JAN GUILLOU: BLÅ STJERNE – BLUE STAR
” …Swedish and Norwegian women in war…”
”Blå stjerne ”(Blue star ) is a thrilling and entertaining story about
the Second World War with main focus on the resistance movement in
Norway. Fiction and facts of the historical events are used. The characters
dealt with in the book are both ” real ”persons and ” fictional ”
personalities. The main character is Johanne Lauritzen whose family has
Norwegians relations. She is involved with the work of the Norwegian resistance
movement because she want to support Norwegians in the fight for freedom.
Johanne Lauritzen is well educated and well off. She has a doctoral degree in
literature . Independent in relationship with men showing a free attitude to
sexuality in general. The British secret military organisation ,” The Special
Operations Executive (SOE)”, recruited her for secret service within Sweden.
Johanne was trained for espionage in England. SOE was set up in July 1940
supported by Winston S. Churchill. Johanne got involved in different tasks
getting information about military plans of the Germans. The book contents
political and military historical issues of the Second World War. The readers
who know much about the war, has no problem in understanding the different dramatic
stories and reports presented in the
book. Because fictional events and real events and persons are mixed, it might
be difficult to understand when it is a real story or a fictional, historical
report. Let me put it in this way: The writer takes it for granted that the
readers know who the following persons are: Clark Gable (American actor), Nic
Waal (Norwegian doctor), Max Manus (Norwegian saboteur), Harry Sødermann (
revolver- Harry) (Swedish policeman) , Eva Kløvstad(Eva Jørgensen) (Norwegian
freedom fighter),Trygve Lie (Norwegian politician), Caligula, Tove Filseth
(Norwegian freedom fighter ),Sigrid Helliesen-Lund (Norwegian freedom fighter)
,Malcolm Munthe(British/Swedish officer),Marlene Dietrich (German/American
actress) and Erika Schultze- just to mention some of the names presented in the
book. Are they ” Real” or ” fictional” persons? What about the military actions
described? Fictional or real actions?
It is not known by all that Major Malcolm Munthe (1910-1995) is the son of the famous Swedish doctor Axel Munthe.
It is not known by all that Major Malcolm Munthe (1910-1995) is the son of the famous Swedish doctor Axel Munthe.
As far as I have observed, few historical mistakes are made
by those who did the research work for the author. Anyway, a mistake has been
made when Max Manus is blamed for killing the Norwegian nazi Karl Alfred
Marthinsen. The killing took place not
far away from the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation(Nrk) in Oslo at Blindernveien.
It would be no problem for anyone to find out who initiated the killing of K.A.Marthinsen.
My private assumption is that the information is presented to make Norwegians
aware of the book –a ” cheap” commercial trick only , or the researchers do not
know who Max Manus was? The photo: Max Manus to the right, and the Norwegian crown prince Olav to the left.Date: May 13, 1945
The main missions of the book, apart from the entertainment,
are to inform the Swedish people whose knowledge in the history of the
resistance fight in Norway is limited and to honour the women who fought the
war better than any man. It is also important for the Swedish reader to know
who supported Adolf Hitler in Sweden. The neutral policy of Sweden was to
please the winner of the war at any time.
What about sources used for the book? A limited list of
selected titles are put up at the end of the book. What about the research done
in SVT, NRK and other television and radio companies whose audiovisual archives
contents many interesting programmes? For those who are interested in the matter:
Nrk has a programme dealing with the work done at Kjesæter manor located in Vingåker, Sødermanland in Sweden
about three houres of travelling by train from Stockholm. Photo: Kjesæter manor.
Because the author is a bold person who do not hesitate to
present information not in favour of the official policy of the Swedish
government during the war, I had hoped he had added the following book on his
list of selected sources:
”The Art of Cloaking ”
”Krigs-profitørene. Svenskens hemmelige finansiering av
Hitlers krigsmaskin ” by Gerard Aalders & Cees Wiebes. 1989. Cesam media.
” Blå stjerne” is the fifth book in the series: ”Det store
århundret ”. ( The Great Century ).
THE SCULPTURE OF MAX MANUS
Information to Swedish tourists who lack education in the history of Norway and WWII: Pay the Akershus Castle situated in the capital of Norway, Oslo, a visit. The sculpture of the Norwegian
resistance fighter Max Manus is set up close to the library building. Welcome!
THE SCULPTURE OF MAX MANUS
Information to Swedish tourists who lack education in the history of Norway and WWII: Pay the Akershus Castle situated in the capital of Norway, Oslo, a visit. The sculpture of the Norwegian
resistance fighter Max Manus is set up close to the library building. Welcome!
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