The Forgotten Soldier

Cassell Military Paperbacks S.

By Guy Sajer, L. Emmet (Translated by)

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Average Rating: (See all reviews) Format: Paperback, 560 pages, New edition Edition Other Information: maps Published In: United Kingdom, 15 July 1999 Quantity Available: 4 24 hour shipping 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. About the Author See opposite. '...there was a war, and I married it because there was nothing else when I reached the age of falling in love...Suddenly there were two flags for me to honour...I entered the service, dreamed and hoped. I also knew cold and fear in places never seen by Lili Marlene. A day came when I should have died, and after that nothing seemed very important. So I have stayed as I am, without regret, separated from the normal human condition.' - Guy Sajer Prizes One of the greatest true stories of armed combat ever written. An international bestseller. To be included in the CMP 'I was there...' promotion Publisher: Cassell military ISBN: 0304352403 EAN: 9780304352401 Dimensions: 19.0 x 130.0 x 3.0 centimeters

This is the kind of book that I tell people that if they don't read anything else about the second world war, then they should at least read this. This book is immensely powerful. There is debate about whether it's a true account. I disagree and would argue that the amount of detail and the passion with which it's written screamns truth. Regardless of the debate, read the book. It's one of those books you go back to every now and again just to remind yourself about how good we have things. I lent this book to a friend and regretted having lent it so much that I bought a second copy!

This is an evocative and shocking portrayal of the Eastern Front during 1942 and 1943. It then follows Sajer's retreat from the Soviet Union through Prussia and Memel to the Western Front where he is eventually captured. The author takes part in a number of major battles of the campaign and describes the conflicts from the viewpoint of a supply company soldier and later an infantryman in the Gross Deutschland Division.

The way that Sajer describes what he experiences hits the reader very hard and a number of times I put the book down after being shocked by events that he recalls. It is easily possible to imagine yourself the one battling the cold, fear and fatigue that he faces due to his descriptive style. At some stages during the narrative, Sajer steps slightly away from his story and gives his impression of those times now that he is older and these passages are particularly memorable.

This book is an unforgettable read. I would recommend it to anybody with an interest in military history. It is also valuable to those without an interest as it makes the futility and physical and emotional horrors of war gruesomely clear.