Ernst Jünger — A Different European Destiny

by Dominique Venner

In Ernst Jü A Different European Destiny, Dominique Venner offers a captivating biography and a profound analysis of one of Europe’s most enigmatic right-wing thinkers and writers. Ernst Jünger, the decorated soldier, philosopher, and literary giant, lived through and reflected upon some of the most defining moments of the 20th century, from the trenches of World War One and occupied Paris in World War Two to the intellectual upheavals of postwar Europe. His works, imbued with themes of heroism, discipline, and existential challenge, resonate with those who seek to overcome the limitations of a degenerate modernity.

Venner explores not only Jünger’s extraordinary life but also the philosophical underpinnings of his most celebrated writings. Through this dual approach, Venner sheds light on Jünger’s unique worldview – one shaped by war, myth, and a search for meaning in a world increasingly marked by technology and conformity.

Genres: Biography, History

238 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Award-winning French historian, journalist and writer.

Venner was a member of the Organisation de l'armée secrète and later became a European nationalist before withdrawing from politics to focus on a career as a historian. He specialized in military and political history. At the time of his death, he was the editor of the La Nouvelle Revue d'Histoire, a bimonthly history magazine. On 21 May 2013, Venner committed suicide inside the cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris.

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent and engaging overview of Ernst Jünger's life and work.

Things I enjoyed: Dominique Venner's writing is lucid (and well-translated for English readers). The blend of narrative and quotations from Jünger is masterfully done and offers the curious reader some very good on-ramps for further exploration of this extraordinary German thinker. I also very much enjoyed Venner's analysis of Jünger's attitude and what his philosophical implications are for Europeans in our own era, presented as the book's epilogue.

My criticisms: There is less about his thought and life post WW2 than I would have liked. This is not a good introduction to Jünger for those who have never read him, but rather it is an excellent biographical summation if you have read some of his work and want a better understanding of the man and his life trajectory and the development of his thought.

All in all I would recommend this book to those who want to learn about Ernst Jünger, but you will likely have a greater appreciation for it if you first read his most well known work "Storm of Steel" and then perhaps another book from his later work. I went into this book having read "Storm of Steel" and "The Forest Passage."

[Chrysalides · Rating 4 out of 5]

This biography of the German war hero best known for his memoir 'Storm of Steel' reads more like a historical narrative of mid-twentieth century Germany through the lens of the man himself. In a sense, Venner is correct in admitting that Junger was more of a product of his times than an absolutely principled and immutable thinker. However, the man himself often gets lost in the narrative, becoming a secondary character through which Venner explains history. One should not expect a psychoanalytic investigation into our protagonist like we see in Edward Dutton's biographies, nor the thesis that Junger is some sort of zeitgeist. Rather, he is presented as Europe in its ancestral and militaristic essence, in spite of its humiliation at the hands of the capitalists and the communists.

[Zach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ernst Juenger was a man ahead of his time and yet the perfect man for his time. He exemplified the chivalry and nobleness of a European knight, while the sensitivity and insight of a renaissance poet. A patriot and philosopher his archetype is one that will need to emerge in the west in order to save it.

[John Monti · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is true what Venner says about Junger - this thoughts and ideas are comprehensive. To read one book by him is not the end of it, reading "The Forest Passage" is good spot to find the post "Conservative Revolution" Junger and where he ended up.