Hamburg 1947: A Place for the Heart to Kip [Paperback]

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.

Love story, war story, coming of age story in terrible times, you take your pick. Harry Leslie Smith's Hamburg 1947 is an enthralling ride through post war Germany and all of its colourful characters. What a great read, like a novel but a true story....