Within a month, Poland had already surrendered and within a year, so had France. Germany’s initial conquest of Europe was swift and brutal.6 million Jews died in the war, and as many as 15 million others died in total. World War II is also referred to as the Holocaust, the name given to Hitler’s attempted genocide of the Jewish people.Other forms of new technology included one of the world’s first electronic computers that was used to codebreak (stop reading now and watch The Imitation Game if you haven’t already! Totally counts as studying, right?), as well as radio and radar, used to communicate and also to detect enemies in the field.Aircraft carriers and various planes (fighters, bombers etc.) became more important than ever, while Hitler’s use of tanks allowed him to take over much of Europe very quickly. Various forms of technology were first used, or found new uses, during the war.Whilst it was Germany who started the war, the intervention of the US at the end of five long years of fighting ultimately helped the Allies win. Lasting 1939-1945, the war was fought between the Axis powers (Germany, Japan and Italy) and the Allies (basically everyone else, but mainly England, France, and later the US).However, their interaction also speaks to the humanity that lies in all of us, no matter how deeply buried. Their storylines converge in the bombing of Saint-Malo, demonstrating that war can be indiscriminate in its victims-that is, it does not care if its victims are children or adults, innocent or guilty, French or German. What makes this novel difficult to introduce is the way in which Doerr has done this through the eyes of two children on opposite sides of the war, he explores how both of them struggle with identity, morality and hope, each in their own way. His novel alludes to the merciless anonymity of death in war, juxtaposes individualism with collective national mindlessness, and seeks out innocence amidst the brutality of war. In some ways, Doerr is another author who has attempted this. Many reflect on the experiences of children and families whose lives were torn apart by the war. World War II, arguably one of the darkest events of human history, has been the basis of so much writing across so many genres authors, academics, novelists have all devoted themselves to understanding the tragedies, and make sense of how we managed to do this to one another.

Not gonna lie, this novel is a bit of a tricky one to introduce.

Diamond rush desperation distrust