Munich is infamous as the backdrop for historical events such as the rise of the Third Reich, the massacre of Israeli athletes during the 1972 Olympics, but a lesser-known tragedy dominates David Peace’s thrilling novel “The Munichs.”

This is the crash of a chartered propeller plane just after takeoff in a blizzard on February 6, 1958, killing 23 of its 44 passengers and crew, including members of the famous football team Manchester United. (After the Red Devils’ victory in Belgrade, the plane stopped to refuel at Bavarian airport.)

“The Munichs” evokes the heartfelt moments of the crash, as well as the prolonged pain cast like a shroud over the crash, its characters, and a nation whose collective grief raises more questions than answers.

Barış’s prose sticks in our throat from the very first moment. The opening sequence, where survivors, some uninjured, some with shattered bones and bruised organs, struggle among the wrecked fuselage, unfolds with the immediacy of a nightmare or a German Expressionist film. While Bill Foulkes and Harry Gregg emerge unharmed from the tangle of metal and flames, Bobby Charlton, one of the youngest “boys”, suffers a laceration in his skull.

The victims are lined up in a row and then transported to England in matching coffins. United’s manager Matt Busby, who was hospitalized, remains conscious in an oxygen tent. He had assembled a legendary squad, backed by the jovial Jimmy Murphy (at the team’s headquarters, known as Old Trafford). These men live and breathe the sport, fueled by their commitment to each other. Barış’s love for the game shines in every episode.

“The Munichs” then follows a strict chronology and flits around the cast. As the news spread that watery evening, Peace brilliantly recreates the initial disbelief and flippant rationalizations of those affected. He uses ellipses generously, emphasizing the fragmented souls of his characters and their remaining thoughts.

His long kinetic sentences loop around on themselves; His masterful use of rhythm and repetition moves his narrative forward. He even winks at his technique: As the united community gathers to travel across the Channel, “(T)he airlines were already talking about flight delays, terrible weather on the road, danger, risks that didn’t need to be taken. “We can talk about it again and again.”

Local detectives are looking for a scapegoat. Jimmy escorts a dazed Bill and Harry home, where they struggle with guilt and boredom. Bobby is reunited with his mother, Cissie, who listens to the reporters’ phone calls and jokes and enjoys the publicity. He pulls back: “No wonder she doesn’t say a word when she always knows best, has her fingers crossed and makes sure she looks her best, no problems around here.”