This was a great start to a series, I really enjoyed the way the author wrote his characters. It does lead you to learn something new.

Thanks to NetGalley and Old Stone Press for providing me with a free copy of this book in return for my honest review. A very well written book that picks up pace and interest as you move deeper into the book. Based on many true historical characters this is basically the story of two people, both of whom belong to groups that the Nazi government wants to eliminate. One a singer, one a piano player, one a Jew, one Polish, along with others who have Gypsy blood in their veins, along with a few characters who are homosexual. There is no real sexuality in this book, but rather it is a book about 2 people on the run to try and escape the horrors of WW2. One, the singer, is actually the daughter of a German General, who himself is under suspicion by the Gestapo for being part of the Oster plot to remove Hitler in the late 1930's. Lots of good and interesting historical information about the prison camp in Theresienstadt, as well as information I never knew of the Polish underground. As I said the book picks up speed about 40% of the way through and is quite the page-turner. My biggest criticism is that sometimes escapes occur and they are either not explained or not fully detailed. But let me say this, if you want a really good understanding of how regular people from within Germany, and who were not Nazi's, managed to survive or escape then this is certainly a great book to help you understand their plight. There already is a 2nd book that details even more of their lives after WW2. I have that book and hope to read it in the near future.

This was a complicated story for me to get into but was determined to stick with it and I'm glad I did! WWII, of people who went through war,love,hate,desperation of holding on to their families,where they lived and just to be a survivor in all of the would of hate! Thank goodness she has her music! Wonderful history well researched of so many countries that are part of this story! Received this through Net Galley! This is a series that I believe is out now! On to number two! Wonderful author,first time reader of this author! 🙉🙈🙊 This involves a lot of spies,thrilling plots and excitement, where you can't put the book down.

Uber Alles: A Novel of Love, Loyalty, and Political Intrigue in World War II
by
Robert Arthur Neff

5 Stars

Robert Arthur Neff describes Uber Alles as “either a history lesson wrapped in a love story, or the reverse of that.” I’d say it’s clearly both. Beginning shortly before the start of World War II and continuing through the dark days of the war, Uber Alles is the story of Dieter Meister, a German musician who is both part Jewish and a homosexual, and the woman he falls in love with, Sofie von Seigler, the daughter of a high ranking Wehrmacht officer who is also part Jewish.

The story is captivating, the characters relatable and identifiable, and the writing excellent. I am so happy to have found this remarkable work on NetGalley, and I thank that website, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read and review the book. I can’t wait to move on the sequel.

I am so glad I picked this book up to read, it was the sequel to this, “After All”, being released in January 2020, that prompted me to read this one first and what a blessing. This is truly a novel of love, loyalty and political intrigue, just an awesome book!! Probably the best WWII book I have ever read, and I have read a lot of them. Everything in here was believable, nothing was far-fetched, and the storyline intertwined fiction with actual characters and events. Few books ever give me goosebumps but this one did, very close to the ending, well done, Mr. Neff, well done.
Every day I looked forward to begin reading and I had some late nites not wanting to put it down. The writing is stellar, the short chapters were easy to follow in knowing what was going on between all the characters like Dieter, Sophie, Lilka, Otto and Juru, this style of writing kept me informed and you never felt lost. The chapter headings also listed the location, the month and the year, this too is so appreciated. The character development is done well, the author covers the backgrounds of each and every one, but I never felt that it was to wordy, all of the writing was relevant to the storyline.
After I reluctantly finished the book, an additional highlight was Appendix A and B, telling us about each and every character, factual and fiction, a great way to finish a great book!! I am looking so forward to reading the sequel.
I was given the opportunity to receive this book from Old Stone Press through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. This one gets the highest 5*****’s I can give!! An awesome book.

WWI and WWII have brought forward a plethora of stories, most of them excellent. The perspectives have been from various angles - even from the German one portraying the German people as not villains but just people trying to survive in Hitler Germany.

This one is set against the backdrop of Poland, Czechslovakia and Germany and the story of courage, bravery, spirit of survival, nationalist tendencies and the patriotism that arose amongst the ordinary men and women of the time to protect what was theirs. In this case the fact that the characters were Jews or Romani was separate from their Polishness or their German ancestry. It was important for the aggressors so that it gave them a foothold to turn their race against them but for the victims their race was just another thing.

The story was written in a very precise manner, the characters were perfect and the political intrigue that marked both the Resistance as well as the Gestapo was detailed and intriguing.

If you are person who likes history this is a must read. The personal saga of a family is well detailed and sadly reflects many of the lives of that era in that setting.

Über Alles by Robert Arthur Neff

In this fabulous story of love, intrigue, and survival in the time of Nazi horrors, dual protagonists Sofie von Seigler and Dieter Meister keep you on edge. Most of the tale is told from the journals of Sofie and Dieter.

Privileged Sofie and piano tuner Dieter’s lives cross in an unlikely pairing which drives this story. Many misunderstandings have the Gestapo after Dieter, erroneously believing that he is a master spy. Sofie’s father, General Otto Seigler, a German officer, needs to find Dieter for his own safety and his daughter’s sake.

Many more interesting and important characters have roles which mesh perfectly, and make this very well-written and exciting tale a perfect read for historical fiction lovers.

Many thanks to #NetGalley and #OldStonePress for an ARC for this review.

I wasn't sure about this at the start as it was a little confusing but by 20% in I couldn't put it down! The story is told from various different viewpoints, the main story eventually starting with Dieter's diary, then interspersed with the other characters histories and viewpoints. I really enjoyed reading about Sofie, Dieter, Jara and the others and was desperate to learn their fates. It is refreshing to read a story about how WW2 affected minorities and how they worked together to help each other, it was very touching. The story was clever and a lot of the characters are real (something I didn't realise until the end!). This would make a great box set binge on Netflix or the BBC. I am off now to read the sequel!

4 stars

This is a very well constructed story of the prelude to WWII. Nazi Germany is encroaching on her neighbors of Poland and Czechoslovakia in 1938-9.

This is the story of two young musicians in Germany, a singer named Sofie and a pianist named Dieter who meet and fall in love. The hitch is that they are both part Jewish which is, of course, a very dangerous thing. While neither practices the religion, or even considers themselves to be at all religious, they are naturally very anxious about their status in view of the oncoming Nazi menace.

When Sofie's German Wehrmacht father comes under suspicion of the Gestapo, Sofie and Dieter must flee Germany. They go to Poland where Sofie's mother Lilka and half-brother Jura live. There they find happiness but must watch at all times for Hitler's shadows.

Jura's father was a Gypsy physician to the Gypsy community and well liked and trusted. Jura takes on the same role as his father ages. The Gypsy King and his followers aid him is constructing identities and safe passage for Sofie and Dieter.

When Jura and Dieter wind up in Theresienstadt, a concentration camp for artists, they, along with another doctor acquaintance of Jura's, come up with ways for Dieter to escape.

This is a well written and plotted novel of the treatment of Gypsies and Jews during WWII. It is also a love story between two young people who are very much in danger. It speaks to the resiiilency of the human spirit and the basic will to survive. It is a story about the everyday danger these people faced with every person they met. Who can be trusted?

I want to thank NetGalley and Old Stone Press/IBPA Members' Titles for forwarding to me a copy of this very good book for me to read, enjoy and review.