S11E7 A Death in Berlin: Simon Scarrow on German life under Nazi oppression

“The German guy tells this joke in the factory. It's reported by the foreman. This guy's then hauled away and executed. That's kind of the kind of regime you are living under with the Nazis.” ~Simon Scarrow

What was it like to live in Berlin in 1940? We very often picture the war years from the perspective of the Allies, but for the Germans living under the oppressive rule of the Nazis, life very quickly turned hostile.

Simon Scarrow is a historian and author of A Death in Berlin, the third installment in his World War 2 series following the life and work of German Criminal Inspector Horst Schenke. As gangs run amuck through Berlin and Nazi manipulation has people second guessing themselves, Schenke fights to keep criminals off his patch and protect his own dirty secrets.

This isn’t Simon’s first historical series - he’s also well known for his Roman era series “Eagles of the Empire”, which follows the military careers of Cato and Macro. But here he’s tracing a part of history that is much closer to living memory.

In this episode, you will learn:

• How to best get into the mind of your characters when telling a historical story
• The power of words and narratives - and how they can reshape culture and politics
• Why you should write from the heart and choose a story that touches you

Find out more about Simon here.

Your host is inkjockey founder Mark Heywood.

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You can view the full transcript here.

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