"Hamburg 1947 is a love story in my mind & it's just brilliant."-Judging covers

[1923]

Hamburg 1947: A Place for the Heart to Kip is now on Kindle for $1.99
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008216N7S

Twenty-two years old and ready for peace, Harry Leslie Smith has survived the Great Depression and endured the Second World War. Now, in 1945 in Hamburg, Germany, he must come to terms with a nation physically and emotionally devastated. In this memoir, he narrates a story of people searching to belong and survive in a world that was almost destroyed.
Hamburg 1947 recounts Smith’s youthful RAF days as part of the occupational forces in post-war Germany. A wireless operator during the war, he doesn’t want to return to Britain and join a queue of unemployed former servicemen; he reenlists for long term duty in occupied Germany. From his billet in Hamburg, a city razed to the ground by remorseless aerial bombardment, he witnesses a people and era on the brink of annihilation. This narrative presents a street-level view of a city reduced to rubble populated with refugees, black marketers, and cynical soldiers.
At times grim and other times amusing, Smith writes a memoir relaying the social history about this time and place, providing a unique look at post-WWII Germany. Hamburg 1947 is both a love story for a city and a passionate retailing of a love affair with a young German woman.

[Ann in Arlington]

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[1923]

Hamburg 1947 A Place for the Heart to Kip $1.99
In it's truest definition, this is a true love story!



Twenty-two years old and ready for peace, Harry Leslie Smith has survived the Great Depression and endured the Second World War. Now, in 1945 in Hamburg, Germany, he must come to terms with a nation physically and emotionally devastated. In this memoir, he narrates a story of people searching to belong and survive in a world that was almost destroyed.
Hamburg 1947 recounts Smith’s youthful RAF days as part of the occupational forces in post-war Germany. A wireless operator during the war, he doesn’t want to return to Britain and join a queue of unemployed former servicemen; he reenlists for long term duty in occupied Germany. From his billet in Hamburg, a city razed to the ground by remorseless aerial bombardment, he witnesses a people and era on the brink of annihilation. This narrative presents a street-level view of a city reduced to rubble populated with refugees, black marketers, and cynical soldiers.
At times grim and other times amusing, Smith writes a memoir relaying the social history about this time and place, providing a unique look at post-WWII Germany. Hamburg 1947 is both a love story for a city and a passionate retailing of a love affair with a young German woman.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008216N7S

[1923]

Hamburg 1947 A Place for the Heart to Kip $1.99
In it's truest definition, this is a true love story!



Conditions of Surrender
I don’t know why but the winter rains stopped and spring came early in 1945. When Hitler committed suicide at the end of April, the flowers and trees were in full bloom and the summer birds returned to their nesting grounds. Not long after the great dictator’s corpse was incinerated in a bomb crater by his few remaining acolytes, the war in Europe ended. After so much death, ruin and misery; it was remarkable to me how nature resiliently budded back to life in barns, in fields and across battlegrounds, now calm and silent. The earth said to her children; it is time to abandon your swords and harness your ploughs; the ground is ripe and this is the season to tend to the living.

[1923]

Hamburg 1947 A True Story of life lived on the Razor's Edge of History Only $1.99




It wasn't meant to happen but I fell in love with the german girl. It was astonishing and something I didn't expect to occur, considering our countries had been at war for five years. They were our mortal enemies and my knowledge of Germany was based upon propaganda posters and dirty pub songs about the Fuehrer's testicles. I only knew Germany through news reels which showed an endless sea of jackboots flood across Europe. The picture magazines taught me that Germans were tall, blonde and athletic, with a penchant for gymnastics and torch light parades. My RAF instructors reinforced the prejudice that Germans were lacking in humour or kindness. "Woe to any poor bastard shot down over Germany, they'll skin the bugger alive, the Nazi scum." By the time I had reached Belgium and Holland what I had already learned about Germans seemed about right. After I saw my first starving Dutch child, I knew Germans were evil and sinister.

It wasn't until I crossed over into northern Germany and and saw the enormity of destruction the air war had inflicted on their population; I accepted that no one escaped sorrow and hardship in this war. My hostility towards the german people began to dissipate after seeing that their cities had been bombed back to the middle ages. A month into our occupation of Hamburg, I had seen enough emaciated german children living in helpless conditions to haunt me for the rest of my life. So, I dispensed with our orders to treat all Germans as hostile and suspect. It didn't take me long to understand that Friede was both my Beatrice and my Virgil. She was the one who was to lead me through Germany's post war inferno and to a greater understanding of Germany and its people.

