D-day terror in Normandy, Prison Camp survival, the Stasi, a dark childhood secret and his hateful wife all confront Franz Schmidt's pursuit of happiness. An informative and emotional German historical novel, Escape from Babylon gives a different way of seeing the war and post-war years in East Germany as it looks at war, families, sex and betrayal from a man's point of view. "Escape from Babylon is an astonishingly well written first novel. A cross between Jeffrey Archer and Ian McEwan, it is an emotional roller coaster set against the uncertainties of post-war Europe. The main characters are sympathetic, and the baddies horrible." Sarah Challis 11 time best-selling novelist