Forward Gunner Asch

Gunner Asch #2

by Hans Hellmut Kirst

Also published as Forward Gunnar Asch

Genres: Fiction, War, Historical Fiction, Germany, Novels, World War II

368 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1954

About the author

A veteran from WW II, he wrote various novels focused on military life and the corruption in the army.


Hans Hellmut Kirst, der international erfolgreichste deutsche Autor der Nachkriegszeit, wurde am 5. Dezember 1914 in Osterode in Ostpreußen als Sohn eines Gendarmeriebeamten geboren. Von 1933 bis 1945 diente Kirst als Berufssoldat. Mit seiner später verfilmten Romantrilogie „08/15“, seinen Welterfolgen „Fabrik der Offiziere“ und „Die Nacht der Generäle“ fand Hans Hellmut Kirst auch literarisch große Anerkennung.

Reviews

[Kamil Bryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Więcej tego samego koszarowego, absurdalnego humoru, połączonego z refleksjami na temat wojny, wolnej woli, Niemiec. Tym razem jednak, gdy podobnie jak w pierwszej części, robi się poważniej, uderza to o wiele mocniej - w końcu Kirst zabrał nas z koszar na front - decyzje przełożonych mają teraz bezpośredni wpływ na życie zwykłych żołnierzy.

Bawiłem się wspaniale, a końcówka trochę mnie emocjonalnie zniszczyła, czego się bardzo nie spodziewałem.

[Bogdan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing is good as it was the case with the first volume and I must admit that the story was appealing enough not to be bored. This time we`re on the first line of the Front in the East in a moment when the battle is stalling for weeks now.
There are a lot of small things of life at that moments that are lifting the value of this peculiar volume. But some of the acts of rebellion from some of the orderlies didn`t help. In a way I`m feed up with this kind of characters and I prefer more to see glimpses from the crude reality that some funny clips of fiction.
But, overall, the clash between some of the branches and orderlies of the Army was real enough because there are a lot of documentaries out there that imply that this kind of order was a special mark of the Regime. To have antagonist people in some of the high places because from their internal struggle they hoped to get better results.
But, in fact, the incompetency was higher than ever.

[Gabriele Campeggio · Rating 5 out of 5]

ironico e sottile, mai scontato, una lettura scorrevole e che stimola sempre l'immaginazione attraverso i dialoghi su cui bisogna sempre leggere tra le righe

[Cristina Fountaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unfortunately I did not realised that this book is a sequel. However I think it can be read as a stand alone story. Hillarious tale as it follows the German soldier Asch trying to stay alive with dignity during WWII. It is more about the day to day life of the characters and less about battles and their convictions.

[Musab Coskun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great flowing book! Second book I read translated from German (first was never ending story). If I had a hat I'd take it off to the translator and author.

Gives a nice feel of a grunt's world, and the world at that time (speed of the motorcycles!).

[Mateusz Nowowiejski · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 - Równie mądra, jak pierwsza część cyklu, chociaż mniej zabawna... pewnie dlatego, że traktuje o wojnie, a ta nigdy nie jest zabawna.

[Hko · Rating 3 out of 5]

Een prachtige sfeertekening van het absurdisme aan het front in WOII. Zowel verbijsterend als vermakelijk.

[Bobby D · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the sequel to Kirst’s first Gunner Asch book and I have now re-read both this year. The second book follows Asch and friends to the Russian front during the early years of WWII. I read both while in the ARMY in 50 years ago in 1969. They made quite an impression on me at the time and I thought pulling them down off a high shelf might be an interesting revisit. I liked the REVOLT book but this second book FORWARD is quite a masterpiece of WWII fiction. It’s ultimately about the futility of war and military leadership in an era of demagogic nationalistic state craft. You met most of the characters in the first book and are now fully invested in their actions and survival in this second book
FORWARD is not a book of battles. Its more about people, loves, leadership, and the nuts and bolts of a military unit and how it copes with being dragged by their country into an effort that needs to be survived. Kirst writes at one point, “Your right. We can’t bring anyone back to life again. It’s the living who count.” But here the coward lives and the brave fall because of incompetence in the rank. (I increased my older rating from 4 to 5 stars.) If you have a chance to find these two Kirst books do give them a try.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

The everyday hardships, frustrations, and humor of the average Wehrmacht soldier are seen through the eyes of Herbert Asch of Gunnery Troop No. 3. Ash has the grit of a hardened soldier combined with the wit, intellect and patience of Jeeves. In this book, things on the Russian Front are bad enough for Asch without the assignment of a new troop commander.

[Lysergius · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Gunner Asch stories were favourite reading during my last days of school. They were passed around the cognoscenti as examples of the "Bolshie" attitude we were warned about. He seems to have fallen out of fashion despite the success of the film of "Night of the Generals".

[Jielus Kuijntjes · Rating 5 out of 5]

De waanzin van de oorlog. Je tegenstander heet vijand en heeft waarschijnlijk ook een vader en moeder. Moet je gelezen hebben!

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another funny look at the German Army during WWII. And it is not about the Nazis or the SS.