Reviewed by Anne Boling for Readers' Favorite

As a child Hans Udet spent hours listening to his Uncle Ernst spin stories about flying for Germany in WWI. His tales heavily influenced Hans' love of aviation and his political views. After enlisting as a pilot in Hitler's air force, Hans quickly moved through the ranks, becoming an ace.

Assigned to duty during the Spanish Civil War, Hans rescues a woman from attack by a Storm Trooper. Though Rachel was Jewish, Hans nonetheless found himself falling in love with her, in the process gaining a reputation among the Storm Troopers as a Jew-lover. Though he was a loyal warrior of the Fatherland, Hans also felt great compassion for humanity. But while aerial warfare could be a most bloody undertaking, it was the horrors of the Holocaust that truly appalled Hans.

Days of Smoke is a look at World War II and the Holocaust through the eyes of a German soldier. I was very impressed with the writing, and it was obvious the author spent much time in research. Days of Smoke would make an excellent movie.