Liberated: A Novel of Germany, 1945

By Steve Anderson

Can a lone American captain rescue justice in war-torn Germany?

It’s May 1945, the war’s just over, and Harry Kaspar, an American captain in Germany, is about to take a new posting in the US occupationrunning a Bavarian town named Heimgau. When Harry loses the command to Major Membre, he’ll do almost anything to win the job back.

When Harry discovers a horrific scenethree German men tortured and murderedhe reckons that solving the crime could teach the conquered townspeople about American justice, as well as help him reclaim that better posting. The only problem is that Harry’s quest for the real killer will lead him straight back to his commander, Membre, and eventually to his mentor, a can-do rebel US colonel named Spanner. Spanner is a gangster run rampant, plundering the war-torn land for all its grim worth.

Harry’s lover, Katarina, a gutsy German actress, helps him realize he must fight back. Recognizing that absolute power corrupted and then destroyed Major Membre and Colonel Spanner, Harry takes it upon himself to overcome any obstacle that gets in his way and set a new American example by which a terrorized town and a mix of battered peoples can rise up from the ashes of a brutal, demoralizing war.

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Yucca Publishing
• Release date: Nov 18, 2014
• ISBN: 9781631580291

Steve Anderson

Steve Anderson is a writer and translator. He writes novels, narrative non-fiction, short stories and screenplays, as well as translating from German to English. He lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife.

Reviews for Liberated

[mikedraper · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In a story reminiscent of "The Monument Men," Steve Anderson used research that he performed on a Fulbright Graduate Research Fellowship in Munich from 1993-94.It tells of actions in Munich, Germany in 1945. Capt.Harry Kaspar, U.S.Army, is appointed military leader of Heimgau, a Bavarian town. Upon arriving at his assignment and with plans of the good he would be doing, he finds three men on the road, recently killed. Upon entering the town, he meets Maj.Robertson Membre who is also assigned as MG (Military Governor). Since Membre's orders come from Frankfort, it's a higher command and they take preference.As a consolation, Member assigned Kaspar as Public Safety, he is to be the acting police chief.The story details the power of the conqueror, Germany is defeated and the to the victor belongs the spoils.Harry goes about his work and finds a good German man, Herr Winkl, a former policeman, to be his assistant. With all the good intentions, Harry is stymied by Membre and a Col. Spanner who has his own plan.We see the corruption and the few who want to do something about it. It is interesting to see some of the activities at the end of the war such as the prisoners and soldiers coming home and wanting their old homes. It is also to see the few Jewish survivors who have so little but deserve more.The bulk of the novel tells of Harry and his attempt to prevent the small town from turning to a corrupt area and criminals such as the man, Jenke, a convict, turned S.A. thug appointed to a new position of authority.There is a romantic side as Harry meets Katrina who is well described and someone the reader will want to succeed with what she has in mind for herself and a number of Jewish friends.There is a great deal to be considered in the story such as corruption, greed and how war can effect various people and communities.