The Forgotten Soldier

A harrowing, unforgettable trip into hell and back. A must-read for anyone mildly interested in the Eastern Front or seeing the war through German eyes. While not a completely historically accurate account, it was never intended to be a scholarly, historical reference. It is certainly authentic, however, and deeply personal and insightful. I cannot recommend this book enough. You will not get to the final pages unscathed and sharing in some tiny way Guy's grief, misery, disillusion, and trauma.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book! Even though it's long at 465 pages, once I started reading it seemed to "flow" very well. I didn't realize that this is a fairly famous account of the Eastern Front in WW2 until I started another work on the "Ostfront" and The Forgotten Soldier was mentioned in the indroduction as being an accurate account in the history of that conflict. Would recommend to anyone who has an interest in WW2.

Forgotten soldier is a fine read. There is a fair amount of controversy about its authenticity. Don't let that discourage you. It's a great piece of literature and a treasure trove of insight into an infantryman's experience on the Eastern Front of WW II. One of the best books I've ever read. Warning: once you start, you can't put it down!

Blown away by the intensity of the warfare while playing the "Call of Duty" games, I recently became interested in WW2 and wanted to learn more, so I picked up this book.
This book was a HUGE eye opener and hard to put down to the point where I spent some late nights reading and paying for it the next day when I had to drag myself to work. Sajer and his crew would have had a good laugh at me trying to stay awake at the keyboard in my warm and dry office.
Some people say it's fiction, but in my opinion, there is no way he could make up the intense cold, smells, sounds and thoughts of a German soldier.

I thought this book to be very interesting. I even found parallels to my service in Vietnam, lost and clueless as to the big purpose of upper command. At least the climate was warmer. I took most that Guy never lost his humanity, no matter how hard the circumstances were. I was actually rooting for a reunion with Paula!

An amazing story of survival in the midst of furious fighting. Toward the end, I couldn't put the book down. I just wish it came with maps--I tried to follow along with Google maps, but the name changes made that hard. The text was masterfully written.

This story really stood out and provided me with frank does ri

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A very moving story told from the perspective of a German infantryman on the Eastern Front. Definitely not your typical WWII autobiography. Absolutely worth reading!

Sajer really makes an effort to help you understand his thoughts and feelings while these momentous and pointless battles take place around him. He sometimes seems confusing, but perhaps that's just a reflection of their lives. Overall, a must read for any student of history to get a glimpse inside one of Germany's elite divisions.

Since Unbroken, this is the best book that I have read. It is almost incredible how a human can survive to such hard circumstances, how the body and the mind resist the suffer, perhaps friendship is part of this miracle. This books made us appreciate what we have, and learn that in the war the human being always lose.

There seems to be some controversy regarding the authenticity of this personal account of a French/German soldier in the Wehrmacht and his experiences on the Eastern Front from 1942-1945. If it is not a personal account, then I would venture that it is at least a compilation of several veterans of the Eastern campaign. This is a very readable book that should be made into a screenplay or mini-series. It's the "All Quiet on the Western Front" for the post WW II generation.

Very interesting to hear the story “from the other side”. Ultimately the Germans also became victims of the Nazis. War is horrible, and the Eastern Front probably reached an extremity of how bad it can be. The participants suffered terribly, on all sides. This extremely evocative book really brings that out.

This was recommended to me by a friend several years ago, and he leant it to me: I liked the book so much I wanted to own my own copy. It tells the story of the second world war as seen from two sides I hadn't really thought of too deeply before - the Eastern front and the German side. Not an apology or moral review, just the tale of a young man, sucked into the war who lived through terrible times and experiences - knew friends, enemies, laughs and death. It moves along quickly, and the author's memory for places and people is extraordinary, especially given all the trauma surrounding the events. All should read it, and I thoroughly recommend it.

I had read several other World War two books prior to reading The Forgotten Soldier, including The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, Stalingrad, and The Fall of Berlin. This book was the first to be written in the first person perspective.
I found his experience to be absolutely amazing. From boot camp where he learns how tought the war is going to be till the final days, his story is magnificent. What a perfect depiction of how WWII actually was during the Russian front. He found himself involved in many of the major battles including Kharkov, and Kiev. There were many memorable moments where he really shocks the reader with what he had to go through, and how war really affects the human mind.
It really hit home to me during the book when he turned 17. At the time I read the book, I was 17 as well, and it hit me. I realized that this was very very real, and that me and my friends could have been in his situation.
Overall i would highly recommend this book who wants to understand what WWII was really like, and what can happen to the human mind in times like WWII.

