Just wrapped up Erik Larson's fantastic "In the Garden of Beasts", one of the better books I've read this year. Without diving into excruciating detail, Larson transports us back to the 1930's world of William Dodd, the US Ambassador to Germany, and his family... most notably his rather 'friendly' daughter Martha.
Larson does an excellent job of developing the characters of Dodd and Martha. In particular, the ambassador's scholarly ways and his frugal ways made him a seemingly ill fit for the diplomatic post, symbolized throughout by his unfinished 'Old South'. Martha's impressionable nature is clear over the course of the work, evidenced in her choice of partners as well as her experimentation with Communism and the KGB.
Larson's research on the relationship between the main players and the third main character, Berlin, are evident in the way which he places the reader in the heart of pre-war Germany. Take a shot at this book even if history isn't your thing... if you're not thinking about exploring Berlin after finishing then well, there's always the NFL lockout.
