Overview

When German immigrant Johann Schuler dies in a Baltimore, Maryland traffic accident, he leaves behind several vintage photographs and a collection of diaries. In an attempt to locate Johann's next of kin and to verify his identity, a representative from social services collects the items for examination. Since the diaries are very old and written entirely in German, the examiner reaches out to local university for help. Brian Craig, an associate history professor who is not only fluent in German but also hoping to find a topic for his dissertation, eagerly accepts the challenge. Johann began writing the journals at a young age while living in Munich, just after the end of WWI. He describes the hardships of living in the post-war state - including the high unemployment and frequent violence in the streets. Johann and his older brother begin attending meetings of The German Workers' Party, later to become the Nazi Party. In addition to documenting the rise of the Nazi Party, he also accounts for his rise in the Schutzstaffel (the ""protection squad,"" aka the SS). One of the many duties of the SS is to protect high ranking members of the Party. Following the failed assassination attempt in 1944, Hitler has Johann's squad reassigned to his bodyguard detail. The day before Hitler's suicide, Johann documents a large shipment of valuables transported from the Reichstag building to a costal port. Brian visits Berlin in the hopes of matching names from Johann's diary to SS personnel records, thus authenticating the diary. While there, he meets a freelance reporter who offers to help him. Through their partnership, they track the movement of Johann's war buddies across three continents, leading them to the smuggled valuables, a war criminal, and Johann's reason for being in Baltimore.

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