The Forgotten Soldier [Paperback]

 

 

Create your own review

I am shocked that anyone would try to discredit this book, it is simply the most powerfull war memoir I have ever read, For those who debate the details have clearly missed the books intention. Allot of vets get sketchy on specifics unless they have done extra research, these men were not scholars or military experts but "Grunts" or in Sajer's case "Landsers" this book deeply effected me, infact I am not a softy kinda guy but i almost cried at the end reading this, a book has never really had that effect on me.

Read this book, its incredible and nothing will really be able to compare.

I really enjoyed this book and couldn't help but read another page after another page. I would suggest this book to anyone who is interested in German WWII memoirs for sure!

Sajer is an overly optimistic half-French, half-German late teen who decides to join the Wehrmacht in 1942. At the height of its success (perhaps that was late '41, but that's quibbling), it was no doubt a seductive chance to jump on the winning bandwagon. Sajer starts off in a supply battalion, and is shipped to Russia where he arrives in time to see Stalingrad fall (from a distance). It's here, dragging the wounded back from the front lines, that he first becomes acquainted with the horrible reality of war. A captain then asks for volunteers for combat line duty, and Sajer's best friend in his platoon volunteers. Sajer, not wanting to be left behind goes along with him and joins the famous Gross Deutchland division.

I won't ruin the details of the book, but suffice to say, it's BRUTAL. Sajer finds love, is kept alive thanks to a wily veteran (my favorite character by far), but mostly, he experiences hunger, fatigue, disease, death, and violence in shocking amounts. As the war drags on, the battles become more and more one-sided until you can hardly believe that anyone could still be hanging on. At times, like for Sajer, the combat becomes mind-numbing. "When will it end?" is what I found myself asking along with Sajer.

As far as tactics go, this book is fairly light on them. Sajer is no tactician, and he's not a super-hero soldier. You do get a feel for the chaos of small-unit combat, and there certainly is enough described to get a general sense of tactics. As far as strategy, Sajer was (mostly) a private in a huge army. All you get is the feel of being dragged from place to place, as he was, to fight specific battles. From a moral point of view, Sajer talks about war, and about soldiers. He certainly jives with Grossman's book "On Killing" (see my other views) about the psychological cost and hesitancy involved with killing another human, especially at close range. He argues that soldiers on all sides deserve respect, and I suppose I agree. But I think the German people, and all their soldiers, also deserve a massive burden of guilt for their explicit or complicit approval of a plan to take over the world. Forget the Holocaust and other horrors, the very fact that they were willing to wage war for their own selfish gain was a heinous act. Lastly, the humanity. You get a very good idea of what it was like in the day-to-day experiences of a soldier in the Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front. Bleak is the best word to describe it. Compared to other autobiographies (e.g., Blood Red Snow, again, see my other reviews), this one stands out as a little less military-oriented and a little more personally-oriented. It's a powerful book that's well worth reading.

As a final note, I wanted to mention that I checked out the accusations against the veracity of this story. They're by a US Army Colonel and a former German soldier. The claim was the Sajer forgot, or got wrong, a lot of little details. Another US Army Colonel defends this as understandable. A private wouldn't know a lot of details, and might not give a darn about what arm his patch was on. The defending Colonel contacted Sajer, who said his book wasn't mean to be a historical fact- it was meant to portray an individual's experience. He wrote a lengthy letter that the former German soldier read, and who then changed his mind about Sajer. That alone is powerful testimony that Sajer's account is accurate. Certainly, accurate enough for its intention- impression rather than history.

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 76 customer reviews on Amazon.ca

 

4.0 out of 5 stars Worth a read
A well written story of a German soldier on the Eastern Front. Confronts the excitement, and monotony of daily life. Read more

Published on Nov 23 2009

4.0 out of 5 stars German World War II personal biography - excellence
This is a excellent and important book.
Poetic and well written 'horror of war' along with detailed battle descriptions make this a standard for war biographies. Read more

Published on April 27 2009 by G. Rutz

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is great!
THE reference for anyone who wishes to see what is a soldier life in WW2. I read a lot of books about the second world war and this one with Stalingrad from Beevor and the... Read more

Published on Dec 7 2008 by Frederic Giguere

5.0 out of 5 stars READ THIS BOOK!!!
This was an unbelievale book! It kept me awake a night, it made me feel sick, angry,and frustrated. I wanted to cry, and sometimes laugh. Read more

Published on Nov 8 2006 by Shen

5.0 out of 5 stars this is the one
This is the best first person account of the eastern front you will find.This is a book you will save to read again some day then save it again. Read more

Published on Sep 5 2006 by Shawn Currie

5.0 out of 5 stars Unforgettable journey towards certain death
If there is one book, which is the equivalent of "All Quiet on the Western Front", it is
Guy Sajer's "Forgotten Soldier". Read more

Published on Aug 11 2005 by Shc

5.0 out of 5 stars Unforgettable journey towards certain death
If there is one book, which is the equivalent of "All Quiet on the Western Front", it is
Guy Sajer's "Forgotten Soldier". Read more

Published on Aug 9 2005 by Shc

5.0 out of 5 stars Best memoirs ever written
Like I said: the best germanmemoirs of WWII. Unlike the unbearable "in deadly combat", the author here is candid, honest and frank. Read more

Published on Dec 20 2004 by mathieu laine

5.0 out of 5 stars Poignant and Powerful.
This is simply one of the most memorable and important books that I've ever encountered. I first read it in 1994 and it remains as vivid in my mind today as it did on the day ten... Read more

Published on July 1 2004 by Bernard Chapin

5.0 out of 5 stars A Shocking Tribute to the Endurance of Men
How much pain can men endure? As Guy said, "which ever side a soldier was on, if they've gone through this kind of hell, they can respect and admire the men, on either side,... Read more

Published on Jun 24 2004 by Charles Karnes

Search Customer Reviews
Only search this product's reviews

› See all 76 customer reviews on Amazon.ca

Search Listmania!