Author: Heidi Smith
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 0692771263
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 262
Book Description
This recollection begins with the life of a German family at the beginning of the First World War and continues with their struggles in the aftermath of the Second World War. After the war Berlin was mostly rubble and the Cold War was heating up. The Berlin Blockade and the construction of The Wall placed the city in the center of the Cold War. After the Bombs reflects on the hardships and strict society of the first half of the 20th century in Germany. Heidi Smith responds to these challenges with an adventurous spirit that reminds us all that we are stewards of our own destiny.
After The Bombs-My Berlin
Author: Heidi Smith
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 0692771263
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 262
Book Description
This recollection begins with the life of a German family at the beginning of the First World War and continues with their struggles in the aftermath of the Second World War. After the war Berlin was mostly rubble and the Cold War was heating up. The Berlin Blockade and the construction of The Wall placed the city in the center of the Cold War. After the Bombs reflects on the hardships and strict society of the first half of the 20th century in Germany. Heidi Smith responds to these challenges with an adventurous spirit that reminds us all that we are stewards of our own destiny.
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 0692771263
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 262
Book Description
This recollection begins with the life of a German family at the beginning of the First World War and continues with their struggles in the aftermath of the Second World War. After the war Berlin was mostly rubble and the Cold War was heating up. The Berlin Blockade and the construction of The Wall placed the city in the center of the Cold War. After the Bombs reflects on the hardships and strict society of the first half of the 20th century in Germany. Heidi Smith responds to these challenges with an adventurous spirit that reminds us all that we are stewards of our own destiny.
The Berlin Project
Author: Gregory Benford
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1481487663
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 480
Book Description
New York Times bestselling author Gregory Benford creates an alternate history about the creation of the atomic bomb that explores what could have happened if the bomb was ready to be used by June 6, 1944. Karl Cohen, a chemist and mathematician who is part of The Manhattan Project team, has discovered an alternate solution for creating the uranium isotope needed to cause a chain reaction: U-235. After convincing General Groves of his new method, Cohen and his team of scientists work at Oak Ridge preparing to have a nuclear bomb ready to drop by the summer of 1944 in an effort to stop the war on the western front. What ensues is an altered account of World War II in this taut thriller. Combining fascinating science with intimate and true accounts of several members of The Manhattan Project, The Berlin Project is an astounding novel that reimagines history and what could have happened if the atom bomb was ready in time to stop Hitler from killing millions of people.
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1481487663
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 480
Book Description
New York Times bestselling author Gregory Benford creates an alternate history about the creation of the atomic bomb that explores what could have happened if the bomb was ready to be used by June 6, 1944. Karl Cohen, a chemist and mathematician who is part of The Manhattan Project team, has discovered an alternate solution for creating the uranium isotope needed to cause a chain reaction: U-235. After convincing General Groves of his new method, Cohen and his team of scientists work at Oak Ridge preparing to have a nuclear bomb ready to drop by the summer of 1944 in an effort to stop the war on the western front. What ensues is an altered account of World War II in this taut thriller. Combining fascinating science with intimate and true accounts of several members of The Manhattan Project, The Berlin Project is an astounding novel that reimagines history and what could have happened if the atom bomb was ready in time to stop Hitler from killing millions of people.
Forks in the Road
Author: Heidi Smith
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 0578168790
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 242
Book Description
A sequel to the memoir After The Bombs-My Berlin, the book begins when the author arrives in New York harbor in 1963. You'll quickly learn that the prearranged nanny position was not what Heidi had agreed to. The new employer handed her a pair of shoes and said, ""Here, this is your job now. i need them polished and ready in 30 minutes."" Heidi Smith quit after a month. She strays from the original plan for her two-year stay in America and takes the first of many forks in the road. Journey with Heidi as she takes unexpected forks in the road, and tirelessly negotiates them during the following six decades of life in America.
