Official Review: Iron Crossed by Renata Rose and Phil Rose

[Joy Boudreau]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Iron Crossed" by Renata Rose and Phil Rose.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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When I picked up Iron Crossed by Renata and Phil Rose, I expected to read a story loosely based in history. Instead, I found a detailed account of an actual person who lived during the second great war. Much literature has been written to either expose Nazi atrocities or to seek understanding of how and why World War II happened. Iron Crossed does neither of these. This simple, yet amazing story of Martin Schlaefer is overall apolitical.

Growing up in a poor family on a farm in the German countryside, Martin had decided early on that he would seek out a trade when he was old enough. At 14 years of age, Martin gained an apprenticeship and left home in 1935. For the foreseeable future, his plans were to become a carpenter and thus make a living.

In 1938, a letter came that would change Martin's life forever. Hitler sent many young men, Martin included, to fortify the line between German and Poland. When his assignment at Westwall was finished, Martin was sent to work on a Kanal near Denmark. After that, he was drafted into the German army. Within a short time, Martin volunteered to be part of an unofficial outfit with the job of performing highly dangerous "special missions." Over and again, Martin distinguished himself, receiving several medals of valor. His fervor was not due to a belief in Nazism, rather a desire to do the "right thing" by his country and stay alive.

After the war, Martin wanted nothing more than to marry his Leni and settle down to live a normal life. However, this proved much harder than one would think it ought to be. Martin ended up in East Germany, controlled by Russia. Quickly thrust into poverty as a result of the war, life in East Germany was very difficult. Scrounging for sustenance became a very real necessity. Babies came. When it became very clear that living happily in Germany was not an option, Martin and Leni were forced to make choices about their future that included emigrating to Australia!

If anyone is looking for a bit of light historical fiction, this book is not for you. Imagine instead, listening to stories told by a beloved grandfather who had not only fought in World War II and was highly decorated, but also had to flee his homeland in order for his family to survive. I found the wealth of information nearly overwhelming. The writing style is more of a memoir or a biography than that of fiction. As such, it is not a quick read. I did find the richness of Martin's life to be worth the read, however.

Overall, the pace seems a bit slow, as the story unfolds rather like it would in real life. The characters are all richly drawn. I felt as though I knew Martin and his family. I felt his despair when given news of the death of family members. He rightly wondered if the whole war was really worth it. Although I feel that the younger generation needs to know what war really means, this book would be challenging for a young reader. The harshness of living through war is not softened nor diminished. I also feel I would be remiss if I did not mention the fact that there are lewd references.

I did not feel that this book was edited professionally. There are multiple instances of missing commas. This did not hinder my overall reading enjoyment, but it is definitely an issue that brings my overall rating down to 3 out of 4 stars.

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Iron Crossed
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[Jude Austin]

Thanks for such an informative review. I love history of all kinds and it's so unusual to hear about this period from the 'other side'. I'll be checking this one out

[kandscreeley]

An apolitical book that includes WWII? That's very unusual. It sounds quite interesting, but I have to be in the right mood for a story that lopes along like this one. I'll keep it in mind for the future! Thanks for the great review.

[DancingLady]

I am happy to see someone has taken the time to tell the story of the German soldier who was swept along the course of history by a draft notice. It seems like few have ever realized that there were undoubtedly many who never would have chosen the path they ended up on but were forced into a situation where their options for survival were limited. It’s too bad this is a slow read as I tend to struggle through those, but I will keep an eye out for this one.

[chrisdon202]

Thanks for the great review, I like books that talks about war especially the WW. I think I'm gonna grab this book and see what it is really made of

[Lisa19643]

Thanks for your insights on Iron Crossed. I believe it is a human tendency to think of those on the other side of a war as inhuman. They were on the wrong side so must be evil. I think people also find it difficult to view wars through an apolitical lens. A novel like this one reminds us that there are real people on all sides of a war.

[stacie k]

I’ve never read a WWII story from this perspective before. You’ve done a great job of letting me know what to expect. Too bad about the slow pace and imperfect editing. It sounds like it’s worth the investment anyway. Thanks for an informative review!

[Waragu Samuel]

In 1938, a letter came that would change Martin's life forever. Hitler sent many young men, Martin included, to fortify the line between German and Poland. When his assignment at Westwall was finished, Martin was sent to work on a Kanal near Denmark.

A great memoir. I always love to hear some history presented in any other format other than pure history books. Thanks for this review.

[Nerea]

A fictional memoir with a little history in it is quite a treat. I would love to know whether Martin and his family were able to implement the choices about their future and what happened after. I will read the book. Sorry about the grammar errors. Great review.