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Post by binarypunisher on Jan 2, 2008 17:36:55 GMT -5
www.amazon.com/Forgotten-Soldier-Guy-Sajer/dp/1574882864/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1199313331&sr=1-1The Forgotten Soldier is about an Alsacian who enlists in the German Army as a truck driver. His truck is on the way to resupply Stalingrad when Stalingrad falls, and he volunteers for the infantry. He is assigned to the elite Großdeutschland Division, where he fights the remainder of the war on the Eastern Front and is then transported to surrender to the Americans and British. This is the best WWII German memoir I have read. The conditions a German soldat went through on the Eastern Front is hard to comprehend - a very hellish place. I HIGHLY reccomend this book, it is also very long - which I like. 9/10.
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Ersatzjack
Corporal
"That silly Franz... he thinks we are winning."
Posts: 1,093
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Post by Ersatzjack on Jan 2, 2008 21:02:54 GMT -5
Gosh - it sounds like the book I just finished entitled, "Through Hell for Hitler" by Henry Metelmann who was with the 22nd Panzer Division early and was caught in the 6th Army encirclement at Stalingrad and walked his way to safety. Like your soldier, Metelmann ended up on the Western Front in the closing days of the conflict and surrendered to Americans. I wonder if those that surrendered to the Russians went on to a literary career? Anyway if you liked your book I think you will like the one I spoke of. I'm gonna look yours up.
Another great find for the holidays was something my wife found for me in her travels in Detroit. At a used bookstore there she found a commercial publication/reprint of US Army "Handbook on German Military Forces" with a foreword by Steven Ambrose who really recommended the book. Released in March 45, this was a War Department publication TM-E-30-451. I've never seen anything like it. It covers virtually every aspect of Germany's forces, tactics and situation up until March 45. Ambrose theorized that an Army Colonel who worked directly for Gen George Marshall was the force behind its publication and therefore it was Marshall's "baby". It is engrossing and as a reference will be my go to book. 600+ pages
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Nimlas
Master sergeant
grumpy
Posts: 1,594
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Post by Nimlas on Jan 2, 2008 21:03:37 GMT -5
I read it a while back, I thought it was pretty damn good.
The authenticity of it is a hot topic, however, it seems legit to me. Sajer is not his real last name if I recall correctly. Still a killer book.
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Post by binarypunisher on Jan 2, 2008 21:32:57 GMT -5
Gosh - it sounds like the book I just finished entitled, "Through Hell for Hitler" by Henry Metelmann who was with the 22nd Panzer Division early and was caught in the 6th Army encirclement at Stalingrad and walked his way to safety. I will have to look that one up, it sounds familiar. Another great find for the holidays was something my wife found for me in her travels in Detroit. At a used bookstore there she found a commercial publication/reprint of US Army "Handbook on German Military Forces" with a foreword by Steven Ambrose who really recommended the book. Released in March 45, this was a War Department publication TM-E-30-451. I've never seen anything like it. It covers virtually every aspect of Germany's forces, tactics and situation up until March 45. Ambrose theorized that an Army Colonel who worked directly for Gen George Marshall was the force behind its publication and therefore it was Marshall's "baby". It is engrossing and as a reference will be my go to book. 600+ pages I actually have a digital copy of this...I will see if I can find the place I downloaded it from and post it up. I agree, its another great book. I read it a while back, I thought it was pretty damn good. The authenticity of it is a hot topic, however, it seems legit to me. Sajer is not his real last name if I recall correctly. Still a killer book. Yeah it is. I should have mentioned that. I personally think its real - the detail in some of the things he describes make that clear to me. From what I remember, most people who think its not real seem to argue that its not based upon: 1. Some dates are wrong 2. Some weapon calibers are wrong No ones memory is going to be perfect. Heres a good link: members.shaw.ca/grossdeutschland/sajer.htm
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