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HELP for Friedrich's novel...

Discussion in 'Information Requests' started by Friedrich, Jan 9, 2004.

  1. Friedrich

    Friedrich Expert

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    What about colonel general Von François in WWI?

    Or captain Lothar von Arnauld de la Perière also in WWI?

    Or count de Caprivi, the German chancellor?

    Anyway, I'm still opened to suggestions.

    Don't worry, Ike! ;)
     
  2. jpatterson

    jpatterson Member

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    I have an idea on the name thing, for what it's worth.

    To a simple American (huge market for your book) Jolly sounds like someone fat and happy all the time (Santa?). How about trying to mess with the spelling a bit? ex: von Jollie

    Just a thought.

    Later
     
  3. Friedrich

    Friedrich Expert

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    Very good suggestion, J! ;) I'll consider it.

    Besides, I'd like to see if someone could help me in some other matter about my novel.

    I have more than 100 drawings about the novel and I think they'll be adequate for you to get an idea of the story.

    I was wondering if some one could help me by posting some of the drawings here —after I send the scans, of course—? I'd be very grafteful. [​IMG]

    Thanks.

    [ 18. February 2004, 06:23 PM: Message edited by: General der Infanterie Friedrich H ]
     
  4. TheRedBaron

    TheRedBaron Ace

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    Sounds very interesting. Your approach seems good, and I hope you are able to fully express the relationship issues that will develop among the central characters.

    I would like to read a draft of a chapter to gauge your writting style but the basic storyline seems fine, after all this is FICTION not fact.

    I am slightly reminded of Trebig in Cross of Iron and may I suggest that you read FAtherland by Richard Harris, this book sets a very dark sombre scene and is worth reading, its also a great book. I think the book may work best as an exploration of human relationships in a strange and dangerous period rather than a war story, but I guess that is what you have in mind!

    All in all, sounds great, I look forward to buying my copy in the bookshop!!!

    Oh and for my two cents, I like the name Von Jolly, its a name that will stick in your mind and he already seems a likeable and easy to associate with character.

    I think the German commander for my wargames army may well be due a name change...

    Heil Jolly!!!
     
  5. Za Rodinu

    Za Rodinu Aquila non capit muscas

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    I'd vote for it too. And anyhow as the guy is German, his name in English should sound like "fon Yolly", so why the big fuss? :D
     
  6. jpatterson

    jpatterson Member

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    No fuss. I am just trying to point out what the typical American reader will read the name as. Unless the reader is familiar with the German language they will read it like Jolly old St. Nick..
     
  7. Za Rodinu

    Za Rodinu Aquila non capit muscas

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    ...

    [ 29. February 2004, 09:06 AM: Message edited by: Za Rodina ]
     
  8. Za Rodinu

    Za Rodinu Aquila non capit muscas

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    No quarrel! "fon Yollie" would make it sound even more Huguenot :cool:

    In any case, I got an email a few days ago from a guy of German origin whose family name *is* indeed Jolly, so I swear this is completely authentic, yohoho or not ;)

    In the meantime, waffle, waffle, waffle while the second part doesn't show up. What happens? Does von Jollie/y manage break out from Stalingrad, disregarding Hitler's orders and overcoming v.Paulus hesitations? An ashamed Fuhrer comes to his senses and recognizes the feat? Does he put on a magnificent defence at Glogau? Does he crush the Sandomierz beachhead? Does he make the July 21st 1944 plot succeed?

    Cheers,

    [ 27. February 2004, 03:49 PM: Message edited by: Za Rodina ]
     
  9. Friedrich

    Friedrich Expert

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    OK, here's Von Jolly's professional History according to the last version of my novel in progress.
    ____________________________________

    Jean Marie Gottfried Friedrich Freiherr von Jolly d'Épéhéry.

    Chronology

    April 26th 1886: born in Cologne, Germany, son of colonel Karl August Freiherr von Jolly (1842-1911) and Marie Victoire d'Épéhéry (1842-1924), famous French opera singer. Only child.

    1904: entered Potsdam War Academy at Bad Lichterfelde.

    1907: graduated with very poor notes as II lieutenant.

    February 24th 1907: married Anna Franziska von Hötzendorff (1888-1930).

    1907-1913: trips around the world for military exchanges and journalism, living a very ‘wilde’ life of excess.

    1909: first daughter born, Konstanze (1909-1993).

    1911: becomes the XIV Baron of Jolly after the death of his father. Inherites several properties and lands in the Rhineland, Alsace; Prussia, Tanzania and Italy, plus many millions in Switzerland. Hires one of his friends to manage all this.

    1914: company assistant in a third class infantry regiment.

    1914: 1st Battle of the Marne, wounded by shrapnel and awarded Iron Cross II Class. Transferred to the Crwon Prince's Royal Guards Regiment.

    1914-1915 Fights the British during 1st Ypres. Awarded Iron Cross I Class for personal bravery in combat, severely wounded again, being put out of action for the rest of 1915.

    1915: promoted to I lieutenant and transferred back to the guards regiment north of Verdun.

    1916: deverely wounded at Verdun, put out of action until 1918. Recommended for award of the Odre Pour le Mérite after capturing many French positions and troops.

    1917: Awarded the Pour le Mérite and promoted to captain.

    1918: Dismissed from the Army after injured by fosgene gas.

    1919: his first son born, Ferdinand (1919-1943). Starts publishing a big number of his early work and new investigations and novels, gaining a lot of international recognition.

    1922: second son born, Gottfried (1922-1944).

    1924: third son born, Friedrich (1924-1943).

    1925: fourth son born, Ludwig (1925-).

    1930: his published works reach 57 —novels and historical works. While travelling in Tanzania, Friedrich's wife died when giving birth to their fifth son, Karl (1930-1998). Friedrichs stops writing and becomes dependent on alcohol.


    1934: Re-joins the Army as major and battalion commander. His daughter Anna marries Viktor Kastre (1900-1974). Friedrich resumes his writing.

    1935: promoted to lieutenant colonel and gets command of a new infantry regiment.

    1936: captain Omar von Reit (1909-1954) joins Von Jolly’s regiment as battalion commander. They engage in a romantic and sexual relationship.

    1937: family Von Jolly makes a long trip over Europe and Tanzania.

    1938: promoted to colonel.

    1939: promoted to major general and given command of a bew light armoured division.

    1939: commands succesfully his division —attacjed to Army Group ‘South’— during the invasion of Poland.

    1940: succesfully commands his division through France. Promoted to lieutenant general and awarded the Kinght’s Cross. Holidays in occupied France.

    1941: transferred to Hungary for the invasion of Greece and Yugoslavia. Succesfully commands his division in this campaign.

    1941: transferred with his division to Poland as part of Army Group ‘Centre’ for operation ‘Barbarossa’.

    1941: succesfully commands his division as part of Guderian’s II Panzer Group all the way to Tula.

    December 1941: promoted to general of infantry and made corps commander. Omar von Reit —now major general, the youngest in Germany— becomes commander of Von Jolly’s former division.

    1942: back home for sick leave.

    Summer 1942: advances towards the rivers Don and Volga as part of Hoth’s IV panzer Army.

    Autumn 1942: heavily involved in street fighting at Stalingrad

    Winter 1942: smashed by enemy offensive south of Stalingrad. Manages to pull back 1/10th of his forces to German lines in the middle of the winter. Awarded the Oakleaves.

    Spring 1942: engaged in the 3rd Battle of Khárkov. Loses his son Friedrich at Stalingrad and his son Ferdinand —U-boat commander— in the Atlantic.

    Summer 1943: engaged in the tank battle south of Kursk. Wounded and affected by lung crisis —because of the WWI fosgene gas. Promoted to colonel general. Given command of the XX Army in Italy. Fights the Anglo-Americans in southern Italy.

    Winter 1943: transferred to the eastern front along the whole XX Army.

    Early 1944: wounded by Soviet sniper.

    Summer 1944: evacuated from Minsk pocket during operation ‘Bagration’. His Army is destroyed. Loses his son Gottfried when he was shot down in Normandy. Awarded the Swords to his Knight's Cross.

    Autumn 1944: the remnants of his Army pull back to the Vistula river and are reformed as XXVII Army.

    Spring 1945: Promoted to field marshal and immediately dismissed from command after giving signs of incompetence. He nows has severe symptoms of Alzheimer decease and his son Ludwig is missed in action. So is Omar von Reit.

    May 1945: Surrenders to Montgomery’s troops. Arrested as war criminal but released for his health conditions.

    1947: his daughter Konstanze publishes his last three novels.

    1948: awarded the Nobel Prize of Literature.

    March 6th 1949: dies in Cologne, Germany at 63.

    [ 27. February 2004, 05:55 PM: Message edited by: General der Infanterie Friedrich H ]
     
  10. Friedrich

    Friedrich Expert

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    And the third part of the novel:

    1947: his daughter Konstanze publishes his last three novels.

    1948: awarded the Nobel Prize of Literature.

    March 6th 1949: dies in Cologne, Germany at 63.

    1968: "Von Jolly’s Diaries 1934-1945" is published.

    1970: "Von Jolly’s Diaries 1904-1934" is published.

    1972: "Von Jolly’s Letters" is published.

    1978: "Von Jolly", a biographical novel in three volumes is published by General Humbert Haar (1892-1989) —Von Jolly’s chief of staff and close friend—, becoming a best-seller and a Pullitzer winner.

    1985: Old Humbert Haar makes his novel a film script and sells it to Universal Studios.

    1990: the film "A Jolly life" is released. Starring Sean Connery, Jack Lemmon, Brad Pitt and John Travolta. Awarded several Academy Awards included a posthumous Oscar for best adapted script for Humbert Haar.

    2000: the film "Young Jolly" —Von Jolly’s early life— is released. Not as great success as the previous film, but wildely accepted by the critics and the public —if not by conservative groups…

    2004: www.ww2forums.com makes all these bunch of lies a real book. :D [​IMG]
     
  11. Za Rodinu

    Za Rodinu Aquila non capit muscas

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    Holy mackerel, Fried, you made me lose my composure! Brilliant!! Would you put Walter Matthau doing von Rundstedt? :D

    Lit. Nobel in 1948 for a nazi Feldmarschall and a suspected war criminal sounds waaay far-fetched, you could put him as nominated only instead, but fiction is fiction ;)

    There are other points I might nitpick, but they'll be explained in the book, I'm sure. In any case this is a much more solid body than that presented at first. It's obvious you took your time to think this over and over.

    Just for curiosity's sake, the actual winner for 1948 was T.S. Elliot, and for 1953 no one less than Winston Churchill :cool:

    I'll want my copy signed, if you please.

    Cheers,
     
  12. jpatterson

    jpatterson Member

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    1990: the film "A Jolly life" is released. Starring Sean Connery, Jack Lemmon, Brad Pitt and John Travolta. Awarded several Academy Awards included a posthumous Oscar for best adapted script for Humbert Haar

    LOL I love that!

    Later
     
  13. Kai-Petri

    Kai-Petri Kenraali

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    That does look like you´ve managed to make the person quite alive, Friedrich!

    Jean Marie Gottfried Friedrich Freiherr von Jolly d'Épéhéry.

    and excellent chronology!

    [​IMG]
     
  14. Friedrich

    Friedrich Expert

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    I know it is a bit too much. But fiction is fiction! :D [​IMG] —besides I'll manage to not deprive T. S. Eliot from his own Nobel price. He could be awarded it during the war... :D

    You'll have it, as well as a mention in the foreword. ;)

    Glad you liked the film idea, J!

    Thanks, Kai! ;)
     
  15. Friedrich

    Friedrich Expert

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    And now, guys. Meet my character:

    [​IMG]

    Field marshal Friedrich von Jolly, May 1945 before surrendering to the British.

    [ 05. March 2004, 04:57 PM: Message edited by: General der Infanterie Friedrich H ]
     
  16. Friedrich

    Friedrich Expert

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    Von Jolly in his headquarters during the French campaign, summer 1940.

    [​IMG]

    Left to right: Col. ?, Maj. Gen. Von Jolly, Lt. Col. Von Reit, Lt. Col. Kastre (standing), Col. ? and Lt. Col. Haar.

    [​IMG]

    The same people years later in autumn 1944 in Poland. From left to right: Maj. Gen. ?, Lt. Gen. Von Reit, Col. Gen. Von Jolly, Maj. Gen. ? and Lt. Gen. Haar.

    Sorry for the guys with dial-up connexion... :( [​IMG]

    [ 05. March 2004, 05:05 PM: Message edited by: General der Infanterie Friedrich H ]
     
  17. Friedrich

    Friedrich Expert

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    Now, the other characters:

    [​IMG]

    Von Jolly's son-in-law, Viktor Kastre —right— and his chief of staff and biographer, Humbert Haar, 1945.

    [​IMG]

    Von Jolly's daughter, Anna with her husband, Viktor in 1938.
     
  18. Friedrich

    Friedrich Expert

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    And here is Omar von Reit.

    First, in Nuremberg's Party Rally of September 1936 —right— in SS uniform and then as a major general in early 1942 —left.


    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    Omar von Reit in 1949.

    [​IMG]

    Omar and Friedrich, Cologne, December 1936.

    [​IMG]

    Omar and Friedrich, Tanzania 1937.

    [​IMG]

    Von Jolly and Von Hindenburg, early 1934.

    [​IMG]

    Lt. Gen. Humbert Haar with FM Erich von Manstein in early 1943.

    [​IMG]

    Humbert Haar and his family, Christmas 1943.

    [​IMG]

    Humbert Haar —far right—, divisional commander with his officers in Russia, including Viktor Kastre (centre), summer 1941.
     
  19. Kai-Petri

    Kai-Petri Kenraali

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    Wow!

    Excellent work Friedrich!Great pics!

    :eek: :D
     
  20. Onthefield

    Onthefield Member

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    hey Kai, it definetely sounds like a interest keeping story with some good bends and random turns.

    I say go for it and when you complete it, let me know and I'll take a signed copy. :D Good luck!
     

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