2023 BPL Local Authors Spotlight: Burton Flanagan

Author Harry Burton Flanagan

Are you familiar with The White Rose, a resistance group of young people best known for standing up to oppressors in Nazi Germany? Author Harry Burton Flanagan explores that topic in his new book "The White Rose." 

Come meet Flanagan and nearly 30 other authors this Saturday, November 4, at the Birmingham Public Library's 2023 Local Authors Expo. This free event will take place from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the Central Library downtown, 2100 Park Place. 

"The White Rose" tells the story of a group that during the 1940s resisted Adolf Hitler's regime by dropping anonymous pamphlets throughout Germany.  Flanagan released his book at age 74 two years ago. He is a retired lawyer who graduated from the University of Alabama and the University of Alabama School of Law.

In a Q&A with BPL, Flanagan talks about what inspired his book.

BPL: Tell me about your book.

Flanagan: "The White Rose" is history. It relates the history of a resistance group in Nazi Germany, formed and led by young people. It did not have a happy ending, as most of the leaders went to the guillotine, but the courage they showed in meeting their fate was extraordinary. The story illustrates commitment, the cost of that commitment, and the courage required to meet that commitment.

BPL: What inspired you to write your book? 

Flanagan: I came across the story of The White Rose while visiting some friends in Switzerland. I had never heard of the group before, but the story was profoundly moving and those young people deserved to be remembered. Hence this book, as respects to the other book, one simply cannot be indifferent to the killing going on around us, especially where school children are involved. A protest simply.

BPL: Who is your favorite author and why? 

Flanagan: Mark Twain, because his sense of humor and, at the same time, his serious treatment of serous subjects.

What do you hope readers get out of your book? 

Flanagan: RE The White Rose, commitment and the courage to honor that commitment. RE the Second Amendment, the misinterpretation of the Second Amendment and a comparison of Swiss gun control measures. 

Any advice for new authors and those desiring to become an author? 

Flanagan: Try to inform yourself as to the financial requirements and be aware also that there are scammers out there.