The Commissar

Legion of the Damned #14

by Sven Hassel

Sven Hassel, whose fact-based tales of Second World Warfare have sold millions, has created another horrific war novel, this time set on the deadly Russian front. The Commissar had the biggest secret of the Russian 30 million dollars of Soviet gold hidden behind Russian lines and Porta was determined to make sure his band of prison soldiers got their share. They were all prepared to slag through the ice and blood of the Soviet lines, fight like animals, and kill or be killed. The lure of this wealth, the promises of the Commissar, were enough to carry them into the bloodiest battles of the Russian war.

Genres: War, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Military Fiction, World War II, Historical, Danish

367 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

Hassel served in the Danish merchant navy till 1937, when he moved to Germany to join the army. He served with the second Panzer Division stationed at Eisenach and in 1939 was a tank driver during the invasion of Poland. A year later he attempted to escape because of being mentally exhausted. He was transferred to a Sonderabteilung, a penal unit manned by criminals and dissidents. He served with the 2nd Cavalry Regiment and later the 11th and 27th Panzer Regiments (6th Panzer Division) on all fronts except North Africa and was wounded several times. Eventually he reached the rank of lieutenant and received an Iron Cross 1st and 2nd class. He surrendered to Soviet troops in Berlin in 1945 and spent the following years in various POW camps. He began to write his first book Legion of the Damned while he was interned. He was released in 1949, and was planning to join the French Foreign Legion when he met Dorthe Jensen. They got married in 1951. He went to work in a car factory. In 1957 Sven Hassel suffered from an attack of a sickness caught during the war and was paralyzed for almost two years. After recovery, he began to write more books.

See also Sven Hazel

Reviews

[Phillip Fuller · Rating 4 out of 5]

The men of the 27th Penal are such total bastards but even I felt sorry for them as their quest for gold and an escape turned into a fiasco. These guys were mostly criminals serving as cannon fodder on the Eastern Front that dreamed of a way out besides a bullet through the head. This was a page turner with many scenes combining excessive violence with the absurdity of war. It is a miracle that many of these characters are recurring through a series of fourteen books because the odds seem to be stacked against them. Getting out of Russia on a non government sanctioned mission with all those dangers was quite a story.

[Razvan Banciu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surely one of the best from the series. The first part has its usual content, as the second has a strong resemblance to Jaroslav Hasek's Svejk. Porta and The Little One arequite adorable in their rough manners and made us forget for some moments that we are reading a serious book. A book which should be translated and given to all the military men the world around. Perhaps they would learn something about the real face of war...

[Xabi1990 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Escrito en 2012.
He vuelto a Sven Hassel tras un pilón de años. Y aunque me podía haber ahorrado este viaje de vuelta, debo reconocer que tiene aspectos interesantes.

El estilo de narración es un diálogo continuo, mezclado con largos monólogos –historietas, batallitas- de alguno de sus personajes.
Sin regodearse en ella, muestra la violencia y la absurdez de la guerra desde el prisma de un grupo de soldados alemanes –que no nazis- que sobreviven como pueden y tiene los escrúpulos como poco adormecidos.
Situaciones absurdas, casi esperpénticas, contadas con cierto humor y ritmo. Aunque el resultado general me parece simplemente aceptable.

La historia de este libro (que en realidad es lo de menos) va sobre una alianza entre ellos y unos rusos para robar oro. En mitad de la guerra, claro, y con un frío que pela.

[Andrei · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bajetii din secolul XX stiau cum sa se distreze nu gluma

[D'Ailleurs · Rating 4 out of 5]

It had been quite a long time since i joined the adventures of Sven's company and frankly i had missed them. Thus when i came across this novel i felt that the time had come for me to be introduced to the Commissar, a rather intimate caracter, a weird alter ego of the Old Man. The "Commissar" is the last novel in the series, and frankly it is the most pecular. This time Sven and his teamates join the Commissar and his gang in search of gold in the heart of the Soviet Union. A heist novel in the hear of WWII.

I know that there is a controversy concerning the originality of the stories, and frankly i don't care. Hassell is a natural storyteller, a maestro of prose who can swift between comedy to tragedy in a few lines. As always the madness and vanity of war is prominent, however the last part becomes a parody of heist films, imbued with surreal dialogues. And as always the novel closes with the same message of peace and friendship.

Anyways "The Commissar" is an essential read for every fan of military novels, but also for everyone who is into a good WWII story.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Porta and our favourites do their best to find the hidden 30 million dollars of Soviet gold from behind Russian lines. As usual they suffer through the terror of the Russian campaign as they hunt for the gold.