[1923]

Hamburg 1947 A Place for the Heart to Kip Only a $1.99

Harry Leslie Smith's second memoir, Hamburg 1947: A Place for the Heart to Kip is a love story in my mind and it's just brilliant. -judging covers

[1923]

Hamburg 1947 A True Story of life lived on the Razor's Edge of History $1.99





Harry Leslie Smith's second memoir, Hamburg 1947: A Place for the Heart to Kip is a love story in my mind and it's just brilliant. -Judging covers

The memoir is well written, with a compelling story that carried me along steadily. I like to find at least one reviewing pinprick, although it's difficult this time. The book ends with a cliff-hanger, making me wonder what came next. In all, I cannot recommend this memoir highly enough.-The Kindle Book Review

Product Description
"Twenty-two years old and ready for peace, Harry Leslie Smith has survived the Great Depression and endured the Second World War. Now, in 1945 in Hamburg, Germany, he must come to terms with a nation physically and emotionally devastated. In this memoir, he narrates a story of people searching to belong and survive in a world that was almost destroyed.
Hamburg 1947 recounts Smith’s youthful RAF days as part of the occupational forces in post-war Germany. A wireless operator during the war, he doesn’t want to return to Britain and join a queue of unemployed former servicemen; he reenlists for long term duty in occupied Germany. From his billet in Hamburg, a city razed to the ground by remorseless aerial bombardment, he witnesses a people and era on the brink of annihilation. This narrative presents a street-level view of a city reduced to rubble populated with refugees, black marketers, and cynical soldiers.
At times grim and other times amusing, Smith writes a memoir relaying the social history about this time and place, providing a unique look at post-WWII Germany. Hamburg 1947 is both a love story for a city and a passionate retailing of a love affair with a young German woman."

[1923]

A True Story about a life lived on the razor's edge of history....$1.99





The memoir is well written, with a compelling story that carried me along steadily. Mr. Smith is a life-long reader of good quality prose, a sort of self-taught tutorial that prepared him well for putting ink to paper. He has beautifully transcended his wretched, lower-class roots.

I like to find at least one reviewing pinprick, although it's difficult this time. The book ends with a cliff-hanger, making me wonder what came next. In all, I cannot recommend this memoir highly enough.

The inclusion of so much history and the description of societal conditions throughout Hamburg 1947 really sets the scene. Smith brings in some lovely details, such as the way in which victory dances were held to mark an end to the tumultuous war, which are not always covered in similar memoirs or history books of the period. There is a lot of historical information, but not once does the reader feel overloaded or bogged down with details. Smith constantly reaffirms his position in immediate post-war history by first setting the scene and then placing himself within it. His personal experiences go hand-in-hand with what was happening within Germany, and on a wider scale in Europe. This balance works very well.

[1923]

Hamburg 1947: A Place for the heart to kip $1.99
A True Story about life lived on the razor's edge of history



5.0 out of 5 stars A love story,
By Kew "kbports" (england) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Hamburg 1947: A Place for the Heart to Kip (Kindle Edition)
Having read and appreciated (don't think enjoyed would be the right word considering how heart breaking the subject matter was) Harry's first book 1923: A Memoir Lies and Testaments I have been waiting for this book to be published. It was worth the wait. I really did enjoy reading this one which tells the tale of his time in postward Hamburg and his courtship of his wife. This is a love story. As before, it is very well written and he's now left me wanting to read what happened next! I hope that installment number three of Harry's life story will soon be in the pipe line?

[1923]

Hamburg 1947: A Place for the heart to kip $1.99
A True Story about life lived on the razor's edge of history


By Kirsty Hewitt - See all my reviews
This review is from: Hamburg 1947: A Place for the Heart to Kip (Kindle Edition)
Hamburg 1947: A Place for the Heart to Kip is an account of Smith's self-confessed `storm-tossed life' whilst serving with the RAF as a wireless operator in Germany. It details his time in the city of Hamburg directly after the end of the Second World War. His story begins in 1945 when he is twenty two years old. It is a follow-up to Smith's first book of memoirs, 1923: Lies and Testaments.

The book opens with a short introduction addressed directly to the reader. This informs the reader as to why Smith is grateful for, and even humbled by, the life he has lived. It is clear that the author relishes life. From the outset he makes it clear that he knows he is fortunate to have survived the war when he saw so many die around him.

The book details his relationship with a German girl, Friede, from the early days of picnics with stolen mess hut food, to their falling in love and eventual marriage. The reader is drawn into Smith's memories from the outset. We feel as though we are right beside him as he strolls through streets in Fuhlsbuttel, visits Friede and her mother or talks to his friends at the camp.

