February 2020

A varied mix of themes and genres makes up this month's alumni-penned literature.

1.

Author Peter Matheson
Degree

Divinity

Book Love and Terror in the Third Reich: A Story of Broken Integrity

What was it like to fall in love in Hitler’s Germany? As the war tore them apart, how did young couples keep love vibrant, care for their children, and relate to the war? The earthy letters of Ernst and Lilo Sommer depict in unforgettable poignancy the collision of their personal dreams with the political and military realities of the Third Reich. Seventy years later their daughter, Heinke, reflects on this tragedy. Written with Heinke Sommer-Matheson.

Love  and  Terror  in  the  Third  Reich:  A Story of  Broken Integrity

 

2.

Author

Jemma Neville

Degree Law
Book

Constitution Street

Welcome to Constitution Street, Edinburgh. The street, like the world at large, is in a moment of flux. Part memoir, part social history and a call to action, Constitution Street is an antidote to an age of personal and political anxiety. Here, the real-life stories on one street, shared with Jemma Neville and framed by her own, reveal the courage, perseverance and capacity for love within us all.

Neighbour by neighbour, street by street, reclaiming our human rights, as something too important to be left solely to lawyers and politicians, will unite us with our sense of belonging and common purpose.

Constitution Street

3.

Author

Vincent Mkochi

Degree Surgical Sciences
Book

Of Hubris

'Of Hubris' is a book about a quest to strike a balance in a, usually, seemingly unbalanced world. This is done through asking questions, delving into issues of self-image and how to blend in with stoicism. With all that being said or explored, one wonders. Is it too much confidence? 

Of Hubris

4.

Author

Halo Scot

Degree Design and Digital Media
Book

Edge of the Breach

There is a hole in the sky. They call it the Rift. A portal to the gods. The scar of a suffering world. Through it, the gods rule the last scraps of civilization, harkening war. As chaos beckons, two leaders emerge from the ashes of a dying planet.

Julian Kyder is the son of an abusive rape victim who compensates for his abandonment through psychopathy. Sira Rune is a cancer survivor who dedicates her life to living free and fearless while experiencing the taboo and the unorthodox. Rune is the only one unafraid of Kyder, and that terrifies him, because he only knows how to function through fear. Even though she gives him more chances than he deserves, how much violence can she forgive? When is a person beyond redemption? While he struggles to control his demons and she struggles to find purpose, the gods drag the ruined world into war.

Edge of the Breach

5.

Author

Anne Miller

Degree Sociology and Politics
Book

Mickey and the Animal Spies

Mickey is the type of kid who's always on the lookout for a code to crack. So it's her lucky day when she spots a strange poster on the bus home from school written completely in code. Within the strange jumble of letters is a curious message, one that leads to an exciting adventure-with diamond thieves, dognappers, and an extraordinary group of animal spies! This book contains real coded messages, can you crack the codes before Mickey does?

Mickey and the Animal Spies

Anne chats to law student Hadrien in episode 6 of Sharing things, the podcast

Your book

If you are a member of the alumni community and have recently published a book, we would be delighted to include it in the Alumni Bookshelf. Email the editor, Brian Campbell, with the following information:

  • your name
  • degree details
  • book details, including a link for further information

Email Brian Campbell

Please note

Books are added to the bookshelf in order of submission. All of the further information links listed are the external websites of the book publisher, the author, or the bookseller. The University of Edinburgh is not responsible for the content and functionality of these sites.