What do you think?
Rate this book
The Man in the Black Fur Coat: A Soldier’s Adventures on the Eastern Front
Before the first light of dawn on the morning of June twenty-second, 1941, Oskar Scheja stood on the western shore of the Bug River, looking to the east. The Russian army was camped on the other side. When the signal arrived to commence Operation Barbarossa he and his comrades from the German Wehrmacht stormed over the River and began an assault that took millions of Germans deep into Russian territory. For some the journey was brief. For others, like Oskar, it lasted for years, and the struggle did not end when the fighting was over. This is one German soldier's experience in combat and captivity. It is a story of bravery, despair, deception, and survival.
218 pages, Paperback
First published July 21, 2014
59 people are currently reading
72 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
September 2, 2018
I found this book by pure chance in a bookcase in a cheap restaurant in Thailand, that for some reason was mostly stocked with Norwegian literature. It turned out to be a very pleasant read.
War is always an unusual situation to be in, and anyone's account of his or her experiences during such an ordeal are worthwhile. That being said, this book mostly treads familiar ground, but still offers a solid memoir of a rank-and-file German soldier on the eastern front during the second world war.
For the first hundred or so pages, that is. After being captured by the Russians, our protagonist, Oskar Scheja, manages to secure a position for himself as an officer in a Russian concentration camp, by pretending to be a Polish officer. The privileges that come with it, come at a price though. Still, the suspicions that surround him don't land him in any serious trouble, and he even seems to take some delight in the deadly game.
After many trials and tribulations that I won't go further into so as not to spoil the story, Oskar eventually returns home and is reunited with his wife and son, like a latter-day Odysseus. His troubles are not over however, since he finds himself on Polish territory as a former Wehrmacht soldier with questionable papers.
In so far as the story reaches a conclusion, it is an open one, and the reader is left with many tantalizing questions. The postscript by his nephew, who is responsible for the transcription and publication of Oskar's writings, provides a mere inkling as to how he eventually found his way to the United States and then back to West-Germany, where he died in 1980.
War is always an unusual situation to be in, and anyone's account of his or her experiences during such an ordeal are worthwhile. That being said, this book mostly treads familiar ground, but still offers a solid memoir of a rank-and-file German soldier on the eastern front during the second world war.
For the first hundred or so pages, that is. After being captured by the Russians, our protagonist, Oskar Scheja, manages to secure a position for himself as an officer in a Russian concentration camp, by pretending to be a Polish officer. The privileges that come with it, come at a price though. Still, the suspicions that surround him don't land him in any serious trouble, and he even seems to take some delight in the deadly game.
After many trials and tribulations that I won't go further into so as not to spoil the story, Oskar eventually returns home and is reunited with his wife and son, like a latter-day Odysseus. His troubles are not over however, since he finds himself on Polish territory as a former Wehrmacht soldier with questionable papers.
In so far as the story reaches a conclusion, it is an open one, and the reader is left with many tantalizing questions. The postscript by his nephew, who is responsible for the transcription and publication of Oskar's writings, provides a mere inkling as to how he eventually found his way to the United States and then back to West-Germany, where he died in 1980.
December 27, 2015
The author provides a unique accounting of one man's struggle to survive under extreme circumstances, behind enemy lines, facing certain execution if caught. The author moves you along in a well-paced 'memoir' of one quiet, soft-spoken Wehrmacht veteran, who wrote his story for his own personal reasons, perhaps to remind himself many years after the war, that life has such value that is so easily forgotten, or lost in the chaotic and unforgiving hell that is 'total war'. I don't think his story was ever meant to be published; that was not Mr Scheja's intent or purpose. For this, his story is all the more poignant.
January 2, 2015
A different account of the best in the Eastern Front and the aftermath
This is the actual work of a German soldier in WWII serving on the Eastern Front against the Russian army. More importantly it provides an insight of the fate of prisoners during the war and the struggle to survive. The author also provides insight of the fate of German soldiers after the war in communist controlled Poland and Czechoslovaskia. This is a very good story from a point of view rarely seen in English literature.