Sven Hassel again manages to portray the horrors of the Russian front and sprinkle it with humour. Yet again we go on an adventure with Sven, Tiny, Porta, the Legionaire etc as they once more get dragged into Porta's latest scam.

A far easier read than many of Hassel's books.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sven Hassel once again showed the brutality of the Russian campaign on Eastern front during World War II. Porta, Legionnaire and others fight for survival and hunt the Soviet gold.

[OttoTheBierDude Thebierdude · Rating 4 out of 5]

THis is one of the first books that I bought as a lad that was not Sci-fi or fantasy!
I have re-read it loads just love being one of the lads in this group of missfits !!

[Hans-Petter Sandseth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leste den norske utgaven

[Andreas Schmidt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ultimo libro della serie di Hassel, che ha come tema un bottino in oro di trenta milioni di dollari; tutto questo è a portata di mano, nascosto nella Russia sovietica. Stringendo un patto con un commissario politico, la cui moglie rimasta nel territorio occupato ha rivelato il piano, Porta riesce a convincere i suoi amici della sezione a tentare l'ardita mossa, assieme al gruppo di conoscenti del commissario stesso, di recuperare l'enorme tesoro, in barba alla guerra, in barba ai sovietici, a Stalin, ai nazisti, Hitler, l'Armata Rossa e la Wehrmacht. Lo stile è differente, di gran lunga differente da tutti gli altri precedenti, per intere parti del romanzo si tende a parlare di più e ad agire di meno. L'azione vera e propria occupa una parta abbastanza esigua dell'intero scritto. E' lo scritto ultimo, e non proprio il migliore, della serie di Hassel, e in quanto tale l'ultimo "declino" dell'insieme ( che a mio avviso ha raggiunto l'apice con "Monte Cassino" ).

[Luca Cresta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finalmente ho recuperato l'unico romanzo di Sven Hassel che mi ero perso nella gloriosa collana Longanesi Pocket Guerra. Dopo la prima pagina, i cattivi ragazzi erano di nuovo tutti nella mia mente, Porta, Fratellino, il Legionario, il Vecchio e tutti gli altri antieroi della V compagnia, II sezione del 27° reggimento Panzer di disciplina dell'esercito tedesco durante la II guerra mondiale. Difficile raccontare il libro ma quello che ne emerge è, da una parte, l'orrore della guerra descritta in maniera cruda e reale, e dall'altra l'estrema capacità dell'essere umano di adattarsi a qualunque situazione. Non è certo una lettura da raffinati cultori della parola, ma traccia un ritratto molto veritiero della realtà umana di quegli anni, sia al fronte che nelle retrovie. Mi sono procurato di nuovo tutta la serie in digitale e ne inserirò la lettura dei diversi volumi nei prossimi mesi.

[Sandra McCourt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good book by the author who shows the horrors of war through his own experience. I think this is the last one in the series. I’ve enjoyed a lot of them and they are mostly all going through Russia and competing against the weather but mostly how they were all inadequately equipped for their tasks. Even the lack of food being distributed makes you think how awful it must have been. I’ve no doubt all armies were much the same. Having read about most wars it would appear that humans have learned absolutely nothing from past wars as they still do it to this day. I’m sure more stories like these will come out in the next decade. Humans have to stop if they want to survive . But they won’t until they destroy themselves and the planet we live on . So thanks to the author for putting the Great War in perspective .

[Socrate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un huruit ca de tunet îndepărtat se apropie cu repeziciune. Prima dintre colosalele mase de zăpadă se desprinde într-un uriaş nor alb. Pentru o clipă pare suspendată în aer, apoi se pune în mişcare. Sute de tone de zăpadă lovesc coasta şi sunt aruncate în văzduh ca de o nouă explozie. Cu un vuiet fioros, avalanşa porneşte la vale. Urgia de zăpadă îi cuprinde pe primii dintre soldaţii OGPU, aruncându-i în neant.

[Neil Challis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe I should not say this but a Mans book from beginning to end.Lots of swearing blood and guts.Compliant women and some not so!Stealing Gold with the help of the Russians and showing the German Army not as robots but as coarse as any one on the Eastern front.Easy to read and could be converted into a film which a lot of Hassel's legion of the Damned have been.

[Virginia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entretenidísima novela bélica, que cuenta con todos los atractivos a los que Sven Hassel nos tiene acostumbrados: Hechos verídicos, situaciones graciosas y escenas de gran crudeza que muestran la supervivencia día a día en las trincheras de uno de los puntos más crueles de la Segunda Guerra Mundial: el frente del Este.

