The Forgotten Soldier: The Classic WWII Autobiography
and over 900,000 other books are available for Amazon Kindle .
Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Visit the Amazon.co.uk Trade-In Store for more details. |
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
More About the Author
Product Description
Book Description
The devastating true story of a young Franco-German soldier trapped in the lethal machinery of total war on the Eastern Front in World War II.
Product Description
An international bestseller, this is a German soldier¿s first-hand account of life on Russian front during the second half of World War II. When Guy Sajer joins the infantry full of ideals in the summer of 1942 the German army is enjoying unparalleled success in Russia. However, he quickly finds that for the foot soldier the glory of military success hides a much harsher reality of hunger, fatigue and constant deprivation. Posted to the crack Grosse Deutchland division, with its sadistic instructors who shoot down those who fail to make the grade, he enters a violent and remorseless world where all youthful hope is gradually ground down, and all that matters is the brute will to survive. As the biting cold of the Russian winter sets in, and the tide begins to turn against the Germans, life becomes an endless round of pounding artillery attacks and vicious combat against a relentless and merciless Red Army. A book of stunning force, this is and unforgettable reminder of the horrors of war.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
First Sentence
We were standing beside a long railway convoy. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
We were standing beside a long railway convoy. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
45 of 46 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Forgotten Soldier,
By Dave (Birmingham England) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Forgotten Soldier (CASSELL MILITARY PAPERBACKS) (Paperback)
This is truly a superb book, far surpassing anything in print today. The author (Guy Sajer) portrays the hopes and fears of the average soldier of the German Wehrmacht during the most epic and hostile conflict in human history. Unfortunately our soldier joins the struggle during mid-1942, the turning point of the war. As the vision of victory slowly subsides into the realisation of defeat, the author’s interpretation of modern warfare as desensitisation separates him from the sufferings of others. The comradeship of his unit and the immense acts of bravery by fellow soldiers offer a truly inspiring scene. This piece of literature gives a clear insight into the mind of those who continued to fight regardless of knowledge that the war was already lost. The account of the battle of Memel is horrifically illustrative. For anyone with the slightest interest in the war on the Eastern Front, read this book.
28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I had to wait for him to be safe to put the book down.,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Forgotten Soldier (Paperback)
I am able to review this early as I have unearthed an old edition. This book quite literally lives with you from the moment you open it, to the moment you finish...and then a bit longer. The story of a half-french, 17 year-old from Alsace takes you from his misguided decision to volunteer for military service, with the Nazi-German army, through the bloodiest, most ruthless and savage campaigns of the Eastern-Front. The sheer brutality, wretchedness and loss of reasonable hope is bewildering. The close knit team that develops and the esprit de corps of the Grosse Deutschland Division is inspirational. The gore and carnage they endure and inflict is awe inspiring. Such is the fierce reality of the writing, the images of battle and of frozen death, that I ended up having to keep reading until Guy Sajer (this is autobiographical) was in relative safety and comfort. I could not "leave him". Read it, you will then know what I mean. Whatever political persuasion you belive in or stand for, no 17 year old should be made to endure this. I cannot recommend a book more highly. Forget Blitzkrieg, this is Blitz-education. It batters your senses. Thank God my 5 years in the Army never came to this.
38 of 40 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Graphic & terrifying account of the Eastern Front in WWII,
By zavilladavies435@aol.com (Mountain Ash, South Wales) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Forgotten Soldier (CASSELL MILITARY PAPERBACKS) (Paperback)
A spellbinding book in which Guy Sajer vivdly recalls his own personal fight for survival on the Eastern Front during WWII. Sajer, a half French Half German volunteered to serve in the German Army when he was still too young to understand what war was about, his book vivdly illustrates how he discovered over his three years on the Eastern Front just what he'd let himself in for.No punches are pulled in this masterpiece, every terrifying, gruesome agonising moment is included as he describes how the simple soldier clung to his own life. The inhumane existence of soldiers on both sides is described with all it's lice-ridden detail and the reader will be left with compassion for anyone brave enough to keep going in what must have been a living hell.I finished this book and turned back to page one to start reading it again, after sharing Sajer's experiences with him.......you'll come away feeling different...maybe even shell-shocked. Everyone should read this masterpiece!I defy anyone to put this down once started!
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews |
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
- Books > Biography > Historical > Countries & Regions > Europe
- Books > Biography > Historical > Countries & Regions > France
- Books > Biography > Historical > Countries & Regions > Russia
- Books > Biography > Political > Countries & Regions > Europe
- Books > Biography > Political > Countries & Regions > Russia
- Books > Biography > War & Espionage > World War II
- Books > History > Military History > Armed Forces > Land Forces
- Books > History > Military History > Wars, Battles & Campaigns
- Books > History > World History > World War II 1939-1945 > Battles & Campaigns
- Books > History > World History > World War II 1939-1945 > Biographies & Memoirs
- Books > History > World History > World War II 1939-1945 > Eastern Front
- Books > Society, Politics & Philosophy > Warfare & Defence > War & Defence Operations
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
|
