Rating: 
Summary: A Layperson's Guide to Reading "In Deadly Combat"
Review: First of all, the scope of this man's experience is vast: after a third of the book he's already been through more than the guys in "Band of Brothers". By the last third of the book, you're just trying to push through it and all the endless brutality blurs together, which tends to trivialize his experience. Skim through it first to get the "so what happens next?" stuff out of your mind, then go back and read the individual experiences with the attention they deserve. Remember that this book is chiefly a memorial to ALL those in his division, so about 70 percent of it recounts movements and actions of other parts of the group. This stuff may be important to historians, but for the rest of us it's like those endless sections of the Bible where they slog through who begat who. For the lay reader, the heart of this book is the shocking and numbing personal experiences in combat. To understand these accounts, make sure you know which way they are going (North or South? Attack or Defend?), the time of day (can people see?), the terrain (where can people hide?), the climate/weather, and which way his friends are. It's also important to look up German words in either the glossary or the table of military rank. The rest you can figure out later, including guessing where all these obscure towns are on the map. With these caveats in mind, I think that most laymen will find this book as gripping and as shocking as I did.
Rating:
Summary: A Layperson's Guide to Reading "In Deadly Combat"
Review: First of all, the scope of this man's experience is vast: after a third of the book he's already been through more than the guys in "Band of Brothers". By the last third of the book, you're just trying to push through it and all the endless brutality blurs together, which tends to trivialize his experience. Skim through it first to get the "so what happens next?" stuff out of your mind, then go back and read the individual experiences with the attention they deserve. Remember that this book is chiefly a memorial to ALL those in his division, so about 70 percent of it recounts movements and actions of other parts of the group. This stuff may be important to historians, but for the rest of us it's like those endless sections of the Bible where they slog through who begat who. For the lay reader, the heart of this book is the shocking and numbing personal experiences in combat. To understand these accounts, make sure you know which way they are going (North or South? Attack or Defend?), the time of day (can people see?), the terrain (where can people hide?), the climate/weather, and which way his friends are. It's also important to look up German words in either the glossary or the table of military rank. The rest you can figure out later, including guessing where all these obscure towns are on the map. With these caveats in mind, I think that most laymen will find this book as gripping and as shocking as I did.
Rating:
Summary: Engrossing Account of Combat on the Eastern Front
Review: Firstly, before launching yourself into this excellent book please take the time to read the introduction by Dennis Showalter as it will help explain the style of writing to be found in this book. The book was originally written for the survivors of Bidermann's regiment and division, not for the general public. Bearing this in mind you will have a better understanding and feeling for the author's account of his experience of fighting on the Eastern Front during WW2. At times you might find the narrative old fashioned and even cliched but this is definitely not the case, it has to be taken in context of when and why this book was first written. This is a great story, on par if not better than Guy Sajer's 'Forgotten Soldier'. This is a combination of a combat history of the 132nd Infantry Division and the author's role and experiences in the fighting on the Eastern Front. The author, Gottlob Herbert Bidermann, won two Iron Crosses, the Crimea Shield, the Close Combat Badge, the German Cross in Gold, the Gold Wound Badge (wounded five times), the Honour Roll Clasp and the Tank Destruction Badge. What is remarkable is that the author survived five years of combat on the Russian Front fighting in Crimea, Leningrad and later in the Courland Pocket. I found his stories about his early years fighting with an anti-tank section using the Pak 37 "doorknocker" very interesting, I had always believed these weapons to be next to useless on the Russian Front however I was surprised. You can trace the change in the author from a novice who still cared about human beings, even his enemy to one whom has been brutalised by warfare to a point past indifference to death and destruction. I have taken the liberty to include below a short section of the text from the first chapter to give you an idea of the author's style of writing: "The NCO was grasping one of the wheels of the Maxim carriage, his sightless eyes peering forward at the ammunition belt where it fed into the chamber of the weapon. Another held his rifle clenched in cold fists, his head resting against the ground as if asleep, the olive-colored helmet secured tightly under his chin. Hartmann slipped past me and slowly approached two other figures lying closely together, side by side. One of the figures had draped an arm across the other in a last embrace, as if attempting to comfort a dying comrade. As Hartmann neared, a cloud of flies rose in protest, breaking the deadly silence and I moved forward to join him in surveying the ghastly scene. Moving silently among the carnage, Hartmann suddenly turned and slipped past me without speaking, heading in the direction from which we had come. Carefully avoiding the eyes of the dead, I quickly followed him. In this abode of death, only the trees, still and quiet, appeared to be survivors and witnesses to the struggle that had occurred, hidden within this wooded glade". I found this book to be a very fascinating account of the fighting conducted on the Eastern Front from the perspective of a young German soldier. It offers some very interesting insights into combat and its affect on men who in the end just tried to survive against immense odds. There is a number of absorbing black and white photographs supplied from private sources that give the book a human touch. The only real problem that readers may find with this book is the lack of maps detailing the movements and combats of the 132nd Infantry Division. Overall this is the sort of book that should be in the library of every serious reader or student of the war on the Russian Front during World War Two.