AN AMAZING READ. The combat writing is fantastic. Gets a bit depressing... but can you blame him?

Im tired of all these people saying he didn't write the book. If you research enough you'll figure out he actually did. the guy was superrrr young. and french. didn't speak german for shit and so he probably forgot some things. Everyone is always like, his captian wisredau didn't exist... .and blah blah. easy solution to that. maybe the guy CHANGED THE NAME OF THE REAL PEOPLE for the book! happens all the time. also all these people always say "no way he'd forget what arm his gross deutschland patch was on!" not true. ive asked several vets what arm they wore their unit info, etc. and have been told they didn't remember. others did. its depends on the person. someone who's all pumped about being a vet from a certain military regiment or whatever and keeps in contact with all his old buddies, would probably remember sure.... but a vet who hated his experience and just wanted to forget afterward... maybe wont remember. someone once said that the german army didn't allow corporal punishment...well neither did the US army or marines...yet it happened during the draft years all the time. research the mans actual words and you'll feel what i did. that he wrote it. sure maybe he changed a couple things for continuity... big deal. maybe he didn't either. THIS IS A GREAT BOOK!!!! amazing.

Very sobering and vivid account. Wish I could find out more about his experience after the war. Want to know what happened to the families he stayed with on leave and his first love....intense read.

The quote attributed to General Sherman that War is Hell did not anticipate the Eastern Front in WWII. The hell that Guy Sajer went through is nothing like anything I could have imagined. I am a former officer, a US Army Armor Major and I never fought a day. Sometimes I felt somehow cheated.. until I read this book and learned the truth of the matter. There is no glory or honor in modern war, if there ever was, just survival. The other reviewers have is right. If you think you understand war and have not read this man's story, then you are mistaken. Read it.

One of the finest war novels ever written. The author gives a passionate, first hand account of the suffering and degredation in the war between Germany and the Soviet Union. What struck me the most is Sajer's subtle reflections on nature as contasted with the violence and brutality of the war. I don't know if Sajer actually served in his unit, but he must have gone through the war in some capacity. The details of life at the front are just to well done in my opinion. You won't be disappointed with this novel.

Unbelievably human and engrossing unlike most books from the German side usually written by officers. On the order of the classic All Quiet on the Western Front, from WW 1. The author became more eloquent and pensive as the book and the war moved on.

This book gives an incredible insight into what it was like to be a German Soldier on the Russian Front. It takes away the stigma that we normally associate with the WWII Germans, because of what their leadership did. I would highly recommend it.

and I still remember it. Along with just a handfull of books I've read over the years, this one stays in my mind. While time has diminished some of the details, Mr Sajer's experiences as a foot soldier in the German army during WW2 have stayed with me in a very vivid way. If you are looking to read a book that can give you honest insight into what it must really be like to be a soldier during wartime and in battle, this is really the only book you need to read. I've just ordered a copy of the reprinted edition as I long ago gave away my original copy. Don't hesitate, buy a copy for yourself.

Sajer's book is not only an incredible description of what it was like to be a German soldier in Russia, but his descriptive style of writing is beautifully captivating. The book is both gruesome in it's details of death and war and the same time his use of prose keeps you engaged in wanting to read more. Anyone that has a military history library on World War II, especially covering the OST FRONT (OPERATION BARBEROSA) should have this outstanding book.
I originally had a hard copy of this book which had maps in the inside cover that showed his entire route as he pretty much walked all over Russia. Wish the soft cover edition had this map.

Very human indeed, represents the great majority of average soldiers, not a hero, not a coward, just a human in terrible situations out of his control. Very different. One of the few books I kept reading until 100%. An the book is truly 100% written, not like most books only have a body only about 70-80%

The common person will never understand what fighting men and women witness during time of conflict. The author of this piece lets one experience that drama. No matter what side of the conflict you are on, war is devastating and hell. May future generations ever have to witness it again.

Wow. This book doesn't just list out battles and numbers. Rather the focus is on the hardships and experiences of the individual soldier on the Eastern Front.

I agree with other reviewers that this should be a required read in high school. Much more of a compelling way to learn the horrors of war.

Historically Sajer might have some issues with times and places, but that he admits he might be wrong, and who can blame him in the "fog of war". Some debate if it is a biography of the war or fiction, I believe it to be real and his experience. No single book can encapsulate the horrific struggle that occured on the Eastern front, but Sajer adds a very vivid piece to this terrifying montage