The best book on a soldier's personal experience

Got to be the best book on a soldier's personal experiences in world war two, or indeed any other conflict in history .

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3 people found this helpful

Great read.

A great read from start to finish. Personal experience of which we can only imagine. Self sacrifice and bravery of ordinary men and youth entering, some forced, others volunteering into an horrendous war that was not of their making.
All brave men of both sides. Great read.

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Towser T

I lived this book for many days and it was difficult to switch off. I am aware that its absolute authenticity has been challenged but I believe, fact or fiction in parts, it is believable as a soldier’s view of the last war. The battle detail is horrific and like many soldier’s stories, they cannot believe how and why they survived.
To write a book, originally in French, as a person who fought for the other side, must have required some time before it would be accepted.
There is talk of a film and I would love to watch it but I do not think any film could pick up on the wretchedness of a long war.
Sometimes, when the writer talks about the privations he suffered, I think of the holocaust and what the Germans did to the Jews, Gypsies and opponents of the German Reich and feel less pity for him.
In any event, I urge anyone interested in the Second World War to read this book.

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Incredible.

An absolutely must read/listen. Incredibly moving and profound. We must never forget the sacrifices made on both sides during the war, and the sheer determination of will it took to even survive such events. Loved reading this years ago and enjoyed listening to it now!

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Great account

A brutal account of fighting on the eastern front that shows all the sides to human nature.

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excellent in depth recollection

of a french soldiers experiences on eastern front, Guy Sajer was only 16 when he entered the German army, eventually making it into the most elite regiment. The sheer suffering he witnesses and endures and shares with us is almost too much to bear over the course of the book. So much so, that one often has to put it down after a few pages to compose oneself and emotionally re-center.

Brutal, honest, and traumatizing. This account of the German perspective of the war shows the horrors these young men faced. I feel both the Allied Forces and the Germans acted out of convictions of duty, courage, and the preservation of life. This story will stick with me for years to come and will act as a reminder of the carnage and death that can only come from war.

Writers like Sajer, will never allow the future generations to forget, the miseries of world war soldiers.

World war two was fought by soldiers but described by soldiers who become writers; Sajer belongs to this rare breed; he accomplished this rare job by writing, under stressful circumstances and arranging the information, for future readers.

Sajer did a fine job in describing, the situation and psychology of a foot soldier, respect and value of enemy, Morality of a losing infantry, Hate for partisans, Agony of dying comrades, Worries of families, Benevolence of seniors, Difficulty of weather, Hardship of immobility, Frustration of illness and much more.

This is a very fine book for those, who want to read about the agonies and pain of German soldiers. This book gives altogether a different aspect of world war. This helps in understanding a crucial fact of war that .... the true enemy of, a man in war is .... the war itself!

"We felt like lost souls, who had forgotten that men are made for something else, that time exists, and hope, and sentiments other than anguish; that friendship can be more than ephemeral, that love can sometimes occur, that the earth can be productive, and used for something other than burying the dead.”

― Guy Sajer, The Forgotten Soldier

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5 people found this helpful

interesting to hear a different side

strange to hear a French man on the other side ! a young boy who should never been there no matter what side , growing up fighting the Russians on the easter front .

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1 person found this helpful

A relentless account of the eastern front.

I read this book about twelve years ago and thought it was amazing. Thankfully, this audio version does the original text justice.
The narration brings the text to life and you feel as if you were on the eastern front all those years ago. Guy Sajer's experiences are brutal and compelling, and at times mixed with moments of compassion for troops, civilians and the enemy.

Finally, I have often thought this would make a great film as it highlights the humility that can be exhibited under the most adverse conditions.  

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Action packed

Great narrator and story.
My own criticism it seems to be assumed that you knew what weapons were being used. There was no physical description of them. Otherwise great read.

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A thorough well read account.

An Interesting and worthwhile listen about a German WW2 soldier’s experience around the Eastern front… and thankfully I still have no proper appreciation of what it was like.

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