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 0578168790
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 242
Book Description
A sequel to the memoir After The Bombs-My Berlin, the book begins when the author arrives in New York harbor in 1963. You'll quickly learn that the prearranged nanny position was not what Heidi had agreed to. The new employer handed her a pair of shoes and said, ""Here, this is your job now. i need them polished and ready in 30 minutes."" Heidi Smith quit after a month. She strays from the original plan for her two-year stay in America and takes the first of many forks in the road. Journey with Heidi as she takes unexpected forks in the road, and tirelessly negotiates them during the following six decades of life in America.
Api's Berlin Diaries
Author: Gabrielle Robinson
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1647420040
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 358
Book Description
A haunting personal story of Berlin at the end of the Third Reich—and an unflinching investigation into a family’s Nazi past When Gabrielle Robinson found her grandfather’s Berlin diaries, hidden behind books in her mother’s Vienna apartment, she made a shocking discovery—her beloved Api had been a Nazi. The entries record his daily struggle to survive in a Berlin that was 90% destroyed. Near collapse himself Api, a doctor, tried to help the wounded and dying in nightmarish medical cellars without cots, water or light. The dead were stacked in the rubble outside. Searching to understand why her grandfather had joined the Nazi party, Robinson retraces his steps in the Berlin of the 21st century. She reflects on German guilt, political responsibility, and facing the past. But she also remembers Api, who had given her a loving home in those cold and hungry post-war years. “This a must read for anyone interested in the German experience during WWII” —Ariana Neumann, author of When Time Stopped Scroll up and click “buy now” to read Api’s Berlin Diaries today
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1647420040
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 358
Book Description
A haunting personal story of Berlin at the end of the Third Reich—and an unflinching investigation into a family’s Nazi past When Gabrielle Robinson found her grandfather’s Berlin diaries, hidden behind books in her mother’s Vienna apartment, she made a shocking discovery—her beloved Api had been a Nazi. The entries record his daily struggle to survive in a Berlin that was 90% destroyed. Near collapse himself Api, a doctor, tried to help the wounded and dying in nightmarish medical cellars without cots, water or light. The dead were stacked in the rubble outside. Searching to understand why her grandfather had joined the Nazi party, Robinson retraces his steps in the Berlin of the 21st century. She reflects on German guilt, political responsibility, and facing the past. But she also remembers Api, who had given her a loving home in those cold and hungry post-war years. “This a must read for anyone interested in the German experience during WWII” —Ariana Neumann, author of When Time Stopped Scroll up and click “buy now” to read Api’s Berlin Diaries today
My Father Was a Bootlegger
Author: William A. Kelly
Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
ISBN: 1401014852
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 416
Book Description
This story is my story of growing up in those hard times of the great depression and WW2. I was taught right from wrong early and for the most part was left alone. There was no involvment with parents like Little League baseball or tackle football or neighborhood clubs. We were expected to pass in school, and be home for dinner and on time.I guess it could be called a period of benign neglect. If you were a poor player in any sport you didn´t play until you got better. Mom and Dad never even knew that you were no good. If you were really upset about not playing your father might play with you and give you some tips to make you better. In no case would he talk to any of your playmates to allow you to play. If you got lousey marks and your parents were called to school, it was your fault, not the teachers nor the politicians or anybody else.Your fault and you better improve or else. This system seemed to work. Certainly better than the current one. Books are now being written about how great my generation was. I never thought about it. All I know is we handled all the crap that was thrown at us and for the most part we were on our own. Nobody used drugs.We were afraid of them and rightly so. When I started writing, my experiences were remembered strongly in large bursts, so much so that it has taken over four hundred pages just to get me through college.The most surprising element of remembering was how strongly the girls in my life came back. I really liked the women I got to know and they made life more than tolerable for me. I was in heavy air combat in WW2 and yet to this day when the war is mentioned my first thought is about my English girl friend, a beautiful female British soldier that I didn´t spend three days in London with, because I was shipped home early. Life at Princeton was difficult because the learning was hard, basketball took big hunks of time and girls were very scarce. I used the language of my day so the sexual encounters may sound dirty. I never thought of them that way.I was discriminating in my choices and I like to think my girls were just as choosey when they selected me. I was an only child to very young parents. My father was a local bootlegger in Atlantic City. He had worked for the political boss of the area and was protected from being arrested for his illigal activity. I was always scared that he would be arrested anyway. Neither my mother nor my father were well educated. My mother made it through first year of high school. My father made it through 8th grade. I always thought both were very smart. Their friends seemed to think they were smart also. My father always seemed to have several millionairs as friends. He dressed neat even in the heart of the depression. My mother dressed very smartly and her picture made the newspapers on several occasions during celebration of the Easter parade. Both my parents had good personalities and after I got over my shy period I became known as the personality kid in local sports circles. I guess there was some rub off. Both my father and my mother learned about the stock market by reading the newspaper and as soon as money accumlated from the business each invested. They both did very well. My father worked by evaluating several stocks while my mother folllowed tips from friends. I guess my father shared some of the business income because mother always had plenty of cash to spend. One thing I remember is that on major expenditures like a new car or a house my parents always had serious discussions to help make the decision. The thing about my father that always surprised me was on special occassions he might buy mother a mink coat or a diamond ring or necklace. This was always a big surprise to everyone. Then they would go to dinner at some fancy restaurant to celebrate. This was after they had made some money of course. When I had acknowledged to myself that I was smart I sometimes used to try to figure
Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
ISBN: 1401014852
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 416
Book Description
This story is my story of growing up in those hard times of the great depression and WW2. I was taught right from wrong early and for the most part was left alone. There was no involvment with parents like Little League baseball or tackle football or neighborhood clubs. We were expected to pass in school, and be home for dinner and on time.I guess it could be called a period of benign neglect. If you were a poor player in any sport you didn´t play until you got better. Mom and Dad never even knew that you were no good. If you were really upset about not playing your father might play with you and give you some tips to make you better. In no case would he talk to any of your playmates to allow you to play. If you got lousey marks and your parents were called to school, it was your fault, not the teachers nor the politicians or anybody else.Your fault and you better improve or else. This system seemed to work. Certainly better than the current one. Books are now being written about how great my generation was. I never thought about it. All I know is we handled all the crap that was thrown at us and for the most part we were on our own. Nobody used drugs.We were afraid of them and rightly so. When I started writing, my experiences were remembered strongly in large bursts, so much so that it has taken over four hundred pages just to get me through college.The most surprising element of remembering was how strongly the girls in my life came back. I really liked the women I got to know and they made life more than tolerable for me. I was in heavy air combat in WW2 and yet to this day when the war is mentioned my first thought is about my English girl friend, a beautiful female British soldier that I didn´t spend three days in London with, because I was shipped home early. Life at Princeton was difficult because the learning was hard, basketball took big hunks of time and girls were very scarce. I used the language of my day so the sexual encounters may sound dirty. I never thought of them that way.I was discriminating in my choices and I like to think my girls were just as choosey when they selected me. I was an only child to very young parents. My father was a local bootlegger in Atlantic City. He had worked for the political boss of the area and was protected from being arrested for his illigal activity. I was always scared that he would be arrested anyway. Neither my mother nor my father were well educated. My mother made it through first year of high school. My father made it through 8th grade. I always thought both were very smart. Their friends seemed to think they were smart also. My father always seemed to have several millionairs as friends. He dressed neat even in the heart of the depression. My mother dressed very smartly and her picture made the newspapers on several occasions during celebration of the Easter parade. Both my parents had good personalities and after I got over my shy period I became known as the personality kid in local sports circles. I guess there was some rub off. Both my father and my mother learned about the stock market by reading the newspaper and as soon as money accumlated from the business each invested. They both did very well. My father worked by evaluating several stocks while my mother folllowed tips from friends. I guess my father shared some of the business income because mother always had plenty of cash to spend. One thing I remember is that on major expenditures like a new car or a house my parents always had serious discussions to help make the decision. The thing about my father that always surprised me was on special occassions he might buy mother a mink coat or a diamond ring or necklace. This was always a big surprise to everyone. Then they would go to dinner at some fancy restaurant to celebrate. This was after they had made some money of course. When I had acknowledged to myself that I was smart I sometimes used to try to figure
Berlin Candy Bomber Special Edition
Author: Gail Halvorsen
Publisher: Cedar Fort Publishing & Media
ISBN: 1462128440
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 390
Book Description
The Berlin Candy Bomber is the story of how two sticks of gum and one man's kindness to the children of a vanquished enemy grew into an epic of goodwill‚-spanning the globe and touching the hearts of millions in both Germany and America. In June 1948, Russia cut off the flow of food and supplies to Berlin. The Americans, joined by the English and French, began a massive airlift to bring sustenance to the city and thwart the Russian siege. Gail Halvorsen was one of hundreds of U.S. pilots involved in the airlift. While in Berlin, he met a group of children standing by the airport watching the planes. He was impressed to share two sticks of gum with them, and he promised to drop candy the next time he flew to the area. The next day he wiggled the wings of his plane to identify himself and then dropped several small bundles of candy, using parachutes crafted from handkerchiefs. Local newspapers picked up the story. Suddenly, letters addressed to ""Uncle Wiggly Wings"" began arriving as the children requested candy drops in other areas of the city. Enthusiasm spread to America, and candy contributions came from all across the country. The blockade and airlift ended in 1949, but the story of the Candy Bomber lives on-a symbol of human charity, and the candy drops have continued into a new century.
