Love Among the Ruins: A memoir of life and love in Hamburg, 1945 - Softcover

Harry Leslie Smith was born into abject poverty in Barnsley in the north of England in 1923. During the second world war he served with the Royal Air Force and was stationed in Hamburg from 1945 47 as part of the British occupying forces. He met his wife, a German woman called Frieda, there, whom he later married. Harry and his wife eventually settled in Belleville, Ontario and Harry worked for many years in the carpet trade.

After his wife died ten years ago, Harry returned to a love of writing and found himself writing tightly-argued comment pieces for the Guardian website. He came to prominence in the UK after a piece entitled This Year I Shall Wear a Poppy for the Last Time was shared more than 80,000 times on Facebook. In total, his Guardian articles have been shared almost a quarter of a million times on Facebook and have attracted huge comment and debate. Of his first book Harry’s Last Stand (Icon, 2014) Annie Lennox said that Harry is absolutely one of my heroes. Everyone should read this and be humbled.’

'His straight-from-the-heart delivery makes these events seem as clear and immediate as if they happened yesterday' * Morning Star * 'A deep love of humanity is what animates Smith. He is a hero of our times.' * Newsweek * 'The writing is beautiful and honest. The story is genuinely life-affirming.' * Dipolmat *