‘Dune — the graphic novel (book 1)’. I picked interest in this book after watching the ‘Dune (2021)’ movie directed by Denis Villeneuve. Originally written by the legendary Frank Herbert, and adapted by his elder son Brian Herbert and Kevin J Anderson, this book gives an extraordinary overview of the house Atreides’ life on planet Arrakis, especially the life of young Paul Atreides. It connects some dots that were unexplained in the movie. The book is written like a comic book, so it is full of visual aids.
‘Berlin- The Downfall 1945’ by Antony Beevor. I picked this book due to my interest in WW2 history. This book gives an incredible and rather chilling insight into the last five months of the Nazi regime. Beevor, a remarkable historian, has described the state of turmoil in Berlin and the rest of Germany during the soviet and allied invasion in 1945. It illustrates the horrendous atrocities done by the Nazi regime and Soviet government on German citizens – including the brutalities during the holocausts, countless incidents of rapes and death due to starvation and desperate attempts to defend the capital by recruiting countless teenagers into Hitlerjugend (Hitler’s youth) and old citizens in the Volkssturm. It also describes the decisions taken by the Nazi government before and after Hitler’s death, including the military surrender on 7th and 9th May of 1945.
‘Stalingrad’ also by Antony Beevor. I realised that I should have actually picked this book before ‘Berlin- The Downfall 1945’, as it explains all the important people in the Soviet government and Nazi regime in much detail. Although it talks about other elements of Operation Barbarossa (Hitler’s biggest gamble); as the name suggests, the book is focused on the german invasion of Stalingrad and Stalin’s order no. 227(popularly known as ‘not one step back’). This book gives a very detailed insight into the war in Stalingrad and particularly of the Soviet counterattack known as ‘Operation Uranus’. The soviet encirclement of General’s Paulus’ 6th army is particularly eye-catching. It also reflects on the countless lives lost during the invasion by the extreme cold weather, starvation and reckless decisions from both the German and Soviet fronts. Moreover, it also explains the politics and war tactics of Stalin, Hitler, Marshal Georgy Zhukov, General Vasily Chuikov, General Friedrich Paulus, Field Marshal Erich von Manstein in detail.
‘Slaughterhouse- Five’ by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. This is the first anti-war book that I have read so far, and it is indeed an interesting one. The author describes his experience of the Firebombing of Dresden by introducing the character of Billy Pilgrim. This book raises concerns about the war. It raises the question of why humans believe it is necessary to destroy. It ponders what it might be like to live a life that is radically different from your current one. It does not, however, attempt to provide nonsensical replies. In reality, it makes no attempt to provide answers to any questions. And, because this book is based on Vonnegut’s personal experiences during WWII, it’s more like a fictional memoir.
Illuminating The Dark Fields 