Rating: 
Summary: Unbearable
Review: Get Guy Sajer's book instead. This is one dry, repetetive and no so well written. I had to kick myself in the face to stay awake while reading this.
Rating:
Summary: Finally, an engrossing personal ost front account
Review: Gottlob Bidermann's book of his personal experience on the eastern front was,to me, something that I have longed for for some time. The only other personal account commonly known proir to this time was Guy Sajer's which, though a good read, I felt may not all be true. The time period covered is mid 1941 until the end of the war. Largely a personal narrative, the description of battle in the crimea, kerch, and breaking the seige of Sevastopol were of great interest to me. The description of desparate fighting with the russians and eventually to simply to survive were touching. Little mention is made of the politics of war, which is fitting, for I feel the common landser had little time or energy to expend on this. One can grasp from this narrative the camradery among the landsers and an incredible amount of military discipline that allowed at least a few to survive an abysmal situation. The portion of his story dealing with the surrender in the Courland pocket and subsequent imprisonment in Russia were heart breaking -- to suffer so much in nearly 4 years of war and then to endure this seemed too much for any man to endure. I can give no higher reccommendation for this book for military historians and for general readers the triumph over overwhelming adversity of the human spirit.
Rating:
Summary: an excellent memoir for historical reference
Review: Having interviewed many German survivors of WW2, I am always amazed and riveted when one begins to tell the story of the common soldier, unabashedly and without political account and yet reserving moral judgement for the listener. If you have spoken to these men you will find they are split 90-10 between telling of their fond cabbage growing experiences as a POW in Arizona..or the minority...stories of hardship and fierce combat. Mr. Bidermann's account, originally reserved for surviving members of his division (and there were not many), is a treasure for the historian searching for substance at the lower NCO level in a glamor free unit. His details of close combat are crisp, succint and alive. The reader will hear the artillery and find himself keeping his own head down while reading sbout the attack on the outlying defenses of Sebastapol. His tales of life in captivity are as harrowing as anything written of the Russian Gulags..Having walked countless German cemeteries, the term "Verloren in Russland" came to a better understanding after having read this book. If it is not available here one might check the Military Book Club. I congratulate Herr Bidermann not only on his fine writing but also on his survival. To live with the ghosts of eternally young friends, sacrificed for such an unworthy cause, for so long would be almost unbearable.
Rating:
Summary: The other view
Review: I have read both "Soldat" and the "Forgotten Soldier", I must rate this book over the other two. This book is a great first person account on the hell of the Russian Front. Bidermann's account of his AT gun crew knocking out Soviet tanks in the the Crimea, reads like a novel. Bidermann also fills parts of the Divisions (132nd ID) history that he himself was not present for with great detail. This book described the mindset of the typical Landser so well I felt like I was their too. A must read for anyone who wishes to see the war from German eyes.
Rating:
Summary: Buy it , if you want the truth
Review: I have read this book and it is great. I have been dissapointed with many so-called first hand accounts that spend alot of time making apologies or it turns out the guy was a supply seargent in the rear. Gotlob Berger was a no doubt for real combat soldier who is not afraid to admit he was a patriotic German during the war. He comes off as a battle hardned combat vet who should be dead but somehow survived. If you know anything about third reich combat decorations you know what it takes to earn the awards he recieved and are portrayed in his cover tunic photo.
Rating:
Summary: Great Insight
Review: I'm pretty familiar with the German perspective in WWII. Most books like this are very good, but this one is, perhaps, a step above. Detailed, apolitical (as the German Army should be), and a smooth read. The unuaual (and not often written about in detail) areas where the 132nd Infantry fought (Crimea/Leningrad/Kurland) are a nice treat, too.
Rating:
Summary: Please read this!
Review: If the German Soldier of WWII interests you, you should get this book. It is up there along with "The Forgotten Soldier" as the best books I have ever read. Bidermann takes you on a journey that is like none other. If you want to know what it means to be a man, then read this book. Plenty of insights, plenty of action. You eyes will be opened to a different world.(so long as they are not flooding tears) I ,myself, was moved to tears many times.
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