This ambitious series delves into the complex destinies of a single family, charting both its German and English branches through the tumultuous first half of the 20th century. It offers a dramatic depiction of Hitler's rise to power, leading inexorably towards the disaster of the Second World War. The work masterfully blends fact and fiction, creating an epic narrative of personal lives caught in the jaws of history.
This, the first volume in Hughes's trilogy "The Human Predicament", takes rich young Augustine to Bavaria on the eve of Hitler's ill-fated 1923 Munich putsch and ends with the departure into a convent of Augustine's romantic first love, the blind Mitzi.
Set against the backdrop of prohibition-era America, Augustine, the protagonist, navigates a society consumed by sex, violence, and alcohol. The narrative unfolds with vivid cinematic detail, transitioning to Germany as the Nazi Party rises to power, and exploring the socio-political landscape of Britain on the brink of class conflict. The journey also takes readers to the rugged Atlas Mountains of Morocco, culminating in a chilling depiction of the Night of the Long Knives, highlighting the brutal consolidation of Hitler's regime.