The ultimate struggle for supremacy over Berlin begins… willing to starve two million people in an attempt to push the Western Allies from Berlin?
Presented with the fait-accompli of the Berlin blockade, cabaret singer Bruni von Sinner has no doubt about their sinister intentions. Not even the reassurances from Vladimir Rublev, a member of the Red Army Intelligence, who insists there’s no such thing as a besieged city, can convince her otherwise.
Landlocked in the paw of the Russian Bear, she faces the choice of giving up her freedom or slowly starving to death. She and her compatriots have only one hope to stay alive – a supply run by air. But feeding a city of this size by air is simply impossible.
The entire Operation Vittles reaches a breaking point when the weather turns bad and no more planes can land.
Can the Americans and British win the race against time and develop the technology needed to fly through winter with snow, ice, mist and storms?
And can the engineer Victor Richards build a new airport for Berlin from scratch – with not much more than hungry workers and shovels? Because if he doesn’t, the woman he loves will have to live behind the Iron Curtain for the rest of her life.
Based on the historical events of the Berlin Airlift, On the Brink takes you on a roller-coaster ride of hope, disappointment, determination and courage.
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What a reading pleasure! A history lesson wrapped up in a wonderful love story. Marion Kummerow’s meticulous research gives the feel of reality to the novel.
Blockade
This is book two in the Fractured Berlin series. I found it interesting and exciting with a bit of romance.
Relations between the western allies and the Soviet Union Is fast deteriorating. Berlin is sectioned into four sections, Thorpe American section, the French section, the British section, and the Soviet Union section. The Soviets want complete control over Berlin and the allies, especially the Americans are not having it. As the tension builds and tempers flare finally when the American Commander walks out of the talks they are no longer working together to govern Berlin. Since they no longer agree on anything and the Soviet Commander is angry the Soviet retaliate by putting a blockade up to prevent supplies coming into Berlin. It is explosive and exciting. You can feel the tension. From a gathering turning into a riot to the destruction of the radio station the Soviets are spreading propaganda from. Unrest in the city has risen to a high level and relations between the Allies and the Soviets come to a serious stage.
Since the blockade everything has to be flown in by airplane. An American soldier, a specialist in this field is sent to build an airport. This is needed to bring food, and especially coal in to Berlin so all the people will not go hungry and freeze to death.
While building this airport he rekindles his attraction to a beautiful singer named Bruni. We also meet her friends and one of them is named Lottie with red hair, If you have read Marion’s war girls series you will remember Lottie.
The book is interesting in the history of the city of Berlin, the historic airports and the events that occurred between the Allies and the Soviets. It was exciting at times as the events unfolded.
This was an excellent second book to a great new series taking place just after the war ended. I will await book three.
You should read this series, I know that you will enjoy it as much as I did.
Thanks to Marion Kummerow for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book.
On the Brink, book two of the Berlin Fractured series, is a masterfully written and exciting portrayal that incorporates intrigue, mystery, suspense, and romance during the Berlin Airlift.
Since World War II’s ending in 1945 in Europe, a quadripartite of France, Britain, America, and the Soviets had governed Berlin. The Soviets and the Americans had clashed continually to the breaking point in June of 1948. Both of them had walked out of meetings. The Soviets decide to pull out of the group and start a blockade of Berlin cutting electrical power to two hours per day with rotations, closing the autobahn, streets, railroads, and waterways connecting Berlin with the Western Zones. This action would leave two million Berlin citizens without the availability of needed food, medicines, supplies, and coal in the winter. The goal of the Soviets is to rid Berlin of the Allies. The Soviets wish to control Berlin and Germany to establish the Communist Party there and its Doctrine.
The three Allies are determined to save Berlin and its two million residents from starvation and freezing. They will construct a brand new airport and set up an airlift to fly in food, medicine, needed supplies, and coal in the winter. To accomplish this requires planning, organization, and all the necessary items and supplies and equipment to complete the task.
From Book One, From the Ashes, the author continues the story of Bruni and her friends Marlene and Zara, who are young women struggling to survive in Berlin in 1948. The Berlin Blockade makes it even more challenging to sustain their lives.
Victor Richards, who is an engineer but not an officer, and Bruni meet at the club where she sings. They are attracted to each other, and will they develop a relationship?
I enjoyed this book totally and found it not only exciting but informative about the Berlin Airlift, particularly with the numerous details that were required to complete the feat. I have read this as a member of the author’s advance readers group (ARC).