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Summary: Full Metal Jacket of WWII
Review: If any young person you know has a glorified view of warfare, give them this book. I gurantee it will cure them of such idiocy. I don't believe anyone could read this book and ever glorify warfare again. It's that shocking. Absoluteley a must read and own for anyone interested in WWII or anyone wanting an understanding of war in modern times.
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Summary: The Forgotten Soldier
Review: A very young man goes off to war as a German soldier, and is sent to the Russian Front in three horrific battles. This book celebrates the bond of men under the most brutal conditions. The book is so well written, that you become one with the emotions. I miss each of Sajer's friends who die, as if I had known them myself. Three days later, I still am full of emotion about his friend who died holding on to his arm, and who's face was torn apart by an attacking fighter plane. I feel with the author as he is separated from his friends forever in the Allied P.O.W. camp. The young man does survive, but even his mother no longer recognizes him as she passes right in front of him on the street. A powerful story about friendship with a non-glorified backdrop of the brutality of war at the Front.
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Summary: The Forgotten Soldier
Review: Both my parents served in the US Army in Europe during WWII. When this book originally came out (the late 1970s as I recall)I remember they were both reading this book at the same time and would have good natured arguments over who would get the book for the evening. My father's library was filled with books of military history and he endorsed The "Forgotten Soldier" as the best participant account of WWII he had ever read. I have read this book at least 2 times and have just ordered it for my teen aged sons to read.Outstanding.
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Summary: The Forgotten Soldier
Review: Being in the military, I can somewhat relate to the hardships that are described in this book. Every time that my men and I are enduring extreme cold, I talk with my men about this book, and the hardships endured, and it always seems to help me make it through. This book is well written, and a must read for everyone.
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Summary: The Forgotten Soldier
Review: Simply the best war novel ever written...I could not put it down. Spell binding in its descriptions and feelings about the depths of despair that participants in every war must surely live through. However, life for all combatants on the Eastern Front during WW II as described in this book must have been one of the worst ever encountered by anyone, anywhere...
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Summary: Best book I have ever read!
Review: I guarantee that you cannot read this book without it having a tremendous impact on your view of the world. Although this true account is riveting, I highly recommend savoring it, and taking it slowly to fully absorb the emotional, psychological and physical traumas inflicted on the author, his unit and the soldiers and civilians on both sides of the German-Russo conflict. The author has the most amazing capacity for vividly recollecting each horror he faced and allowing the reader to vicariously experience these to their utmost. Whether it be the vast, cold, dark emptiness of the Russian steppe in winter and its impact on the ill prepared German Wermacht or the fear, sickness and revulsion one experiences during a full scale assault on well defended positions, Sajer tenaciously describes each horrendous detail to the utmost of his capacity. You can't help but feeling a tremendous respect for the tenacity of the German warriors and also a tremendous pity for their unending suffering in one of the most epic struggles in history, if you can view the average German infantrymen as extraordinary soldiers, not raving, genocidal Nazis. This book is a tremendous testament to survival against all odds and really drives home that skill and courage matter little in the survival of the individual soldier against the all consuming destruction of modern mechanized warfare. This book should definitely be turned into a movie, but only if the intensity level does not waver in the least from the written word.
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Summary: As good (Or bad)as it gets.
Review: I have read "The Forgotten Soldier" several times. Few men have endured such experiences and fewer still have even attempted to explain to the rest of us what combat does to a man's soul. As for those who doubt the authenticity of the book, what do they want? The book has the ring of truth. I had read it twice and then read a book titled "The Tigers Are Burning," written by a Soviet General Officer about the Battle of Kursk. I realized that the two books were about many of the same events and complimented each other. The detractors of the book apparently failed to read Mr Sajer's own disclaimer in that he did not attempt to write an accurate technical account. He left that "to the disbanded General Staffs." As for details that are inaccurate, how many of us can remember in detail what we did yesterday? The book is not a justification of war or an apology by Mr Sajer. He tells us his story and we would do well to consider it.
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Summary: Not a forgotten memory
Review: I read this book in high school, and to be honest, forgot the authors name. I had no idea of the controversy about the "facts" contained within, I only thought if the Vienam war continued (which it didn't of course) I would only have to bring this book down to the recruitiong office, and say "This is why I don't want to go". It is about how a young man felt about the atrocities around him, which is more factual than any historical viewpoint can ever be. Thanks to the net, I'll have a copy to read again soon. My library has never heard of it.
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Summary: I can't believe these other foolish reviews--excellent book
Review: Shame on the military snobs that whine about how this book is a "fictionalization of one man's accounts" and that the "facts" simply do not exist. One review said that it wasn't hard enough on totalitarian fascism that started the war in the first place. This really demonstrates Sajer's point. His history is a forgotten one, it seemed that every review left out his comments on how history was perceived after the war--it was written by the winners, they left out the atrocity on the allies' part i.e., the bombings of the cities (no they weren't just "military targets"--the raping, murdering and pillaging that took place by the Americans and Russians) --screw Ambrose's views, he is a jingo imperialist and says the war was fought by the "sons of democracy against the sons of totalitarianis" --lets leave out Russia's role in the war on the allies side... the list goes on. Moreover, the military fools that read this book, completely overlooked the depth of the book and fidgeted with the inaccuracies... did you ever consider he didn't want the exact info. known for how it might implicate him and his own involvement? I can't say enough about how profound this book is and I give it the highest recommendation and maybe people's conceptions of things will take the turn for a deeper truth, truly we will learn that "pain is international." Stunning,--read it
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Summary: Hard Hitting and Unputdownable
Review: I first came across this book by accident in an old cupboard at home.It was in fairly tatty condition and had obviously'done the rounds' but boy am I glad I started it. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.It is just so realistic , you really feel as though you are there fighting the bitter cold , fearing for your life in some vast eerie landscape.I've just been reading through some of the other reviews and it seems there are historical and geographical inaccuracies etc. What can I say ? Only that I just don't beleive how Sajer could have written an account so heartfelt and realistic as this without having actually been through all the experiences he so vividly describes. And even If you're still not convinced , read it anyway you won't regret it.
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