What do you think?
Rate this book
No Place To Lay My Head: A Memoir of the Eastern Front in World War Two
The eye-opening account of the forgotten and tumultuous Eastern Front in World War Two.
Perfect for fans of first-person memoirs from the Second World War.
By 1944 Byelorussia had been brutally occupied by Nazi Germany for three years, but now the Red Army were coming. The nation was torn apart as violence erupted between the ruthless Communist partisans and the equally menacing Nazi forces.
Sixteen year old Sasha Nioman’s brother was carried off and forced to join the local partisans, leaving his family at the mercy of Nazi reprisals. To stop this from occurring Sasha was given little option but to join the German Army with the 34th Battalion Field Police — a force of anti-partisan legionaries of mixed nationalities commanded by Wehrmacht officers.
No Place To Lay My Head charts Sasha’s terrifying ordeal through the Second World War as he was forced to fight for an occupying force he hated. This book provides an eyewitness account into the brutal atrocities committed by both Nazi and Soviet forces on the Eastern Front, including the massacre of six hundred defenceless men by the Russian army, of which Sasha was one of only a handful of survivors.
This was not the end of Sasha’s war, however. He was sent to the Western Front to stem the Allied advance but his officer’s fled in the face of the American onslaught and he gave himself up. It was only now that he was able to fight against the Nazis, initially joining the Free Polish Army before serving in Italy as a member of the British Forces.
Anthony Richardson charts Sasha’s unique journey through the Second World War in exquisite detail. After the war Sasha moved to Britain and through a number of interviews he gave his remarkable story to the author. It should be essential reading for anyone interested in an eyewitness account into a much-overlooked front of this brutal war.
‘It has the stamp of authenticity and is a most valuable and timely addition to the literature on guerrilla war.’ Otto Heilbrunn
Perfect for fans of first-person memoirs from the Second World War.
By 1944 Byelorussia had been brutally occupied by Nazi Germany for three years, but now the Red Army were coming. The nation was torn apart as violence erupted between the ruthless Communist partisans and the equally menacing Nazi forces.
Sixteen year old Sasha Nioman’s brother was carried off and forced to join the local partisans, leaving his family at the mercy of Nazi reprisals. To stop this from occurring Sasha was given little option but to join the German Army with the 34th Battalion Field Police — a force of anti-partisan legionaries of mixed nationalities commanded by Wehrmacht officers.
No Place To Lay My Head charts Sasha’s terrifying ordeal through the Second World War as he was forced to fight for an occupying force he hated. This book provides an eyewitness account into the brutal atrocities committed by both Nazi and Soviet forces on the Eastern Front, including the massacre of six hundred defenceless men by the Russian army, of which Sasha was one of only a handful of survivors.
This was not the end of Sasha’s war, however. He was sent to the Western Front to stem the Allied advance but his officer’s fled in the face of the American onslaught and he gave himself up. It was only now that he was able to fight against the Nazis, initially joining the Free Polish Army before serving in Italy as a member of the British Forces.
Anthony Richardson charts Sasha’s unique journey through the Second World War in exquisite detail. After the war Sasha moved to Britain and through a number of interviews he gave his remarkable story to the author. It should be essential reading for anyone interested in an eyewitness account into a much-overlooked front of this brutal war.
‘It has the stamp of authenticity and is a most valuable and timely addition to the literature on guerrilla war.’ Otto Heilbrunn
- GenresHistoryNonfictionMemoir
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1958
453 people are currently reading
159 people want to read
About the author
Anthony Richardson
36 books4 followersAnthony Thomas Stewart Currie Richardson (1899 – 4 February 1964) was an English writer of adventure fiction and non-fiction books.
He also published under the pseudonym Patrick Wynnton
He also published under the pseudonym Patrick Wynnton
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 4, 2023
Schuma Virgin?
Interesting insight into the mind of an auxiliary polizei. Let’s keep in mind that although the main character is a virgin, they committed unspeakable crimes. For example while Sasha was training in Łomża, his buddies were conducting a genocide in Warsaw just 60 miles away. The book doesn’t make it clear that by mid 1944 the polizei, with the possible exception of the Balts, were completely demoralized.
Only men of certain nations were inducted into the Schuma. Karol or Kurt could not possibly be Polish. They were ethnic Germans/volksdeutche, either raised in Poland or of mixed heritage, who officially served as Germans.
Interesting insight into the mind of an auxiliary polizei. Let’s keep in mind that although the main character is a virgin, they committed unspeakable crimes. For example while Sasha was training in Łomża, his buddies were conducting a genocide in Warsaw just 60 miles away. The book doesn’t make it clear that by mid 1944 the polizei, with the possible exception of the Balts, were completely demoralized.
Only men of certain nations were inducted into the Schuma. Karol or Kurt could not possibly be Polish. They were ethnic Germans/volksdeutche, either raised in Poland or of mixed heritage, who officially served as Germans.
November 20, 2023
After reading a lot of memoirs from the Second World War, I have become a fan of the Slavic ones because of their more storytelling aspects. I feel like I am immersed in a grotesque fairytales with glimmers of hope and beauty framed in the ww2. Even if this story has been told by Sasha through Anthony Richardson, it feels like Sasha’s voice is genuine.
As the book was published in 1957, it is interesting as it doesn’t cater to the taste of readers of today, which I find interesting, but because of this the memoir uses some words that might seem out of place and old fashioned. There was some punctuation and spelling errors in the book, and I would have liked some info about the units which Sasha served in to put the memoir in context.
As the book was published in 1957, it is interesting as it doesn’t cater to the taste of readers of today, which I find interesting, but because of this the memoir uses some words that might seem out of place and old fashioned. There was some punctuation and spelling errors in the book, and I would have liked some info about the units which Sasha served in to put the memoir in context.
February 15, 2024
Unwillingly citizens forced into fighting by protecting family or property
The suspence in this memoir keeps you turning the pages.
It tells a story of the sadness and losses the other side of World War Two or better known as the enemy, experienced during this war.
We are so fortunate not to have been involved in any of the historical wars.
The suspence in this memoir keeps you turning the pages.
It tells a story of the sadness and losses the other side of World War Two or better known as the enemy, experienced during this war.
We are so fortunate not to have been involved in any of the historical wars.
Read
September 30, 2023Very interesting story
Travel from the eastern front to the western front as a man fights along side his enemy in order to.save himself and his family. Along the way he discovers that he has " No Place to Lay My Head".
Travel from the eastern front to the western front as a man fights along side his enemy in order to.save himself and his family. Along the way he discovers that he has " No Place to Lay My Head".
March 25, 2024
outstanding
A remarkable book about what was happening to the other side in WW II . The details about their hardships and how they were caught in a circumstance beyond their control.
A remarkable book about what was happening to the other side in WW II . The details about their hardships and how they were caught in a circumstance beyond their control.
June 14, 2023
No place to lay my head
This book was good to read because it gives you an insight to the war from a different perspective and that's what makes you want to keep reading
This book was good to read because it gives you an insight to the war from a different perspective and that's what makes you want to keep reading
June 30, 2023
A good memoir. Worth it.
Plenty of tragedy, but it's a good look at a unique slice of WWII history. The end was a relief.
Plenty of tragedy, but it's a good look at a unique slice of WWII history. The end was a relief.
September 4, 2023
Highly recommend. Thoroughly enjoyed reading of Sasha’s experience, especially from his point of view being caught between the partisans, the communists and the Germans on the eastern front.
November 18, 2023
If this book was not a memoir, I would have trouble believing someone survived this experience.
April 2, 2024
Fascinating
Remarkable that Sasha was able to survive all that before he was 18! An impressive memoir and I highly recommend that you read about Sasha and him surviving WWII.
Remarkable that Sasha was able to survive all that before he was 18! An impressive memoir and I highly recommend that you read about Sasha and him surviving WWII.
November 4, 2023
Interesting experience of a young boy caught up in the insanity of the Eastern Front, German & Russian atrocities. An author whose intent was to record the events experienced which he achieved writes the story.
Yet, missing is the context and historical facts surrounding the events, units and circumstances to place this story properly.
Yet, missing is the context and historical facts surrounding the events, units and circumstances to place this story properly.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews