Review: Twilight of the Gods

[sniper1shot]

Title: Twilight of the Gods
Authour: Thorolf Hillblad
Publisher: Helion
ISBN: 978-1-874622-16-1
Stars: 4 (out of 5)

Managed to get this book off another member in another forum as I had been looking for it for sometime. This book is on a Swedish volunteer, Erik Wallin, in the 11th SS Panzergrenadier Div Nordland in 1944-45. It is a memoir of one of the soldiers though the book does mention quite a few Swedes. The book talks on the defensive battles through Eastern Germany right up to the defensive battle of Berlin. One gets a very graphic description of artillery barrages and setting up quick defensive positions and then pulling out at the last moment to avoid capture or encirclement. Mr Wallin talks of sheer exhaustion from fighting, pulling back, surviving the barrage, fighting, pulling back etc etc and the reader feels that he is there with him.
The only part that I found a bit tiring was the continual mentioning of the Soviets huge quantities of equipment and men...it is mentioned almost as much as the descriptions of the fighting.
The book ends with the authour 'escaping' from a POW cage (with help) and making his way back to the British zone of occupation. A good book that is worth the read. :up:

[Woolgar]

Sounds like a must read

Nick

[Serge M.]

Have read it.
Good book.
I recall when the author was outside of Berlin and withdrawing due to damaged half-track and was stopped by a KC Holder Lt. in Wehrmacht and was ordered to dismount and join in the defensive preparations. The crew looked at each other and thought it was crazy since they were out in the open with no cover and the Soviets were bearing down. The Lt. went back to the supervising the 'defense' and the author and crew with their hardly running half-track just turned and were continuing on their way in defiance of 'Orders' when a full salvo of 32 Katusha's landed on the defensive positions where they were just at and saw bodies and men thrown sky high and then all was quiet -nothing moved. They continued to creep away to rejoin their unit and further combat for survival.

-wagner-

[sniper1shot]

Yes, that was it....
Some very good descriptions of the fighting in the Berlin suburbs too. Units of various formations and strengths all over the place.

[Bivack]

I have read the Swedish version of the book called Ragnarök and I too, must recommend the book very much.

Lately, there has been some controversy on the rights to the book. As I get it, it was originally the spoken story of Erik Wallin, which was written down by Hillblad. Originally it was released under the name Wiking Jerk, possibly suggesting Eriks nick name "Jerka".

I should also recommend the book SS-Panzer-Aufklärungsabteilung 11
The Swedish SS-Platoon in the Battles for the Baltic, Pomerania and Berlin, 1943 - 1945 ISBN: 9789197589550.

The book gives more in detail information on the Swedish volunteers of the Waffen-SS and also some historical input on some of the details described in the Twilight.... I used both of the books about a year ago when I visited Berlin to see some of the places where the "Swedish company" AA11 held their last line of defense and the passage where they tried to break out.