The Kaiser's Last KissA fictionalised account of the Kaiser Wilhelm's last years in Nazi-occupied Holland.It is 1940 and the exiled Kaiser is living in Holland, at his palace Huis Doorn.The old German king spends his days chopping logs and musing on what might have been.When the Nazis invade Holland, the Kaiser's Dutch staff are replaced by SS guards, led by young, eager Untersturmfuhrer Krebbs, and an unlikely relationship develops between the king and his keeper. While they agree on the rightfulness of German expansion and on holding the country's Jewish population accountable for all ills, they disagree on the solutions. Krebbs's growing attraction and love affair with Akki, a Jewish maid in the house, further undermines his belief in Nazism. But as the tides of war roll around them, all three find themselves increasingly compromised and gravely at risk.This subtle, tender novel borrows heavily from real history and events, but remains a work of superlative, literary fiction.Through Judd's depiction of the Lear-like Kaiser and the softening of brutal Krebbs, the novel draws unique parallels between Germany at the turn of the 20th century and Hitler's Germany. |
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adjutants Akki Alan Judd anyway army Arno asked attitudes Berlin chopping cigar cigarette clock course desk dinner door dress Dutch Empress of Blandings enemy England English everything eyes face feel Ford Madox Ford Fräulein Potthast Führer gatehouse German girl guard hair hand head heard Heil Heinrich Himmler Herr Himmler Hitler Holland household Huis Doorn Islemann Jewish Jews Kaiser Kaiser's Last Kiss Kaltzbrunner knew Krebbs thought Krebbs's laughed Leutnant logs looked lorry maid Major van Houten Mansfield Cumming Martin moved Nazis never nodded novel P.G. Wodehouse paused perhaps Prince Wilhelm Princess Hermine question realised Reich Reichsführer salute Schutzstaffel seemed servants signal smiled soldiers spoke staff stairs Standartenführer stared stood Sturmbannführer sure talk tell things told took turned uniform Untersturmführer Krebbs voice von Islemann Waffen SS walked wanted Wehrmacht whisky Willie Wodehouse