I want to read a good memoir - help me!

[Robert Shoaf]

I really enjoyed "My Logbook", by Gunther Rall, which actually covers his whole life. Someone that I wish I would have had the honor to meet.


Bob Shoaf

[Eric JB]

Hi Jody,

Concerning your :

- Iron Coffins by Herbert Werner (Kriegsmarine)

The book is a great reading, the only problem is that it isn't that historical correct at all.

There is a small base in it that is historical correct, but too much of it is fiction, actions and sinkings that didn't took place at all.

The involved UBoat's KTBs are telling a different story.

Yes I did read it with a great interest myself, because I do have a very large document group in my collection of a man who served exactly the same period (same war patrols) on U 557 as Werner.

Checking information from the book and the grouping that I have I did find a lot of "mistakes" ........ and later with copies of U 557's KTB (and the KTBs for the other UBoats) I did find much more "mistakes".

Horst Bredow told me during one of my visits to his archive, to read it as a novel and not as a historic source

In his own words : "there is so much wrong in that book that I don't know where to start and where to end to correct it"

A much better read is : Hirschfeld The Story of a U-boat NCO 1940 - 1946.

http://www.uboat.net/books/reviews.html/title/536


yours friendly

Eric-Jan

[Zeller]

Has anyone read Adventures in my Youth: A German Soldier on the Eastern Front 1941-45 by Armin Scheiderbauer ?

[Aiceman]

Looking to read a good memoir by a German soldat...preferably one that discusses how he got involved in the war, etc...

I also prefer ones that are easy reads (i.e. translated well into English)


Any ideas?

"Into the Den of the Bear" Mr.Pfaffle's memoir of the eastern front.He was the leader of the first company of the 27th Panzer reconnaissance Battailon(17th Pz.Div.)
Very good book,edited by Stephen Previtera.

[taff]

You could try Goodbye Transylvania by S.H.Landau. Now out of print but you can find the occasional copy with an internet search. It's an autobiography - how he survived is a miracle !

Taff

[Jeffh]

These may be all out of print, but some of my favorites.

Commando Extraordinary : Otto Skorzeny , by John Foley

Panzer Commander : The Memoirs of Colonel Hans von Luck, by Hans von Luck

Stuka Pilot : by Hans Ulrich Rudel

[12thPanzer]

I just picked up a memoir myself.

SNIPER ON THE EASTERN FRONT - memoirs of Sepp Allerberger KC
by: Albrecht Wacker

But a couple of great memoirs are THE LONGEST WINTER -Alex kershaw
and BEDFORD BOYS - I think it is Alex Kershaw as well, but could be wrong
they bottom 2 are of American soldiers and there units and GREAT books that keep you interested throughout. But Im really looking forward to SNIPER on the E FRONT. Looks really good from what Ive scanned through

[Larry Davis]

A new book just out : Fuhrer,Folk and Fatherland, a soldiers story. By Douglas Wolfgang Oskar Gagel. ISBN 978-1-897508-15-2

About his father, Albin Gagel, and his time in the Wehrmacht 1939 through the Russian front and how he managed to survive the end of the war.

A tremendous read, I really did not want the book to end.

I highly recomend it.

[J C Gray]

I would suggest 'Heaven & Hell - the War Diary of a German Paratrooper' by Martin Pöppel.
This guy was really busy all the way through the war and you really get the feeling of his utter contempt in which the rest of the wehrmacht was held by the FJ.

[12thPanzer]

man, I gotta stop looking at these book threads. I just picked up Fuhrer folk/fatherland- soldiers story. Im not done with Sepp Allebergers book yet, and still have Gods of War to finish before FF+F. Now just need the time to read them all.
Finished SS Liebstandarte book but wasnt all that satisfied. Although it was factual and will tell you a few things you didnt already know, it just isnt one that keeps your attention like a good memoir

[Klaus Richter]

Which SS Leibstandarte book are you referring to???

[N.C. Wyeth]

Find yourself a good used bookstore and grab some of the old 50s,60,70s
Ballantine and Dell paperbacks that were written by the soldiers when they
were still in their forties and fifties.

Yes, as far as memoirs are concerned, these books (from the 50's/60's/70's) are some of the best reads . . .

[desiro]

Ive just read Martin poppels book.Its a great read one of the best!

[Toronto_Matt]

Storm of Steel by Ernst Jünger is a great read! It is WW1 but very interesting.

[BEB9]

I really enjoyed Campaign in Russia - The Waffen SS on the Eastern Front by Leon Degrelle.

Here are some reviews:

http://www.amazon.com/Campaign-Russi...DateDescending

Cheers

Nicole