In The Garden of Beasts

Erik Larson's In The Garden of Beasts is the true account of William Dodd's experience as the US Ambassador to Germany from 1933-37. Sounds like pretty dry stuff ... until you imagine what Berlin must have been like in these years as the Nazi party came into power.

And add to this violable mix the beautiful daughter of the US ambassador who fancies herself a writer but really is just a connoisseur of witty parties and dangerous men - particularly handsome men of the Third Reich.

It is truly a case of the innocents abroad. Dodd was a history professor who is clearly over his head when he is appointed to Berlin and imagines that he can stand as a lone beacon of liberal US ideals and influence the rising Nazi party. Martha just wants to have fun.

Things start innocuously with Dodd and his wife making the ambassadorial rounds and Martha enjoying the salon gatherings and the charms of German men - including an affair with the head of the Gestapo. But as the family begins to witness the darker side of Germany as Hitler's power accumulates, it becomes harder for them to ignore the signs of something darker (although Martha does a fine job of blissful avoidance until the end).

What is most striking about In the Garden of Beasts is the naivety of Dodd and his family's ignorance of the danger they were in, especially Martha. They maintained the belief that they were dealing with rational people who wanted to preserve peace and that their status as an ambassador family would protect them. It finally took "the Night of the Long Knives" to jar them out of their complacency.

I found this book to be a fascinating historical account and highly recommend it.