PENGUIN Storm of Steel: ( Classics Deluxe Edition)

Obra maestra y de paso aprender palabras nuevas en ingles

The translation of Junger’s experiences is exceptional. Accurately describes his experiences along the front lines — perfect gift for a history buff or those wanting to learn more about the past!

Very good!

Ottimo libro ma i miei dubbi sono sull’edizione in quanto il concavo è tutto sfalsato (il concavo è il lato delle pagine quando il libro è chiuso). Ho avuto un problema ma l’assistenza clienti è stata eccellente

I just read this book, and I must say I'm amazed by it. I'll critique the book mainly by comparison with that most familiar WW1 work which is of course "All Quiet on the Western Front" by Erich Maria Remarque. There are others that are similar, such as "Under Fire" a noted work by Henri Barbusse from the French side, "Goodbye to All That" by Robert Graves (Englishman), and "Company K" by William March (US Marine Corps). Then there is pure fiction such as "Farewell to Arms" by Hemingway. I believe these books represent the dominant WW1 literary genre, across several countries. With the exception of "Storm of Steel", they are all more-or-less of the 'war is hell' theme started first perhaps by Stephen Crane's seminal novel of the American Civil War, "The Red Badge of Courage". Interestingly, Crane was never in combat - a fact unknown to most readers. in fact, many Civil War veterans who read Crane's novel were incredibly moved by its so-called 'accuracy' and depth of feeling. This shows the power of literature in our lives... The immediately obvious differences about "Storm of Steel" vis-a-vis the others are: 1) It was written from Junger's diary, not from dim rememberance. It contains a higher level of detail as to names, dates and places. 2) Junger was a front-line Officer, having been promoted from the ranks. Far as I know (and interestingly) this promotion system was only typical of the German and American armies - the English and Russian armies, and to a slightly lesser degree the French, for instance had only upper class Officers and a strict de-facto class system. 3) Perhaps most significantly, Junger started the book very soon after the war's end. In other words, it is not watered down by time. Though Barbusse's "Under Fire" was even sooner (written during the war), Barbusse spent little time in the army himsel and this as a stretcher-bearer, not a rifleman. Barbusse's work is acknowledged as highly fictionalized. All the others were written some 10 yrs after the war, in a melancholy-ish, "what happened to us?" sort of vein - i.e. the Lost Generation. This is significant both to the level of detail (accuracy and remembrance) and to the mood of the writing. There are other points - Junger served throughout the war. American author March obviously only served during the American involvement (but he may be forgiven in that the last half of the war was surely its worst, with the industrialization and de-humanization of warfare at its peak). Along a similar line, Remarque ("All's Quiet") like Barbusse, somewhat mysteriously served only a short time; a point not at all obvious from his book which is presumed to be autobiographical and covers perhaps three years. There have also been challenges to Remarque's war service - some of the charges unfounded - and some feel he was rather a fantasist about his service which was only a few weeks or months at the actual front. Remarque was spotted soon after the war's end wearing an Officer's coat with decorations he had not earned (he was never an Officer); he was somewhat vague in later years about his service, where he was stationed, etc... He was indeed wounded; that is well documented. But ultimately, the point is, it's impossible he experienced everything he wrote about in "All's Quiet". Junger, on the other hand, had ample experience in the war, having joined in 1914, was wounded multiple times, and was highly decorated (one of the youngest to recieve the 'Pour le Merite', the Blue Max, and its last living military recipient). Junger's reputation is tainted by possible associations with German nationalism after the war. But assertions that he was pro-Nazi are quite untrue. In fact, he lost his son to the Nazi regime. He may even have been on the fringes of the July 20th plot to kill Hitler. Sure, he supported his country, but that does not make him a Nazi. Unfortunately, his supposed politics affected the reception of his writing (and by default, "Storm of Steel") in more recent times. In my opinion this is a loss to the literature from the WW1 period... On to the book: The book is written in a very matter-of-fact way. This may surprise some readers, given that so many other books (as mentioned above) are of the hopeless 'war is hell' theme. Junger pulls no punches - he was trying to do his part to win, and he states it that way. I honestly can't see anything in this book to lead me to think he was some sort of war monger or "pre-Nazi Nazi". Junger had a deep sense of adventure and the ability to keep a cool head. He strikes me as a man trying to do a job, and he wrote thusly. He shows sympathy for his men and NCOs, writes from a 'team perspective' and admits his own mistakes. "All's Quiet" protagonist Paul Baumer on the other hand goes into depth of feeling about the individual soldier (read: Privates) and his sense of futility, hopelessness, camraderie (only with certain other soldiers) and concern over survival versus victory (perhaps justified). Once you read Junger, and contrast him to Remarque, you see the differences: Remarque was a kid, with little overall sense of what was going on beyond his day to day survival and a certain dreaminess; perhaps a representation of the narrow age group that makes up the true "Lost Generation". Junger, on the other hand, was a Type-A personality who directly involved himself in the efforts to win. I unfortunately found that a reading of Junger tends to denigrate (for lack of a better word) the efforts of a Remarque who writes about feelings and hope (or hopelessness, as it were). And vice-versa. You have to juxtapose the two to get a feel for the war in its entirety. I'm uneasy with it, but I also get the feeling Junger was a stronger person than the other WW1 writers - he had a healthy sense of life, and moved on after the war to live a full life (102 yrs), became a scientist (entomologist), and wrote prolifically. His selection to be an Officer is also indicative of an active man. He was adventurous, and had joined the French Foreign Legion before the war while in his teens. Regardless of all my opinions, Junger's book should be better known than it is. It is great for its historical context if nothing else.