[Vicki Caton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have enjoyed reading all 14 of Sven Hassel's books of when he served in the Penal Regiment in the German Army during the second world war, he and a lot of other people who didn't believe in Hitler who were political prisoners and criminals all served in this Regiment and they had one thing in common, hatred of Adolf Hitler and to survive the war alive.

[ColleenFarr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book love it shows the silliness an how gruesome war was. Ten out of ten would read again

Amazing book love it shows the silliness an how gruesome war was. Ten out of ten would read again .

[Jeff Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

The final Sven Hassel novel and possibly the weakest too. The Penal Brigade join up with a Soviet Commissar to steal some gold behind enemy lines. The books feels a bit "Kelly's Heroes" and lacks a lot of the elements that made the series terrific.

[Carilius · Rating 1 out of 5]

Muy floja. Una serie de relatos deslabazados unidos de manera muy débil. De las peores

[Mihaela Abrudan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nicio diferență între ruși și germani, cu toți se gândesc să profite în propriul interes de pe urma războiului. Totuși e o poveste fantezistă și nu prea a fost pe gustul meu.

[Bobby Daugherty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent pulp novel, reminded me of Kelly's Heroes.

[Procyon Lotor]

14th - ?? ???? ????! The Commissar chapter by chapter: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Panzer Attack Tank battle. Visit to vodka distillery. Confusion during regimental inspection - the general cannot understand that Albert is black. Tiny and Porta get hold of suckling pigs. 2. The Fat Leutnant Company sent to "rest" behind front lines. Tiny describes his bike ride through Hamburg. More recipes from Porta. Trouble with the fat leutnant. Booby trapped safe. Discussion about religion. Porta goes hunting for a pig. 3. Vera Konstantinovna Description of the Old Man. Army HQ orders that Albert should be scrubbed white. Bust up between Albert and Julius Heide. Porta cooks Pork Chops � l'Alba. Grave digging duty. Old Man and Barcelona go on leave. Gregor leaves the section to be driver and bodyguard for his famous general again. Porta continues his affair with Vera Konstantinovna (The Commissar's wife). Negotiations begin to recover the gold which her husband has hidden. Porta visits Wolf to conclude plans for "Operation Riches". Oberfeldwebel "His Excellency, War Minister" Sally flies to Russia to join the fun. Porta tells the story of Tiny and "Kurt The Nark" in Hamburg. 4. The Burial of Gregor's General Everyone returns from leave. Gregor returns to the section and tells the story of his general's funeral. Description of the Finnish grenade game. Heide gets a letter from his Gauleiter. Tiny gets a letter from his sister, Emilia Louise. Start of operation behind the Russian lines. 5. Meeting With The Commissar Mission continues. Porta tells the long story of General Rottweiler. First meeting with The Commissar. Everyone has a party to celebrate the Russian Christmas. Lots of drinking. 6. The Paritip Trip to pick up the Russian gold continues in icy weather. Description of cold - and Russian remedies. Tiny gets cross and has to be subdued by the Old Man. Porta tells the story of Alois Fresa who was too tired to fuck. Tiny drinks two litres of vodka and tries to take revenge on the old man. Attack by Siberian ski troops. Tiny's escapade to stop them. Description of revine crossing using the Paritip. 7. The Mad OGPU Captain Porta wrecks a Russian village with his tank. Mad OGPU captain makes a last stand. Everyone eats lots of Bortsch-kvop. Porta fills the tank with supplies. 8. The Vladimir Prison Raid on prison using gas. Porta's attempts at safe-breaking. Fight between Heide and Tiny. Journey home from the prison. Description of air raid on Russian town. Description of phosphorus. Effects of "quick clay". Parting of ways with The Commissar and his Russian colleagues. Back to the German lines. Capture of a Russian Major-General. Visit to Helena's Brothel. Chief Mechanic Wolf and War Minister Sally arrive looking for the gold. Porta's next big money making plan.

[Polifemo]

El Comisario conocía el secreto más importante de la guerra en Rusia. Él había escondido detrás de las líneas rusas oro soviético por valor de 30 millones de dólares, y Porta estaba resuelto a que su banda de soldados carcelarios obtuviese su parte. Por el oro enemigo estaban dispuestos a llevar la compañía a través del hielo y la sangre de las líneas soviéticas, a matar o morir, a luchar como bestias y a estafar, mentir y robar como los delincuentes en que se habían convertido. El señuelo del oro y las promesas del Comisario les enzarzarán en las más sangrientas batallas de la guerra en el frente del Este.