What we are Reading A Woman in Berlin, by Anonymous, Virago €12.15 (often remaindered at €5 or €6) Besides truth itself, women are often the other forgotten casualty of war. In 1945 the exultant Russians marched into Berlin and left behind them a reputation as mass rapists. It is estimated that between 95,000 and 130,000 of the city’s females were violated or sexually collaborated in order to eat. This riveting book, by Anonymous, was republished after the death of the author in 2001. She is believed to have been Marta Hiller, an educated woman who spoke Russian, and who despite having to endure repeated indignities, hunger and fear, managed to write one of the most astonishing war diaries. Her strength was her understanding of both victor and vanquished, the rampaging “Ivans”, the hapless German men, and everyone who compromised just to survive. Paul Murray Cover