booklist
"A truly epic and stirring tale of war, love, and the sea. An Honorable German is a remarkable debut novel by a writer who has done his homework so well that it seems he was an eyewitness to the history he portrays in such vivid detail. An original and surprising look at World War II from the other side" - Nelson DeMille
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in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Born in Mobile, AL, and a graduate of Tulane University, Charles McCain lives in Washington, D.C. An Honorable German is his first novel.
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