I want to read a good memoir - help me!

[namrufmot]

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?

[Robert Shoaf]

Can't go wrong with "The Forgotten Soldier" by Guy Sajer. I also liked "In Deadly Combat", by Gottlob Bidermann.

Bob Shoaf

[bobcam1]

I agree 100% with Robert....These are the two most riveting that I have read.

I also enjoyed "A Stranger To Myself", by Willy Peter Reese, a footsoldier who fought on the Russian Front. Reeses' dream was to be a writer, and his memoir, although a bit flowery in it's prose, is VERY real, and frighteningly, unemotionally detailed.

I really enjoyed it.

Bob.

[Vivelefrance]

As one mentioned "The Forgotten Soldier" by Guy Sajer and also "Walking Away from the Third Reich" by Claus Sellier. One more foreign volunteer "Twilight of the Gods" by Thorolf Hillblad

[Jody]

A Good Book

Hello,

Some of my favorites are:

Soldat: Reflections of a German Soldier by Siegfried Knappe

Panzer Commander: The memoirs of Colonel Hans von Luck

With Rommel in the Desert by H.W. Schmidt

I flew for the Fuehrer by Heinz Knoke (Luftwaffe)

Iron Coffins by Herbert Werner (Kriegsmarine)

Regards,
Jody

[Woolgar]

Some really good titles have been mentioned, I would like to add:

Blood Red Snow - G Koschorrek

Black Edelweiss - J Voss


Nick

[hucks216]

Through Hell For Hitler by Henry Metelmann

[Bond]

Hello,

Some of my favorites are:

Soldat: Reflections of a German Soldier by Siegfried Knappe

Panzer Commander: The memoirs of Colonel Hans von Luck

With Rommel in the Desert by H.W. Schmidt

I flew for the Fuehrer by Heinz Knoke (Luftwaffe)

Iron Coffins by Herbert Werner (Kriegsmarine)

Regards,
Jody

Through Hell For Hitler by Henry Metelmann

Jody,

Your first four are four of my favourites and the ones I would have recommended, as well as 'Through hell for Hitler' as posted by hucks216 and also Heaven & Hell - the war diary of a German paratrooper by Martin Poppel.

And for WWI I would highly recommend 'Storm of Steel' by Ernst Junger, he was wounded TWENTY times!

Jerry

[leib1]

Twilight of the Gods Thorolf Hillblad
Many rivers i crossed Werner Volkner
Once i had a comrade R.W.Byrd
Neither fear nor Hope general Frido von Senger und Etterlin
The Last Knight of Flanders Allen Brandt
Panzer Gunner Bruno Friesen

[Matt Swenson]

I would also recommend "In Deadly Combat", by Gottlob Bidermann. It is an easy read, but seems to capture the essence of a front line soldier's experience. I still want to read "Twilight of the Gods," though

[pinkmist]

Good WW2 German book

I would recommend "The outermost frontier" Helmut Pabst .Out of print c1957 but a gripping read of a WW2 German soldier in Russia.

[JaimeH]

Black Edelweiss: A Memoir of Combat and Conscience by a Soldier of the Waffen-SS by Johann Voss. Great memoir of the Finnish campaign and combat on the Western front.
Also, gives reasons for joining Waffen SS (even though he claims not to have been a nazi). Mr Voss used to attend the Max show a few years ago.

[freddy]

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. To name a few: With Rommel in the Desert,
Invasion,Their Comming, and Hitler Moves East.
These can also be had from Amazon.com in hardback for a few bucks each,
since a majority are ex library.

[BenVK]

Iron Coffins by Herbert Werner is a must read book!

Death was our companion by Tissier is also very good.

[Lon]

I'm surprised that no one suggested "With the old breed", at Peleliu and Okinawa by Eugene (sledge hammer) Sledge. Read it, you will have a new favorite!