The Forgotten Soldier

In late 1942 Guy Sajer, a French boy, was drafted into the German army. His mother being German, the conquerors considered him German and therefore good canon fodder. Truthfully, he went willingly as the war seemed a great adventure to a teenage boy. He didn't realize until he found himself in a nightmare reality that he was going to something closely resembling hell.
Starting in a transport unit and later transferring to a famous attack division (Großdeutschland), he got to experience that terrible war up close and personal. He somehow survived while most of his mates died.
After the war he decided to tell his story. This memoir, one of the best books I have read about the Ostfront, is the result. It is a story of terror, of horror, of depravation, of hunger. It is also a story of resolute courage, of friendship, of joy in victory, of despair in defeat, and of absolute trust in one's comrades.
Be aware that the subject matter is quite disturbing in places and is told in great detail. (I had to take it a little bit at a time.)

I enjoyed this book even though I had read some criticism. Sure there may be some areas that the author has muddled, but has also been implied he may have a bit to hide. With all that in mind this is still a read about a brutal time for a young man. For those that are considering reading this be warned though, it is long and the “action” is non stop.

Harrowing story of a common soldier at the eastern front, fighting for survival in miserable conditions. Interesting insight into the deterioration and eventual collapse of the German war machine.

Probably the best ww2 Eastern Front memoirs I've ever read (I have read many real, non-fiction, from Germans, Romanians, Russians).
It succesfully and uniquely combines Remarque (All quiet on the western front) style sensibility and introspection with Sven Hassel style combat scenes (some better than Hassel but also way harder, since there s no “funny” relief here).
Also the hardest and most traumatic ww2 memoirs I've ever read - it requires the reader to take often breaks, so as not to literally burst into tears.
Also probably the best in describing ongoing Ptsd (i mean during the war, not after) and the impossibility to interact with civilians.
Memorable book, but terrible to read (in the traumatic sense, in the literary one it's really writer - not soldier - level, mostly reminding of Remarque).