Reddit Reddit reviews The Forgotten Soldier

We found 20 Reddit comments about The Forgotten Soldier. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.

Biographies
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The Forgotten Soldier
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20 Reddit comments about The Forgotten Soldier:

u/MaxIsTheDog4u · 58 pointsr/history

That book
https://www.amazon.com/Forgotten-Soldier-Guy-Sajer/dp/1574882864


Man...what an amazing book...thanks for brining back the memories. I do not recall the parts about gernades. But his personal account of his experiences on the Eastern Front...wow...

u/wintermutex · 8 pointsr/UkrainianConflict

I've been reading this memoir by a German WW2 soldier (ethnically French):
http://www.amazon.com/The-Forgotten-Soldier-Guy-Sajer/dp/1574882864

He actually claims that his unit received a lot of hospitality in Ukraine(including friendly women). There was no such luck in Russia. It might be that some Ukrainians didn't suffer too much from the German conquest.

u/dentistshatehim · 4 pointsr/history

I totally messed up the name. The Forgotten Soldier.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Forgotten_Soldier

https://www.amazon.ca/Forgotten-Soldier-Guy-Sajer/dp/1574882864

Brutal book as far as describing the misery these soldiers endured. Well written.

u/LaoBa · 3 pointsr/AskHistorians

the Forgotten Soldier by Guy Sayer has excellent descriptions of the experiences of a German soldier in training and combat.

u/MrBuddles · 3 pointsr/AskHistorians

I read The Forgotten Soldier a while back, so my memory is a bit rusty but it is the autobiography of a soldier who served in the Grossdeutschland Panzergrenadier division, which was considered an elite Wehrmacht division.

Some notes about the book

  1. The listed author "Guy Sajer" is actually a pseudonym, he was actually part French/German and lived in Alsace when he was drafted.

  2. There have also been some critiques about it's authenticity, but I believe the most recent consensus is that the changes were either for privacy or unintentional errors, and that the majority of the events and perspective is accurate.

  3. I don't believe the author ever wrote of himself as being an ardent Nazi but, if I recall correctly, early in the war he seemed to have a bit of teenage enthusiasm about joining the army. The book does get pretty depressing, and it demonstrates a lot of the logistic issues that are often overlooked in war.
u/Layin-Scunion · 3 pointsr/wwiipics

I've read "With the Old Breed" and I agree it is a fantastic book. I'm mostly read on pilot memoirs though but I've read a few infantry accounts. No problem about telling you some good reads:

  • Red Star Against the Swastika was probably the most interesting memoir I've ever read. Having the perspective of an IL-2 pilot that survived the war is a unique one and the only book I know of that's out there. His experiences were heart wrenching. It has criticism of being not well written. That is not the case. It was translated from Russian so that is why it reads as it does.

  • Gabby Gabreski's book was a very well written book. Very detailed accounts of his sorties and points that you don't see very often in a pilot memoir. This is mostly because he kept a detailed diary throughout his life. Going from A P-47 pilot over Europe to flying an F-86 over Korea (and scoring an Ace against 5 MiGs) was as well, a unique pilot perspective. Great man and great leader.

  • Forgotten Soldier was a very sobering book. Not much to say really. You just have to read it to really understand. It does have some criticisms of glossing over war crimes committed by his unit and fabricating stories but it was still a great read regardless.

  • Samurai! by Saburo Sakai was an awesome account and one of my favorites. Very interesting that he taught himself and other pilots to make unconventional side-slipping attacks on TBFs and SBDs. His aircraft would slide sideways during his attacks to throw off the rear gunners. He swore by it because out of all the attacks he made, he was rarely hit.

  • Baa Baa Black Sheep follows Pappy Boyington and his unit through the Pacific. The guy was hilariously courageous or stupid depending on your opinion. He would lead combat sorties half drunk from the night before. Telling officers over him he didn't like that they were assholes. He had no issues being insubordinate but he was so good at what he did, the officers over him couldn't do much about it. His unit was producing destroyed Japanese aircraft at a rate that surrounding units weren't even coming close to.

    Just a few of my favorites. I'm personally akin to reading about "guys who were there". But that's just my preference.
u/AmbitionOfPhilipJFry · 3 pointsr/todayilearned

I understand about the tanks. Our tanks, mainly the Sherman, was a death-trap. Their shells couldn't pierce German armour and the only time their armour held up against German tank shells was when they hit on an angle. This book talks about how after a tank advance, about half the tanks would be completely disabled and another quarter damaged. They'd literally power-wash the dead crew out, patch-weld plate over the holes, and force a new crew into tank. The author was a mechanic in the 3rd Armoured Division.

Ball-turrets, worse? Man.

Although, I think the worst first-hand account of World War 2 I've read was from a French-Nazi who was on the Eastern front during Operation Barbarossa. For example: they'd have to build fires under car engines to get it started because motor oil would freeze up, completely locked. Endless zergling-like hordes of Russians who would overrun Nazi positions after their company machineguns overheated and rifles ran out of ammunition. How he survived, he has no idea and, from the stories in the book, neither do I.

u/ObdurateSloth · 3 pointsr/europe

Reminded me of this book, the "Forgotten Soldier" by Guy Sajer. Absolutely terrific book which seems to be similar to the one you posted, except this one is about a German soldier on Eastern Front. I have read lot of books (especially soldier memoirs) and this is definitely in the top 3.

