After All


After All: A Gathering Storm of Romance, Revenge, and Espionage in Postwar South America

by 
Robert Arthur Neff

5 Stars

After All is the sequel to Neff’s extraordinary work of historical fiction Uber Alles.  In my humble opinion, it’s not quite as good, but then Uber Alles was a tough act to follow.  Nevertheless, I’ve still accorded this book the rare (for me) distinction of a 5-star rating for one simple reason: it led me to think about an important subject in a way I probably never would have otherwise, and that is, to me, one definition of a great book.

Neff’s books introduce us to a German general who could easily be considered a Nazi war criminal and, more importantly, to a few others who benefit greatly from his crimes.  But in the end, it’s very difficult to think of General Otto von Seigler and his family as criminals.  They are much more real people caught in the chaos of war, and separating crimes from mere attempts at survival becomes very difficult.

All in all, this is another magnificent story worthy of anyone’s time.

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