Smith's memoirs are incredibly sad at times. They show how the human condition essentially triumphs over the awful conditions in which it finds itself. Hamburg 1947 brings in incredibly moving tales of his childhood - growing up in relative poverty and his fractured family, for example.

The inclusion of so much history and the description of societal conditions throughout Hamburg 1947 really sets the scene. Smith brings in some lovely details, such as the way in which victory dances were held to mark an end to the tumultuous war, which are not always covered in similar memoirs or history books of the period. There is a lot of historical information, but not once does the reader feel overloaded or bogged down with details. Smith constantly reaffirms his position in immediate post-war history by first setting the scene and then placing himself within it. His personal experiences go hand-in-hand with what was happening within Germany, and on a wider scale in Europe. This balance works very well.

The book contains many of the author's opinions on numerous subjects which he encountered during his time in Germany. These include pilfering, thoughts and feelings toward the German people, the notion of good and evil, rights and wrongs and abject poverty amongst others.

The inclusion of conversations, particularly those between Smith and Friede, are a lovely touch. Both are philosophical in their dialogue and wonder about such things as beliefs in higher beings in such a devastated setting and the existence of beauty in the world. The memoirs become even more personal in consequence.

Smith's writing is extremely eloquent and he is often amusing. The entire account reads as though it has been written by an incredibly experienced writer. The quality of writing is consistently high throughout. His descriptions are almost poetic, and even those which depict death and destruction have a lyrical quality about them. The writing made the memoirs read almost like a novel at times. There is not a clumsy or redundant sentence to be found in the book. The story is easy to follow due to its chronological format and the chapters are a nice length. His memories weave seamlessly together.

Although the story in Hamburg 1947 follows that detailed in 1923, the book stands alone perfectly. Quite a lot of information which is depicted in Smith's first book is reiterated, which allows the reader to gain a full picture of his past. It is an incredibly interesting memoir which everyone interested in the period should read.

[Betsy the Quilter]

Happy Birthday, Harry! 

Good luck with the book!

Betsy

[bxs122]

Happy Birthday – hope I'm still writing when I reach your years.

[1923]

Hamburg 1947: A Place for the Heart to Kip $1.99


Harry Leslie Smith's second memoir, Hamburg 1947: A Place for the Heart to Kip is a love story in my mind and it's just brilliant. -Judging covers

The memoir is well written, with a compelling story that carried me along steadily. I like to find at least one reviewing pinprick, although it's difficult this time. The book ends with a cliff-hanger, making me wonder what came next. In all, I cannot recommend this memoir highly enough.-The Kindle Book Review
Product Description
"Twenty-two years old and ready for peace, Harry Leslie Smith has survived the Great Depression and endured the Second World War. Now, in 1945 in Hamburg, Germany, he must come to terms with a nation physically and emotionally devastated. In this memoir, he narrates a story of people searching to belong and survive in a world that was almost destroyed.
Hamburg 1947 recounts Smith’s youthful RAF days as part of the occupational forces in post-war Germany. A wireless operator during the war, he doesn’t want to return to Britain and join a queue of unemployed former servicemen; he reenlists for long term duty in occupied Germany. From his billet in Hamburg, a city razed to the ground by remorseless aerial bombardment, he witnesses a people and era on the brink of annihilation. This narrative presents a street-level view of a city reduced to rubble populated with refugees, black marketers, and cynical soldiers.
At times grim and other times amusing, Smith writes a memoir relaying the social history about this time and place, providing a unique look at post-WWII Germany. Hamburg 1947 is both a love story for a city and a passionate retailing of a love affair with a young German woman."

[1923]

Hamburg 1947: A Place for the Heart to Kip $1.99

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0069XRLKO

Harry Leslie Smith's second memoir, Hamburg 1947: A Place for the Heart to Kip is a love story in my mind and it's just brilliant. -Judging covers

The memoir is well written, with a compelling story that carried me along steadily. I like to find at least one reviewing pinprick, although it's difficult this time. The book ends with a cliff-hanger, making me wonder what came next. In all, I cannot recommend this memoir highly enough.-The Kindle Book Review

[1923]

Harry Leslie Smith's second memoir, Hamburg 1947: A Place for the Heart to Kip is a love story in my mind and it's just brilliant. -Judging covers

The memoir is well written, with a compelling story that carried me along steadily. I like to find at least one reviewing pinprick, although it's difficult this time. The book ends with a cliff-hanger, making me wonder what came next. In all, I cannot recommend this memoir highly enough.-The Kindle Book Review

I did not expect to have compassion for the German population after WWII, but I was shocked at the conditions the non-war-criminal average citizens of Germany lived with during the Occupation of the Allies in Germany
    
Hamburg 1947 is a rare bird, a genuine memoir that is honest and evocative



http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0069XRLKO

"Twenty-two years old and ready for peace, Harry Leslie Smith has survived the Great Depression and endured the Second World War. Now, in 1945 in Hamburg, Germany, he must come to terms with a nation physically and emotionally devastated. In this memoir, he narrates a story of people searching to belong and survive in a world that was almost destroyed.
Hamburg 1947 recounts Smith's youthful RAF days as part of the occupational forces in post-war Germany. A wireless operator during the war, he doesn't want to return to Britain and join a queue of unemployed former servicemen; he reenlists for long term duty in occupied Germany. From his billet in Hamburg, a city razed to the ground by remorseless aerial bombardment, he witnesses a people and era on the brink of annihilation. This narrative presents a street-level view of a city reduced to rubble populated with refugees, black marketers, and cynical soldiers.
At times grim and other times amusing, Smith writes a memoir relaying the social history about this time and place, providing a unique look at post-WWII Germany. Hamburg 1947 is both a love story for a city and a passionate retailing of a love affair with a young German woman."

[1923]

Harry Leslie Smith's second memoir, Hamburg 1947: A Place for the Heart to Kip is a love story in my mind and it's just brilliant. -Judging covers



99 Cents for this Mother's Day Weekend

http://www.amazon.com/Hamburg-1947-Place-Heart-ebook/dp/B008216N7S/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1336742137&sr=1-4

The memoir is well written, with a compelling story that carried me along steadily. I like to find at least one reviewing pinprick, although it's difficult this time. The book ends with a cliff-hanger, making me wonder what came next. In all, I cannot recommend this memoir highly enough.-The Kindle Book Review

"I did not expect to have compassion for the German population after WWII, but I was shocked at the conditions the non-war-criminal average citizens of Germany lived with during the Occupation of the Allies in Germany"


Twenty-two years old and ready for peace, Harry Leslie Smith has survived the Great Depression and endured the Second World War. Now, in 1945 in Hamburg, Germany, he must come to terms with a nation physically and emotionally devastated. In this memoir, he narrates a story of people searching to belong and survive in a world that was almost destroyed. Hamburg 1947 recounts Smith's youthful RAF days as part of the occupational forces in post-war Germany. A wireless operator during the war, he doesn't want to return to Britain and join a queue of unemployed former servicemen; he reenlists for long term duty in occupied Germany. From his billet in Hamburg, a city razed to the ground by remorseless aerial bombardment, he witnesses a people and era on the brink of annihilation. This narrative presents a street-level view of a city reduced to rubble populated with refugees, black marketers, and cynical soldiers. At times grim and other times amusing, Smith writes a memoir relaying the social history about this time and place, providing a unique look at post-WWII Germany. Hamburg 1947 is both a love story for a city and a passionate retailing of a love affair with a young German woman.

[1923]

A True Story About a Life Lived on the Razor's Edge of History 99 cents


http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008216N7S

it wasn't meant to happen but I fell in love with the german girl. It was astonishing and something I didn't expect to occur, considering our countries had been at war for five years. They were our mortal enemies and my knowledge of Germany was based upon propaganda posters and dirty pub songs about the Fuehrer's testicles. I only knew Germany through news reels which showed an endless sea of jackboots flood across Europe. The picture magazines taught me that Germans were tall, blonde and athletic, with a penchant for gymnastics and torch light parades. My RAF instructors reinforced the prejudice that Germans were lacking in humour or kindness. "Woe to any poor bastard shot down over Germany, they'll skin the bugger alive, the Nazi scum." By the time I had reached Belgium and Holland what I had already learned about Germans seemed about right. After I saw my first starving Dutch child, I knew Germans were evil and sinister.

It wasn't until I crossed over into northern Germany and and saw the enormity of destruction the air war had inflicted on their population; I accepted that no one escaped sorrow and hardship in this war. My hostility towards the german people began to dissipate after seeing that their cities had been bombed back to the middle ages. A month into our occupation of Hamburg, I had seen enough emaciated german children living in helpless conditions to haunt me for the rest of my life. So, I dispensed with our orders to treat all Germans as hostile and suspect. It didn't take me long to understand that Friede was both my Beatrice and my Virgil. She was the one who was to lead me through Germany's post war inferno and to a greater understanding of Germany and its people.