​

Edit: By the way I just remembered that a Finnish movie is based on the book you posted. I just watched it few months ago, great movie.

u/uid_0 · 2 pointsr/ww2

"Forgotten Soldier" by Guy Sajer is a pretty good read. It's not specifically about the eastern front, but it gives you a very good perspective about what life was like for a Wehrmacht solder.

u/Blackadder53 · 2 pointsr/books

I read The Forgotten Solider. It's about a French kid in the German army on the Eastern Front. Interesting read but there is some doubt as to its' authenticity.

u/the_nun · 2 pointsr/AskHistorians

Not my area, but I read Forgotten Soldier in high school and it blew my mind. It's a personal account of war on the Eastern Front from a Wehrmacht perspective... extremely accessible and a good read.

u/Alwaysawake28 · 1 pointr/history

Hi u/Bm188 Two recommendations for you:

1: the forgotten soldier by Guy Sajer

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1574882864/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1522746358&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=the+forgotten+soldier&dpPl=1&dpID=51OLqLHL9hL&ref=plSrch


A memoir from a german soldier and his war in Russia. A fascinating read that will cause a real itch regarding WW2 in the east, and a classic of WW2 literature.

2: Kokoda by Peter Fitzsimmons

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0733619622/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1522746522&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=kokoda&dpPl=1&dpID=61fQaatVf8L&ref=plSrch

A great overview of what was probably the toughest fighting in WW2, Australian (and some American) fighting against the Japanese in Papua New Guinea.

I’ve read both, and strongly recommend both. Neither are dry or heavy reading.

u/murk1n · 1 pointr/geopolitics

Probably not related towards Geopolitics but I'm loving this book "The Forgotten Soldier". I purchased it from the Andorid Playstore. So amazing. Shows you a perspective from the other side.

Here is a short summary that I copied from Amazon. Which the link is below.

"This book recounts the horror of World War II on the eastern front, as seen through the eyes of a teenaged German soldier. At first an exciting adventure, young Guy Sajer’s war becomes, as the German invasion falters in the icy vastness of the Ukraine, a simple, desperate struggle for survival against cold, hunger, and above all the terrifying Soviet artillery."

http://www.amazon.com/The-Forgotten-Soldier-Guy-Sajer/dp/1574882864

Edit: Seeing so many good recommendations. Looks like I'm going to be reading a lot. Thank you guys for the good recommendations.

u/MRiley84 · 1 pointr/pics

The Forgotten Soldier by Guy Sajer is an autobiography of a French-German soldier fighting on the eastern front. He thought they were the good guys, but it doesn't really mention the concentration camps since he wasn't anywhere near them.

u/Nooshu · 1 pointr/videos

For those of you looking for a view of the Eastern Front from the German perspective I highly recommend The Forgotten Soldier by Guy Sajer. It's quite a harrowing read at times, doesn't hold back on the blood and gore involved in war.

There are questions on how authentic some parts of the book are, even so it still well worth a read.

u/bbatwork · 1 pointr/history

My personal recommendations:
My 30 year war by Onada Hiro:
This book was written by a Japanese lieutenant who refused to believe the war was over, and continued living in the jungles of the Philippines until the 70s.

https://www.amazon.com/No-Surrender-My-Thirty-Year-War/dp/1557506639/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1493673294&sr=8-1&keywords=Hiroo+Onoda

Battleground Pacific by Sterling Mace. A first person account from a USMC rifleman who fought in the Pacific war. He is also a redditor.

https://www.amazon.com/Battleground-Pacific-Marine-Riflemans-Odyssey/dp/1250005051?SubscriptionId=AKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q&tag=duckduckgo-d-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=1250005051

And the Forgotten Soldier by Guy Sajer, a French man who fought for the Germans on the Eastern Front.

https://www.amazon.com/Forgotten-Soldier-Guy-Sajer/dp/1574882864/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1493673668&sr=8-1&keywords=the+forgotten+soldier+by+guy+sajer

Happy reading!

u/wabbit_killa · 1 pointr/suggestmeabook

The Forgotten Soldier by Guy Sajer is an incredible read. There is controversy about the validity of some of his claims. However, it is one of the most intense books on WW2 I have ever read.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Forgotten-Soldier-Guy-Sajer/dp/1574882864/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411555970&sr=8-1&keywords=forgotten+soldier

u/Kirbyoto · 0 pointsr/GamerGhazi

You know, the funniest thing about this is that the initial impetus of this conversation was me saying that entertainment doesn't teach you anything. You then proceeded to get incredibly angry about this. And you're somehow deciding that the best way to respond to this is 4chan memes, reddit tags and capital letters, while completely failing to provide evidence that entertainment has taught you something. Like, is this really how you were intending to convince me that you're not a stupid idiot? Like when you were laughing at a well-respected author and veteran, you were like "yes, this will show that I am a good person and not an entitled baby".

So really, kind of curious at this point: why did you bother? All you did was make yourself look like a loud, angry 14 year old who can't deal with criticism. If you want you can post this conversation in /r/iamverysmart but I gotta warn you, dude, it's not exactly flattering for you.