M.M. Diaries

Through the actions of its main character, Moses Mendelssohn, this fine novel accurately chronicles the rise of Nazi Germany, many World War ll battles, and the Holocaust. A gifted scientist and engineer, Moses is the developer of Nazi Germany's V-2 rocket guidance system. He is also a member of the legendary Mendelssohn family that includes his namesake, the noted 18th century philosopher Moses Mendelssohn, the 19th century genius composer Felix Mendelssohn, and the legendary Mendelssohn family of German bankers. Although his family converted to Lutheranism in 1816, the Mendelssohns are considered simply as Jews by the Nazi regime, and therefore targeted. But without Moses's expertise, the missile will fail as Germany's ultimate weapon. Moses's wife and child, both also considered Jews, disappear from Berlin, and Moses learns that they have been kidnapped by the Nazis. He knows that if the V-2 fails, his family will perish, as will he. The V-2 must fly so that his family may be saved.