Publisher: Cedar Fort Publishing & Media
ISBN: 1462128440
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 390
Book Description
The Berlin Candy Bomber is the story of how two sticks of gum and one man's kindness to the children of a vanquished enemy grew into an epic of goodwill‚-spanning the globe and touching the hearts of millions in both Germany and America. In June 1948, Russia cut off the flow of food and supplies to Berlin. The Americans, joined by the English and French, began a massive airlift to bring sustenance to the city and thwart the Russian siege. Gail Halvorsen was one of hundreds of U.S. pilots involved in the airlift. While in Berlin, he met a group of children standing by the airport watching the planes. He was impressed to share two sticks of gum with them, and he promised to drop candy the next time he flew to the area. The next day he wiggled the wings of his plane to identify himself and then dropped several small bundles of candy, using parachutes crafted from handkerchiefs. Local newspapers picked up the story. Suddenly, letters addressed to ""Uncle Wiggly Wings"" began arriving as the children requested candy drops in other areas of the city. Enthusiasm spread to America, and candy contributions came from all across the country. The blockade and airlift ended in 1949, but the story of the Candy Bomber lives on-a symbol of human charity, and the candy drops have continued into a new century.
Traces of Aerial Bombing in Berlin
Author: Eloise Florence
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 135026900X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 273
Book Description
The destruction of monuments during the Black Lives Matter movement of 2020 shows how many nations are being forced to grapple with their national histories. It is clear that the things which make up our streets form a core part of our historical, political and cultural identity. Here, Eloise Florence turns to Berlin and the deeply entrenched English-language narratives about World War II to explore the complicated relationship between violence, place and memory in the Anglo-American consciousness. Centered upon Teufelsberg a hill in Berlin born from the rubble caused by Allied bombing and other sites of violence across Germany's capital, this interdisciplinary study unpicks the use and abuse of area bombing and its cultural memory in Anglo-American audiences. Grounded in theories of new materialism and post-humanism, and drawing on extensive empirical and auto-ethnographic data, the issues addressed include: moving through urban landscapes as an embodied means of memorializing war and trauma; remembering destruction as a means to advance or challenge traditional war mythologies; and curation as an entry point for tourists to reconsider the impact of British and American aerial raids, including modern drone warfare. This innovative volume shines an important light on both the dark legacy of the aerial bombing of Berlin and the ways in which we record and read violent histories more generally. As such, Traces of Aerial Bombing in Berlin will be an invaluable resource for all scholars of World War II, memory culture and public history.
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 135026900X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 273
Book Description
The destruction of monuments during the Black Lives Matter movement of 2020 shows how many nations are being forced to grapple with their national histories. It is clear that the things which make up our streets form a core part of our historical, political and cultural identity. Here, Eloise Florence turns to Berlin and the deeply entrenched English-language narratives about World War II to explore the complicated relationship between violence, place and memory in the Anglo-American consciousness. Centered upon Teufelsberg a hill in Berlin born from the rubble caused by Allied bombing and other sites of violence across Germany's capital, this interdisciplinary study unpicks the use and abuse of area bombing and its cultural memory in Anglo-American audiences. Grounded in theories of new materialism and post-humanism, and drawing on extensive empirical and auto-ethnographic data, the issues addressed include: moving through urban landscapes as an embodied means of memorializing war and trauma; remembering destruction as a means to advance or challenge traditional war mythologies; and curation as an entry point for tourists to reconsider the impact of British and American aerial raids, including modern drone warfare. This innovative volume shines an important light on both the dark legacy of the aerial bombing of Berlin and the ways in which we record and read violent histories more generally. As such, Traces of Aerial Bombing in Berlin will be an invaluable resource for all scholars of World War II, memory culture and public history.
Seagoing
Author: John McCormick
Publisher: Transaction Publishers
ISBN: 9781412833790
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 198
Book Description
"The great virtue of McCormick's memoirs is their blunt honesty. He writes with a persuasive directness about what happened to him and what he believes..."--Arts and Letters The title of John McCormick's autobiographical book, may be taken both literally and symbolically. In a literal sense, going to sea was an early and powerful ambition, while seagoing is also a metaphor for the twists and turns in a rootless life, a long voyaging. This is not a conventional autobiography. It is personal only as necessary for continuity, and never confessional. The essays center upon telling episodes in the author's life and strive for objectivity and accuracy about the recent past, both personal and historical. He does so, as he writes, without "any pretension of producing a true history." The events of his life are necessarily unique to him, thus he finds uniqueness in the events that impinged upon him. McCormick begins with his early years, growing up in the American mid-West during the Depression, a time of broken family relations and random jobs. He relates his falling away from religious faith. He describes his first experience as a sailor in a tanker, which gave him physical liberation, a world free of constrictions, as with Hemingway. In discussing his early teaching experience, he gives a vivid portrayal of Germany in the immediate postwar years, along with observations of residual pro-Hitler sentiment and the awkward circumstances (for Germans) of the immediate past. He devotes a chapter to a moving memoir of his friend Francis Fergusson, eminent Rutgers University scholar. McCormick also relates his experience as an amateur bullfighter and reiterates his defense of bullfighting as an art. He paints a vivid picture of an adventure at sea while working on a definitive biography of George Santayana, reflecting also on changes in the genre of biography, with its prevailing emphasis on trivia and sensationalism. In describing his retirement to England, McCormick describes the conflict between nationalism and expatriation. He punctuates details of his naval war experiences with thoughtful observations on military combat. Finally, in his closing chapter, "Coda: Closet Space," McCormick attempts to make sense of old age and death. This autobiographical account of a well-lived life encompasses far more than a splendid teaching and literary career. It will provide insight and good reading for those who know McCormick's scholarly work, for students of the humanities, and for the general public interested in vivid prose. John McCormick is professor emeritus of comparative literature at Rutgers University, and honorary fellow of English and literature at the University of York. He is the author of George Santayana: A Biography, Catastrophe and Imagination, The Middle Distance, and Fiction as Knowledge.
Publisher: Transaction Publishers
ISBN: 9781412833790
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 198
Book Description
"The great virtue of McCormick's memoirs is their blunt honesty. He writes with a persuasive directness about what happened to him and what he believes..."--Arts and Letters The title of John McCormick's autobiographical book, may be taken both literally and symbolically. In a literal sense, going to sea was an early and powerful ambition, while seagoing is also a metaphor for the twists and turns in a rootless life, a long voyaging. This is not a conventional autobiography. It is personal only as necessary for continuity, and never confessional. The essays center upon telling episodes in the author's life and strive for objectivity and accuracy about the recent past, both personal and historical. He does so, as he writes, without "any pretension of producing a true history." The events of his life are necessarily unique to him, thus he finds uniqueness in the events that impinged upon him. McCormick begins with his early years, growing up in the American mid-West during the Depression, a time of broken family relations and random jobs. He relates his falling away from religious faith. He describes his first experience as a sailor in a tanker, which gave him physical liberation, a world free of constrictions, as with Hemingway. In discussing his early teaching experience, he gives a vivid portrayal of Germany in the immediate postwar years, along with observations of residual pro-Hitler sentiment and the awkward circumstances (for Germans) of the immediate past. He devotes a chapter to a moving memoir of his friend Francis Fergusson, eminent Rutgers University scholar. McCormick also relates his experience as an amateur bullfighter and reiterates his defense of bullfighting as an art. He paints a vivid picture of an adventure at sea while working on a definitive biography of George Santayana, reflecting also on changes in the genre of biography, with its prevailing emphasis on trivia and sensationalism. In describing his retirement to England, McCormick describes the conflict between nationalism and expatriation. He punctuates details of his naval war experiences with thoughtful observations on military combat. Finally, in his closing chapter, "Coda: Closet Space," McCormick attempts to make sense of old age and death. This autobiographical account of a well-lived life encompasses far more than a splendid teaching and literary career. It will provide insight and good reading for those who know McCormick's scholarly work, for students of the humanities, and for the general public interested in vivid prose. John McCormick is professor emeritus of comparative literature at Rutgers University, and honorary fellow of English and literature at the University of York. He is the author of George Santayana: A Biography, Catastrophe and Imagination, The Middle Distance, and Fiction as Knowledge.
Why Add Water When Wine Will Do
Author: Heidi Smith
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 057815353X
Category : Cooking
Languages : en
Pages : 206
Book Description
Enjoy nearly 200 scrumptious, but simple recipes for family meals as well as entertaining. Many dishes are introduced with recollection from the author's childhood in Germany and international travels. Recipes are client and family taste-tested during the past fifty years. From escargot to meat loaf, all recipes are updated to reflect today's healthy eating standards.
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 057815353X
Category : Cooking
Languages : en
Pages : 206
Book Description
Enjoy nearly 200 scrumptious, but simple recipes for family meals as well as entertaining. Many dishes are introduced with recollection from the author's childhood in Germany and international travels. Recipes are client and family taste-tested during the past fifty years. From escargot to meat loaf, all recipes are updated to reflect today's healthy eating standards.
We Were Berliners
Author: Helmut Jacobitz
Publisher: The History Press
ISBN: 0752477641
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 258
Book Description
Helmut and Charlotte Jacobitz were born in Berlin during the mid-1920s. They experienced depression and inflation, and witnessed violence as fascists and communists vied for control of Germany. When the Nazis prevailed, they survived the 12 years of the Third Reich. Drafted in 1943, Helmut was wounded fighting in Normandy. Charlotte, meanwhile, worked at the Reichsbank and took shelter against frequent bombing raids. After the Russians surrounded Berlin in April 1945, she witnessed firsthand the brutal battle for the city. The two young Germans met each other after the war, Charlotte joining Helmut to smuggle food into Berlin through the Russian blockade. The family finally immigrated to America, barely escaping before the Berlin Wall sliced the city in half. We Were Berliners combines the personal reminiscences of the Jacobitzs with a lively, detailed overview of historical events as they related to the family, to Germany, and to Europe.
Publisher: The History Press
ISBN: 0752477641
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 258
Book Description
Helmut and Charlotte Jacobitz were born in Berlin during the mid-1920s. They experienced depression and inflation, and witnessed violence as fascists and communists vied for control of Germany. When the Nazis prevailed, they survived the 12 years of the Third Reich. Drafted in 1943, Helmut was wounded fighting in Normandy. Charlotte, meanwhile, worked at the Reichsbank and took shelter against frequent bombing raids. After the Russians surrounded Berlin in April 1945, she witnessed firsthand the brutal battle for the city. The two young Germans met each other after the war, Charlotte joining Helmut to smuggle food into Berlin through the Russian blockade. The family finally immigrated to America, barely escaping before the Berlin Wall sliced the city in half. We Were Berliners combines the personal reminiscences of the Jacobitzs with a lively, detailed overview of historical events as they related to the family, to Germany, and to Europe.