This is the actual work of a German soldier in WWII serving on the Eastern Front against the Russian army. More importantly it provides an insight of the fate of prisoners during the war and the struggle to survive. The author also provides insight of the fate of German soldiers after the war in communist controlled Poland and Czechoslovaskia. This is a very good story from a point of view rarely seen in English literature.
May 16, 2021
An interesting read. A translation of a German/Pole soldier and subsequent PoW on the eastern front. A little disjointed at times which I suspect is due to the effort of editing memories when geography is uncertain eg some towns in Ukraine have different names depending on which language ie German/russian/polish/czech/ukranian/English is used.
Interesting survival story and the ability of man to survive.
Interesting survival story and the ability of man to survive.
November 10, 2020
Interesting story of a German soldier.
This story tells the adventures of a German solder first as a soldier then as a prisoner and then as a fugitive in the Russian territories during the II world war. Good reading.
This story tells the adventures of a German solder first as a soldier then as a prisoner and then as a fugitive in the Russian territories during the II world war. Good reading.
October 17, 2024
At first, I thought this was poorly written. But I couldn't have been more wrong. Written from a first-person account, it made for an interesting read. The story itself is incredible. I love reading accounts from the German perspective. Highly recommended this book
November 28, 2020
An engrossing tale
A personal perspective and a great back story as the author says he does not know for sure all the details but it does not detract from the telling.
A personal perspective and a great back story as the author says he does not know for sure all the details but it does not detract from the telling.
June 30, 2021
interesting account of a part of history which is less well known.
September 12, 2015
As a memoir, I think this came out about as well as it could have for someone who apparently never intended for anyone else to read it, and never took the time to polish it. We hear so much about World War II through the eyes of the Allies, and those the Nazis persecuted. It's quite a novelty to see it through the eyes of an ordinary German soldier. He writes plainly. I don't think he's trying to make himself sound good, although he pulls off some pretty clever stunts in the story.
If only Oskar Scheja had edited the book himself, or written an epilogue, or some kind of context to his narrative. I think his nephew did the best he could. The only real problem I find with it is there are a lot of typos, mainly misspelled words. The acronym "NKVD" was often rendered "NKDV" for example.
If only Oskar Scheja had edited the book himself, or written an epilogue, or some kind of context to his narrative. I think his nephew did the best he could. The only real problem I find with it is there are a lot of typos, mainly misspelled words. The acronym "NKVD" was often rendered "NKDV" for example.
August 7, 2015
As enjoyable of a read as this is, there are things about it that make me unsure of its authenticity. The author even admits to filling out the story. I find it incredible that a person could recall so many insignificant details in a journal written years after the events that take place. There could be a grain of truth inside, but there's no way to know for sure. I'm not sure if it's a work of fiction or not. Even so, it's not a bad story.
August 29, 2015
A rare find of first hand account of a soldiers odyssee in Russia
Oscars story was rather dry but the facts of his story are fascinating. Being able to stay alive and make it back home is a testament to his ability to stay calm in the face of death. Dan is to be commended for his relentless pursuit of this story.
Oscars story was rather dry but the facts of his story are fascinating. Being able to stay alive and make it back home is a testament to his ability to stay calm in the face of death. Dan is to be commended for his relentless pursuit of this story.
April 13, 2015
What a journey!
This story is fascinating. Reading it was enjoyable and eye opening. Solar must have been an interesting person and it lamentable there is not more.
This story is fascinating. Reading it was enjoyable and eye opening. Solar must have been an interesting person and it lamentable there is not more.
January 28, 2022
Survivor extrordineer
I would like to recommend this book to anyone interested in the operation Barbarossa campaign in Russia and the aftermath.
I would like to recommend this book to anyone interested in the operation Barbarossa campaign in Russia and the aftermath.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews