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D DAY Through German Eyes #1
The Hidden Story of June 6th 1944
This is the hidden side of D Day which has fascinated readers around the world.
Almost all accounts of D Day are told from the Allied perspective, with the emphasis on how German resistance was overcome on June 6th 1944. But what was it like to be a German soldier in the bunkers and gun emplacements of the Normandy coast, facing the onslaught of the mightiest seaborne invasion in history?
What motivated the German defenders, what were their thought processes - and how did they fight from one strong point to another, among the dunes and fields, on that first cataclysmic day? What were their experiences on facing the tanks, the flamethrowers and the devastating air superiority of the Allies?
This book sheds fascinating light on these questions, bringing together statements made by German survivors after the war, when time had allowed them to reflect on their state of mind, their actions and their choices of June 6th.
We see a perspective of D Day which deserves to be added to the historical record, in which ordinary German troops struggled to make sense of the onslaught that was facing them, and emerged stunned at the weaponry and sheer determination of the Allied soldiers. We see, too, how the Germans fought in the great coastal bunkers, perceived as impregnable fortresses, but in reality often becoming tombs for their crews.
Above all, we now have the unheard human voices of the individual German soldiers - the men who are so often portrayed as a faceless mass.
Book 2 in this unique series is also now available in e-book form.
Almost all accounts of D Day are told from the Allied perspective, with the emphasis on how German resistance was overcome on June 6th 1944. But what was it like to be a German soldier in the bunkers and gun emplacements of the Normandy coast, facing the onslaught of the mightiest seaborne invasion in history?
What motivated the German defenders, what were their thought processes - and how did they fight from one strong point to another, among the dunes and fields, on that first cataclysmic day? What were their experiences on facing the tanks, the flamethrowers and the devastating air superiority of the Allies?
This book sheds fascinating light on these questions, bringing together statements made by German survivors after the war, when time had allowed them to reflect on their state of mind, their actions and their choices of June 6th.
We see a perspective of D Day which deserves to be added to the historical record, in which ordinary German troops struggled to make sense of the onslaught that was facing them, and emerged stunned at the weaponry and sheer determination of the Allied soldiers. We see, too, how the Germans fought in the great coastal bunkers, perceived as impregnable fortresses, but in reality often becoming tombs for their crews.
Above all, we now have the unheard human voices of the individual German soldiers - the men who are so often portrayed as a faceless mass.
Book 2 in this unique series is also now available in e-book form.
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First published April 9, 2015
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August 28, 2019
Shortly before D-Day (June 6, 1944) the author's grandfather, a military journalist writing for widely read German military magazines such as Signal and Die Wehrmacht, interviewed soldiers stationed along the Atlantic Wall. A decade later he tracked down some of the troops he had visited and spoke again with those he had interviewed. Then, in the following year 1955, he died. Holger Eckhertz has assembled his grandfather’s material and presents it here in this book. We are given interviews with five men, one from each of the five beach landings (Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword), which constituted the Normandy invasion.
These are eyewitness accounts from German soldiers and officers who fought on D-Day and were lucky enough to survive. The author’s grandfather posed questions and the men replied.
Here follow some of the questions posed:
1. Did you feel an invasion was imminent?
2. What do you recall of the events of the day, June 6th?
3. How did the day develop and end for you?
4. Were you involved in the combat?
5. Was this the first time you had been in hand-to-hand combat?
6. What was the experience of being under flame-thrower attacks like?
7. What were your emotions?
8. Were you confident of victory?
9. What were your relations like with the French?
10. What medical help was available?
11. What happened after D-Day?
12. How did you feel having been captured and taken as prisoner?
13. How were you treated as a prisoner?
The replies are frank, clear, concise and very, very explicit. No wishy-washy answers ever!
The five interviews are followed by a short postscript summarizing conclusions that can be drawn. The Germans were highly motivated; clearly German propaganda had succeeded. They felt they were defending a “United Europe” under Reich leadership against invaders. Surprise was what they felt when confronted by Allied troops’ aggression and determination. It was lack of resources that led to their inability to defend the Atlantic Wall. Luck determined if you lived or died.
The audiobook is very well narrated by P.J. Ochlan. He employs a German accent that is crisp and clear, though I could not decipher the names of French towns.
I am not giving this more than three stars because at times I found it difficult to follow. For two reasons. It is not exactly pleasant to read descriptive renditions of battle. Secondly, I have a limited military vocabulary so I had trouble with some of the terms employed. The book does not go into military tactics, and this I did appreciate.
I am glad I read the book. Now I know what has happened in the bunkers I see on the walks I take along the beaches in France. What is told leaves sharp vivid pictures I will not soon forget.
These are eyewitness accounts from German soldiers and officers who fought on D-Day and were lucky enough to survive. The author’s grandfather posed questions and the men replied.
Here follow some of the questions posed:
1. Did you feel an invasion was imminent?
2. What do you recall of the events of the day, June 6th?
3. How did the day develop and end for you?
4. Were you involved in the combat?
5. Was this the first time you had been in hand-to-hand combat?
6. What was the experience of being under flame-thrower attacks like?
7. What were your emotions?
8. Were you confident of victory?
9. What were your relations like with the French?
10. What medical help was available?
11. What happened after D-Day?
12. How did you feel having been captured and taken as prisoner?
13. How were you treated as a prisoner?
The replies are frank, clear, concise and very, very explicit. No wishy-washy answers ever!
The five interviews are followed by a short postscript summarizing conclusions that can be drawn. The Germans were highly motivated; clearly German propaganda had succeeded. They felt they were defending a “United Europe” under Reich leadership against invaders. Surprise was what they felt when confronted by Allied troops’ aggression and determination. It was lack of resources that led to their inability to defend the Atlantic Wall. Luck determined if you lived or died.
The audiobook is very well narrated by P.J. Ochlan. He employs a German accent that is crisp and clear, though I could not decipher the names of French towns.
I am not giving this more than three stars because at times I found it difficult to follow. For two reasons. It is not exactly pleasant to read descriptive renditions of battle. Secondly, I have a limited military vocabulary so I had trouble with some of the terms employed. The book does not go into military tactics, and this I did appreciate.
I am glad I read the book. Now I know what has happened in the bunkers I see on the walks I take along the beaches in France. What is told leaves sharp vivid pictures I will not soon forget.
July 9, 2018
This book is a collection of 5 interviews with men in the German army stationed in Normandy on D-Day. Each soldier was stationed at one of the 5 invasion beaches and tells the interviewer what the invasion was like from the German perspective. The interviewer was journalist working for the Nazi government at the time of the initial interviews which were to be used in an article in a military magazine. Because of the invasion the article was never written and the interviews remained unused until 1954 when the interviewer decided to expand the interviews into a book and then went looking for the interviewed soldiers 10 years after D-Day. The book was never written, however, because the interviewer died the following year. The compiler and editor of this book is the grandson of the original interviewer who inherited the notes, transcripts, and drafts of his grandfather and decided to finish his work. We can all be grateful for this effort.
I am not a big fan of WWII history. It was probably our last clean and simple war. By that I mean the issues were well defined and uncomplicated. Further, it was the first war in which mass media and especially film and photography were exploited to their fullest effect. Consequently, thanks to outlets like the History Channel and popular movies that war has been done to death and leaves very little to the imagination and has become almost boring to me. But there is one area of the history of this war and, in fact, almost all wars that escapes media exploitation and that is the truth of the experiences of the real frontline soldier and sailor. Of course there have been fictional works illustrating the rigors and horrors experienced by men in this position but these are fictions and their depictions can be dismissed as inventions of a overly dramatic author. However, when a work is purely the remembrances of the men that lived these events then they can't be dismissed or disregarded and these are the stories I love to find no matter what war they describe. In this book these soldiers experienced an invasion they all expected but never imagined the magnitude of the force they would be facing and their descriptions and their words are compelling.
The interviews can certainly be criticized for their superficiality. Further, these were not high level officers but enlisted personnel or junior officers so we are not hearing much about strategy or tactics being employed by the German Army in preparation for an imminent invasion. The tone is very conversational between an interviewer and a combat veteran 10 years after the invasion and after the horrors of the Third Reich were fully publicized and known to all including the men that fought for it. It was very interesting to listen to their explanations and descriptions of attitudes and motivations. It was also a wonder to hear how dumbstruck they were when they viewed the invasion fleet and then the wealth of materiel that was being unloaded onto the beaches. One soldier couldn't get over the fact that the Allies had no horses or mules and that all their transports were mechanized meaning they had no fears of fuel shortages. To him this was incomprehensible but it also reinforced the propaganda that he had been fed that his enemy was a tool of the wealthy industrialists that were behind the Allies' opposition to the Reich. However, what is most stunning are the descriptions, the real descriptions, of how horrific war is, what modern weapons do to a human body, what the effect of constant bombardment has on a man's psyche, how exposure to these horrors numbs a person to the horror. Stories like this make it a lot easier to understand what we have learned to now call PTSD in our contemporary service people. Maybe if more books like this were published instead of those that glorify war and make heroes out of those lucky enough to survive, maybe there might be fewer wars. There is a second book that contains more interviews that were not included in this first book and I will begin that book immediately.
I am not a big fan of WWII history. It was probably our last clean and simple war. By that I mean the issues were well defined and uncomplicated. Further, it was the first war in which mass media and especially film and photography were exploited to their fullest effect. Consequently, thanks to outlets like the History Channel and popular movies that war has been done to death and leaves very little to the imagination and has become almost boring to me. But there is one area of the history of this war and, in fact, almost all wars that escapes media exploitation and that is the truth of the experiences of the real frontline soldier and sailor. Of course there have been fictional works illustrating the rigors and horrors experienced by men in this position but these are fictions and their depictions can be dismissed as inventions of a overly dramatic author. However, when a work is purely the remembrances of the men that lived these events then they can't be dismissed or disregarded and these are the stories I love to find no matter what war they describe. In this book these soldiers experienced an invasion they all expected but never imagined the magnitude of the force they would be facing and their descriptions and their words are compelling.
The interviews can certainly be criticized for their superficiality. Further, these were not high level officers but enlisted personnel or junior officers so we are not hearing much about strategy or tactics being employed by the German Army in preparation for an imminent invasion. The tone is very conversational between an interviewer and a combat veteran 10 years after the invasion and after the horrors of the Third Reich were fully publicized and known to all including the men that fought for it. It was very interesting to listen to their explanations and descriptions of attitudes and motivations. It was also a wonder to hear how dumbstruck they were when they viewed the invasion fleet and then the wealth of materiel that was being unloaded onto the beaches. One soldier couldn't get over the fact that the Allies had no horses or mules and that all their transports were mechanized meaning they had no fears of fuel shortages. To him this was incomprehensible but it also reinforced the propaganda that he had been fed that his enemy was a tool of the wealthy industrialists that were behind the Allies' opposition to the Reich. However, what is most stunning are the descriptions, the real descriptions, of how horrific war is, what modern weapons do to a human body, what the effect of constant bombardment has on a man's psyche, how exposure to these horrors numbs a person to the horror. Stories like this make it a lot easier to understand what we have learned to now call PTSD in our contemporary service people. Maybe if more books like this were published instead of those that glorify war and make heroes out of those lucky enough to survive, maybe there might be fewer wars. There is a second book that contains more interviews that were not included in this first book and I will begin that book immediately.
August 28, 2019
This is a great little book about the viewpoint of the defending German troops on each Allied beach zone on D-Day. Written 10 years after the landings and in a unique and great Q&A style, this book was way ahead of it's time. The book brings to light the what motivated these German troops to fight and how the Reich propaganda affected this, and how overwhelmingly the Allies' fire- and air-power were against the defenders, and what little chance they actually had of repelling the invasion. The descriptions of the battles are very graphic and brings to light that war really is hell. Highly recommended!!
January 10, 2016
Hard to read -- given the graphic details of battle -- but gaining perspective on "the other side" makes it worthwhile. Read it and you'll feel as though you're eavesdropping on five very candid conversations.
February 28, 2017
I believe this book is a work of fiction, as does historian Jonathan Gawneon in his Amazon review dated October 28, 2015. I further FEAR it is neo-Nazi propaganda.
December 15, 2016
Wow, what a good book! And by good, I mean terribly awful. This is a collection of interviews with German soldiers, of varying rank and experience, who defended the Normandy beaches during the Allied invasion on D-Day. The interviews were actually done by the author's father, who was a journalist for the Reich during the war, and wrote propaganda pieces for German magazines to improve morale. He went to Normandy during the early part of 1944 and interviewed lots of soldiers manning the western defenses against any possibly invasions. Then of course D-Day happened, and the war ended not too long after. Ten years later, in 1954, he sought out any surviving German soldiers that he had met in 1944, and interviewed them about their experiences on that day. Now his son, the author (or editor, I guess?) has compiled some of these interviews. This book features an interview with one soldier from each beach. Some were officers, some just enlisted men.
This book is definitely graphic. They describe awful, terrible things. I've read about D-Day before, and of course have seen some movie versions of it, but it's always from the Allied perspective. As one German officer notes in his interview, any depiction of Germans in those movies "is a mockery." More than anything else, this book is sad. War is a tragedy. It's absolutely heart breaking. The men who tell their stories don't try to justify Hitler's regime or anything, but they do explain their own motivations. One of them explains that they weren't particularly politically savvy, and so took at face value the propaganda their regime was selling them about defending a united Europe, because it seems like most of them truly believed that they (Germans) were not invaders of other countries; rather they were uniting countries together. And so when they were defending France, they were defending all of Europe, their homeland.
Anyways, to me their motivations for defending France from the Allies seems plausible. They don't seem to expect people to applaud them for it, but just to understand. That being said, with ten years of learning more about what was going on in their own country and what Hitler was really capable of, I'm not surprised that some of them really try to distance themselves from all that. For example, several of them describe meeting up with units of Hitler's SS while retreating, and while they worked together for mutual defense, the interviewees mention they were creeped out by the SS and their bloodlust. Two of them describe witnessing SS guys straight up executing captured Allied soldiers, and they said it gave them a sick feeling. I'm really not doubting them on this, but I do think ten years after the war, they did become a bit more savvy and know to distance themselves from those parts of the German regime, and so they made sure to mention that they didn't like the men from the SS.
An incredibly depressing book, to sum up. But I'm giving it 5 stars because it seems really important. It humanizes D-Day even more. When the incredibly brave Allied forces stormed those beaches, there weren't just faceless machine guns killing young men everywhere--it was young men (and old, and crippled) up on the cliffs, just as terrified and determined. I think they deserve to have their stories told.
This book is definitely graphic. They describe awful, terrible things. I've read about D-Day before, and of course have seen some movie versions of it, but it's always from the Allied perspective. As one German officer notes in his interview, any depiction of Germans in those movies "is a mockery." More than anything else, this book is sad. War is a tragedy. It's absolutely heart breaking. The men who tell their stories don't try to justify Hitler's regime or anything, but they do explain their own motivations. One of them explains that they weren't particularly politically savvy, and so took at face value the propaganda their regime was selling them about defending a united Europe, because it seems like most of them truly believed that they (Germans) were not invaders of other countries; rather they were uniting countries together. And so when they were defending France, they were defending all of Europe, their homeland.
Anyways, to me their motivations for defending France from the Allies seems plausible. They don't seem to expect people to applaud them for it, but just to understand. That being said, with ten years of learning more about what was going on in their own country and what Hitler was really capable of, I'm not surprised that some of them really try to distance themselves from all that. For example, several of them describe meeting up with units of Hitler's SS while retreating, and while they worked together for mutual defense, the interviewees mention they were creeped out by the SS and their bloodlust. Two of them describe witnessing SS guys straight up executing captured Allied soldiers, and they said it gave them a sick feeling. I'm really not doubting them on this, but I do think ten years after the war, they did become a bit more savvy and know to distance themselves from those parts of the German regime, and so they made sure to mention that they didn't like the men from the SS.
An incredibly depressing book, to sum up. But I'm giving it 5 stars because it seems really important. It humanizes D-Day even more. When the incredibly brave Allied forces stormed those beaches, there weren't just faceless machine guns killing young men everywhere--it was young men (and old, and crippled) up on the cliffs, just as terrified and determined. I think they deserve to have their stories told.
September 19, 2020
Šitā uzķerties! Tā ir, kad neskatās, ko tev veikals smērē. Izlasīju grāmatu un tikai nejauši goodreads pamanīju minējumu, ka viss šis ir brutāls viltojums, ar ko nodarbojas konkrētais "autors" un "izdevniecība". Jo vairāk meklēju, jo vairāk apstiprinājumu tam atradu. Nu jā, dažas vietas grāmatā jau likās tādas aizdomīgas. Kaut kā neesmu dzirdējis par tajā laikā lietotām raķetēm (ja arī bija, tad tikai eksperimenti, bet šeit minēts, ka Sabiedrotie tās jau masveidā izmantoja Overlordā). Stāstījuma stilam pavisam noteikti bija jāliekas aizdomīgam. Atsauču neesamība. Kopumā gan paši stāsti nelikās nacisma propaganda, kā dažiem liekas. Jau tekstā tika teikts ar atsauci uz to laiku - tāda bija mūsu informatīvā telpa un tam mēs ticējām, un vismaz šajā grāmatā neviens no viņiem nesaka, ka viņu ideoloģija bija pareiza. Nja. Gandrīz labi, bet par lasītāju čakarēšanu vieninieks, jo nulle neskaitās.
July 25, 2018
“Samo” skup intervjua. Obavljeni su 1954., deset godina nakon iskrcavanja u Normandiji, sa nemačkim vojnicima i oficirima koji su se nalazili na plažama Normandije. Ali objavljeni su tek skoro, nakon što ih je uredio unuk novinara koji je obavljao intervjue pre 60+ godina, a pre toga 1944. posetio pozicije istih tih vojnika na plažama Francuske.
Zanimljivo je dobro poznatu istoriju čitati kroz oči “neprijatelja” i gubitnika u ratu. Često razmišljam o običnim vojnicima Wehrmachta, koji su se našli na pogrešnoj strani istorije, ali su se borili za nešto u šta su verovali. Kako im je bilo u poslednjih godinu dana rata, kada je bilo jasno da Nemačka gubi rat, a oni žrtvuju živote za taj izgubljeni cilj?
Ima ovde interesantnih razmišljanja. Ne samo sjajnih opisa borbi, iz kojih je jasno da to da li si u ratu preživeo ili ne, određuje tvoj oprez, ali iznad svega sreća. Interesantna mi je bila i više puta pominjana ideja “Udružene Evrope”, koju su ti vojnici branili od saveznika. O ovome mislim da sam čitao jako kratko samo jednom, a ovde je taj koncept pominjao skoro svaki vojnik, kao i činjenicu da je većina četa bila sastavljenih od vojnika 10-15 naroda. Očigledno je propaganda o Udruženoj Evropi bila odlično odrađena, ali je nekako ispala iz istorije koju su pisali pobednici.
Ima tu i čuđenja tih emačkih vojnica o tome sa kakvim neprijateljstvom na njih gledaju saveznički vojnici, ali i čuđenja nsd postupcima SS četa i zločina koje su iste činile.
Dobar istorijski dokument, koji se može pročitati u nekoliko sati.
Zanimljivo je dobro poznatu istoriju čitati kroz oči “neprijatelja” i gubitnika u ratu. Često razmišljam o običnim vojnicima Wehrmachta, koji su se našli na pogrešnoj strani istorije, ali su se borili za nešto u šta su verovali. Kako im je bilo u poslednjih godinu dana rata, kada je bilo jasno da Nemačka gubi rat, a oni žrtvuju živote za taj izgubljeni cilj?
Ima ovde interesantnih razmišljanja. Ne samo sjajnih opisa borbi, iz kojih je jasno da to da li si u ratu preživeo ili ne, određuje tvoj oprez, ali iznad svega sreća. Interesantna mi je bila i više puta pominjana ideja “Udružene Evrope”, koju su ti vojnici branili od saveznika. O ovome mislim da sam čitao jako kratko samo jednom, a ovde je taj koncept pominjao skoro svaki vojnik, kao i činjenicu da je većina četa bila sastavljenih od vojnika 10-15 naroda. Očigledno je propaganda o Udruženoj Evropi bila odlično odrađena, ali je nekako ispala iz istorije koju su pisali pobednici.
Ima tu i čuđenja tih emačkih vojnica o tome sa kakvim neprijateljstvom na njih gledaju saveznički vojnici, ali i čuđenja nsd postupcima SS četa i zločina koje su iste činile.
Dobar istorijski dokument, koji se može pročitati u nekoliko sati.
March 17, 2016
D Day through German Eyes is an excellent short book comprising five accounts from men who were actually on the front line on June 6th. 1944.
The recollections of the men, a mixture of junior officers and other ranks, were collected by the author's grandfather, a military journalist who had visited the Atlantic Wall before D Day, who tracked down some survivors in 1954 and recorded their memories of D Day.
Each of the survivors was stationed on a different landing beach and their recollections certainly take the reader into the hell of battle with noise, dust, smoke, shrapnel and death polluting the atmosphere on that Normandy morning.
Although each story is gruesome and enthralling, the best, set on Sword Beach, is the best because the officer in charge of the battery appears to have the sharpest memories.
There's a second book, which I haven't read but will do in due course.
David Lowther. Author of The Blue Pencil, Liberating Belsen and Two Families at War, all published by Sacristy Press.
The recollections of the men, a mixture of junior officers and other ranks, were collected by the author's grandfather, a military journalist who had visited the Atlantic Wall before D Day, who tracked down some survivors in 1954 and recorded their memories of D Day.
Each of the survivors was stationed on a different landing beach and their recollections certainly take the reader into the hell of battle with noise, dust, smoke, shrapnel and death polluting the atmosphere on that Normandy morning.
Although each story is gruesome and enthralling, the best, set on Sword Beach, is the best because the officer in charge of the battery appears to have the sharpest memories.
There's a second book, which I haven't read but will do in due course.
David Lowther. Author of The Blue Pencil, Liberating Belsen and Two Families at War, all published by Sacristy Press.
January 19, 2016
D-day has always fascinated me, I have always thought about what it was like for the German army in Normandy. We have always seen or read about the greatest invasion of all from the allied perspective but I have always thought, imagine seeing it coming at you. One of the interesting perspectives of this book is that the author's grandfather had interviewed soldiers across the Atlantic wall prior to the invasion as propaganda for military publications, and then was able to interview the survivors after the war:
"As you can appreciate, I was under pressure to present our forces in a certain way, with a lot of embellishment."
I personally love the frankness of the interviewer, the questions are direct and allow each soldier to recount their experiences, but he also asks tough questions about things such as; the common use of the 'soldiers cocktail' by the Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe, a mixture of morphine and amphetamines that allowed soldiers to be able to fight for days. He also asks about personal reactions to scenes they witnessed such as American soldiers who had been executed by the SS. Some of the best questions challenge each person's decisions and morals and provides a deeper insight into their experiences.
The book gives you a great insight into the motivations and pride of the soldiers. I particularly loved the account of 'The Luftwaffe Pilot' in book 2. This particular account is a must read about the ideological belief that existed and made them such effective soldiers and the retrospective feelings they felt ten years on. Some of the accounts are still so raw;
I would like to take a break from this discussion....no, i am not saying stop the interview, but I am stressed.
I must pause Herr Eckhertz, because this memory distresses me, and i have not spoken about this to anyone until now, not even my wife.
This is my first review and I have clumsily tried to make it way more articulate than I actually am, however, these accounts give readers a chance to be gripped by what happened to just ordinary men who happened to fight on the 'other side' of D-day. In each account it was tense, horrific, sad and the same testament to the futility and wastefulness of war. I really felt for some of these men, what they experienced and what they had to live with for the rest of their lives. A must read for those interested in military history.
"As you can appreciate, I was under pressure to present our forces in a certain way, with a lot of embellishment."
I personally love the frankness of the interviewer, the questions are direct and allow each soldier to recount their experiences, but he also asks tough questions about things such as; the common use of the 'soldiers cocktail' by the Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe, a mixture of morphine and amphetamines that allowed soldiers to be able to fight for days. He also asks about personal reactions to scenes they witnessed such as American soldiers who had been executed by the SS. Some of the best questions challenge each person's decisions and morals and provides a deeper insight into their experiences.
The book gives you a great insight into the motivations and pride of the soldiers. I particularly loved the account of 'The Luftwaffe Pilot' in book 2. This particular account is a must read about the ideological belief that existed and made them such effective soldiers and the retrospective feelings they felt ten years on. Some of the accounts are still so raw;
I would like to take a break from this discussion....no, i am not saying stop the interview, but I am stressed.
I must pause Herr Eckhertz, because this memory distresses me, and i have not spoken about this to anyone until now, not even my wife.
This is my first review and I have clumsily tried to make it way more articulate than I actually am, however, these accounts give readers a chance to be gripped by what happened to just ordinary men who happened to fight on the 'other side' of D-day. In each account it was tense, horrific, sad and the same testament to the futility and wastefulness of war. I really felt for some of these men, what they experienced and what they had to live with for the rest of their lives. A must read for those interested in military history.
May 30, 2018
Holger Eckhertz's grandfather, a military journalist, interviewed soldiers stationed along the Atlantic Wall shortly before D-Day (June 6, 1944).
Ten years later he tracked down some of the troops he had visited and spoke again with those he had interviewed. He died in 1955.
Holger Eckhertz has assembled his grandfather’s interviews and this is what is contained in 'D DAY Through German Eyes - The Hidden Story of June 6th 1944'.
There is one account from each of the five beach landings (Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword), which constituted the Normandy invasion. It all amounts to really fascinating set of first hand recollections. A lot of the content is quite visceral and violent. So, be aware that this might be too much if you are easily upset.
I could have done without the cod German accents in the audiobook edition I listened to, however this is a minor gripe.
'D DAY Through German Eyes - The Hidden Story of June 6th 1944' makes me want to read more about D Day. Something I will do soon.
4/5
Ten years later he tracked down some of the troops he had visited and spoke again with those he had interviewed. He died in 1955.
Holger Eckhertz has assembled his grandfather’s interviews and this is what is contained in 'D DAY Through German Eyes - The Hidden Story of June 6th 1944'.
There is one account from each of the five beach landings (Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword), which constituted the Normandy invasion. It all amounts to really fascinating set of first hand recollections. A lot of the content is quite visceral and violent. So, be aware that this might be too much if you are easily upset.
I could have done without the cod German accents in the audiobook edition I listened to, however this is a minor gripe.
'D DAY Through German Eyes - The Hidden Story of June 6th 1944' makes me want to read more about D Day. Something I will do soon.
4/5
October 4, 2017
This is a remarkable and fascinating series of interviews with German soldiers who served on the Atlantic Wall in Normandy on the day of the Allied invasion of France in 1944. Most of what we read and see about D-Day or the entire Second World War itself is depicted from the Allied perspective. This short but powerful book gives a fresh look at a battle that seems to many of us quite familiar. The horrors of the battle, the fear and also the compassion present on the German side are presented without varnish in these memories of ordinary soldiers, many of whom thought they were defending a united Europe and couldn't understand why the Allies wanted to kill them. It's a remarkable work. A follow-up volume exists, and I'll be reading it soon.
April 7, 2022
I found this book fascinating. The view of the war through the eyes of German troops is something I've never been exposed to before.
Because it's a series of interviews with individual soldiers, attitudes varied somewhat, but it was interesting that the soldiers generally believe they were defending France and a "United Europe" against British and American invaders.
For the most part it seemed they were on pretty friendly terms with the French locals, resulting in not uncommon love affairs and offspring, but horrifying experiences with clandestine French resistance fighters were also described.
Most of these guys expressed naive horror at being attacked by inexplicably fierce men whom they seemed to regard as the same as themselves so why were they being so mean? Although a few noted that after their tanks were disabled that American troops were needlessly shot and felt that this was (no pun intended) overkill.
There are some interviews of specialists and engineers describing the weapons developed by the Germans.
A strong sense of duty and loyalty to Germany was prevalent throughout the book. There was a remarkable willingness to follow orders and do ones duty even if the situation they were putting themselves into was hopelessly suicidal.
The soldiers interviewed, to me, represented a very intelligent and civilized society that had been taken over by an insanely evil government.
Because it's a series of interviews with individual soldiers, attitudes varied somewhat, but it was interesting that the soldiers generally believe they were defending France and a "United Europe" against British and American invaders.
For the most part it seemed they were on pretty friendly terms with the French locals, resulting in not uncommon love affairs and offspring, but horrifying experiences with clandestine French resistance fighters were also described.
Most of these guys expressed naive horror at being attacked by inexplicably fierce men whom they seemed to regard as the same as themselves so why were they being so mean? Although a few noted that after their tanks were disabled that American troops were needlessly shot and felt that this was (no pun intended) overkill.
There are some interviews of specialists and engineers describing the weapons developed by the Germans.
A strong sense of duty and loyalty to Germany was prevalent throughout the book. There was a remarkable willingness to follow orders and do ones duty even if the situation they were putting themselves into was hopelessly suicidal.
The soldiers interviewed, to me, represented a very intelligent and civilized society that had been taken over by an insanely evil government.
October 26, 2016
This is a short graphic compilation of the average German solider's perspective of multiple beach landings on D-day. Having read and watched a lot from the allies' POV, it was interesting to hear the information the average German soldier knew about the landing, and how they as an individual and as a larger group reacted when the shells started to fall. Their shift when they view the full beach and it goes from an "attack" to an invasion and how that affected many of their group psychologically.
Each account was a personal interview approximately 10 years after the June 6th 1944. I wonder how much of the recounting was still colored by the story being made available to the victors, as nothing negative is said about being captured or sent to camps in other countries?
Each account was a personal interview approximately 10 years after the June 6th 1944. I wonder how much of the recounting was still colored by the story being made available to the victors, as nothing negative is said about being captured or sent to camps in other countries?
October 1, 2015
What an absolutely fascinating book. I was born in 1950, and grew up in a world where people with German sounding names or who were of obvious Japanese descent were held in suspicion. I even remember when I was maybe seven, when a friend and I were playing with a toy metal tank. The turret came off and my friend's dad picked it up, saw that it was made from and inverted Maxwell House Coffee can and it said, "Made in Japan," and he threw it out! My friend's dad was a U.S. Marine who saw action at Guadalcanal during the war. We, my friend and I, had no idea what his dad was so upset about. I remember dating, later marrying a woman whose maiden name, which I won't disclose here, was discussed by my parents when I first met her. Her family had said they were Swiss, but my parents were sure they just didn't want it known that they were probably of German descent. Crazy!
But it served to create in me a fascination with WWII and how it happened and how did this one diminutive man almost achieve world domination? I read so many books on WWII but never had the chance to read things from the German side. This book is the first of two volumes of interviews with soldiers who were on the German front during D Day. The actual interviewer was the father of the man who edited these books.
He did an excellent job. If you are a student of history, this is a must. They say the history books are written by the victors, but this book and its companion volume present a compelling view of what it was like to suddenly see this enormous armada coming onto the beach, to hear of the terror that offshore shelling by Allied battleships and cruisers unleashed for hours before and during the assault. Many of the interviewees are quite honest in how frightened and confused they were. In volume one, some even speak of what happened when they were captured and taken as prisoners. It turns out that many were sent to England and/or the United States, were treated very well, and some even stayed!
No bones about it, this is not a book for the squeamish. There are very graphic descriptions of the damage done to humans and even animals as a result of the assault. There is also, from some, a begrudging admiration for the creativity and tenacity of the Allied forces. I read this book and its companion volume very quickly. It is well organized and is not edited down to make it a "nice" read. This book is about the horror of combat, the confusion of war and the bravery of men on both sides The reader can almost hear the explosions, smell the cordite and sweat in the bunkers. Highest recommendation, but not for the squeamish.
But it served to create in me a fascination with WWII and how it happened and how did this one diminutive man almost achieve world domination? I read so many books on WWII but never had the chance to read things from the German side. This book is the first of two volumes of interviews with soldiers who were on the German front during D Day. The actual interviewer was the father of the man who edited these books.
He did an excellent job. If you are a student of history, this is a must. They say the history books are written by the victors, but this book and its companion volume present a compelling view of what it was like to suddenly see this enormous armada coming onto the beach, to hear of the terror that offshore shelling by Allied battleships and cruisers unleashed for hours before and during the assault. Many of the interviewees are quite honest in how frightened and confused they were. In volume one, some even speak of what happened when they were captured and taken as prisoners. It turns out that many were sent to England and/or the United States, were treated very well, and some even stayed!
No bones about it, this is not a book for the squeamish. There are very graphic descriptions of the damage done to humans and even animals as a result of the assault. There is also, from some, a begrudging admiration for the creativity and tenacity of the Allied forces. I read this book and its companion volume very quickly. It is well organized and is not edited down to make it a "nice" read. This book is about the horror of combat, the confusion of war and the bravery of men on both sides The reader can almost hear the explosions, smell the cordite and sweat in the bunkers. Highest recommendation, but not for the squeamish.
September 13, 2018
Mixed feelings about this, interesting enough to read although it does get a little repetitive across the five interviews. However the further I got through the more I questioned whether or not it was actual non-fiction. So I started looking and it appears others have had the same thought.
All five interviewees have a very similar narrative voice, and I really questioned how they remembered the events in the way they did and detail they did a decade later. This could be down to heavy editing by the author or his father (the interviewer) but I, and others, are unsure as there’s little information available. Some have also discussed in Amazon reviews that some of the weapons and geography discussed may not be entirely accurate either. I don’t have enough knowledge to say, but maybe something to keep in mind if you were planning on reading it.
All five interviewees have a very similar narrative voice, and I really questioned how they remembered the events in the way they did and detail they did a decade later. This could be down to heavy editing by the author or his father (the interviewer) but I, and others, are unsure as there’s little information available. Some have also discussed in Amazon reviews that some of the weapons and geography discussed may not be entirely accurate either. I don’t have enough knowledge to say, but maybe something to keep in mind if you were planning on reading it.
August 8, 2017
This book will change the way you think about war. One arbitrary atrocity after another, this book tells it like it is. It's random. It's horrendously random. It's randomly horrendous. Based on interviews of German soldiers who fought in France on June 6 1944, it's a surprisingly dispassionate series of accounts. But the clinical detachment does nothing to hide the brutal horror of it all. Pair with Keegan's more academic, more thoughtful "The Face of Battle" for a transformative synthesis.
February 12, 2021
Nors istoriją rašo laimėtojai, bet visuomet nuodinga žinoti, ką sako ir kitoji pusė.
Tai keletos vokiečių kareivių pasakojimas apie D-Day įvykius. Jie gan smulkiai ir detaliai pasidalina ne tik detalėmis, bet ir emocijomis, kurios vyravo tą dieną.
Buvo įdomu sužinoti, kokios mintys sukosi jų galvose, kuomet Sąjungininkai pradėjo puolimą. Buvo įdomu sužinoti, ką jie galvojo apie karą.
Ir dar kartą supratau, kad karas pats didžiausias šūdas gyvenime
Tai keletos vokiečių kareivių pasakojimas apie D-Day įvykius. Jie gan smulkiai ir detaliai pasidalina ne tik detalėmis, bet ir emocijomis, kurios vyravo tą dieną.
Buvo įdomu sužinoti, kokios mintys sukosi jų galvose, kuomet Sąjungininkai pradėjo puolimą. Buvo įdomu sužinoti, ką jie galvojo apie karą.
Ir dar kartą supratau, kad karas pats didžiausias šūdas gyvenime
December 30, 2018
Edit: there’s a problem here with sourcing and editorial clarity that makes it seem dishonest in the printing. Namely, it appears to be a very entertaining and convincing fraud - one that is perhaps still worth reading. Take what follows in my review with several grains of salt, and note that if not for the editorial/publishing irregularities, this would be a five-star review.
A quick but important look at how things seemed from the German side of the battles that took place on D Day, this is a book I’d recommend. One must read it of course taking the views expressed by the soldiers interviewed in the context of their propagandistic environments. That alone makes this a fascinating read.
(In particular, the very fact that specific and identical nazi propaganda talking points are still used by conspiracy theorists today is something I didn’t realize before reading this book. I’ve been to holocaust museums, memorials, and sites throughout the US, Germany, and elsewhere in Europe, and I’ve read many books about the Nazis and about WW2 broadly, but this was a point that just dawned on me while I read this book.)
I was shocked and appalled, as one might expect, by the frank and graphic descriptions of violent experiences, and I am glad that I’ve read about them from the point of view of soldiers on the other side, as it were. They were human beings who experienced fear, confusion, anger, sadness, etc. during the battles I’ve only really seen portrayed from the Allied soldiers’ point of view.
I think this is a book any well-informed person should read.
A quick but important look at how things seemed from the German side of the battles that took place on D Day, this is a book I’d recommend. One must read it of course taking the views expressed by the soldiers interviewed in the context of their propagandistic environments. That alone makes this a fascinating read.
(In particular, the very fact that specific and identical nazi propaganda talking points are still used by conspiracy theorists today is something I didn’t realize before reading this book. I’ve been to holocaust museums, memorials, and sites throughout the US, Germany, and elsewhere in Europe, and I’ve read many books about the Nazis and about WW2 broadly, but this was a point that just dawned on me while I read this book.)
I was shocked and appalled, as one might expect, by the frank and graphic descriptions of violent experiences, and I am glad that I’ve read about them from the point of view of soldiers on the other side, as it were. They were human beings who experienced fear, confusion, anger, sadness, etc. during the battles I’ve only really seen portrayed from the Allied soldiers’ point of view.
I think this is a book any well-informed person should read.
June 30, 2015
Redundant
Interesting for a while, but the story of the five episodes were essentially the same with only minor details changing as the book progresses.
Interesting for a while, but the story of the five episodes were essentially the same with only minor details changing as the book progresses.
November 1, 2017
This book gave to me exactly what I was looking for when I read the description, the Normandy invasion through German eyes. When I read about Normandy, which is usually my go to timeframe, I often wonder what the Germans were thinking during that time. While this is a small sample of five German Soldiers telling their story, it gets the point across on what they felt, what they saw, and which direction they felt the war was going before, as well as after the war. I highly recommend for anyone looking to gain another perspective on the Normandy invasion.
August 25, 2025
It's amazing to hear from the German soldiers' perspective of what happened on D Day and what they thought of it.
April 17, 2019
Collection of five interviews of German soldiers who were defending Normandy on D-Day conducted by the author's father. (Allegedly!)
I don't know how to treat this book. I liked it at first, but it seemed a little suspicious. All soldiers are ideologically the same, meaning they tell the same stories and it is a bit repetitive. Interviewer, almost always, asks whether what they did in the war was bad and their answers are similar - they say that the Allies were invading and it's honorable duty of the soldier to defend his position (i'm paraphrasing their exact words, but this is what they mean). And they are quick to point out incredible scenes of Allied troops committing atrocities - I'm sure Allied troops committed horrible atrocities but it's improbable that each soldier interviewed saw those atrocities and describes them very vividly and a little in Hollywood style. Actually the whole book reads like a Hollywood plot. But the book doesn't drive a particular narrative, that is interviewed soldiers also say that they were treated well by Allies as prisoners—they cater to all audiences (this is probably why they have suspiciously high rankings for unidentifiable author, and unreviewed book). Read in a blog post that there is a a scam, people selling pseudohistoric books - 'memoirs'. It's a business!
I'm not a historian, so i can't vet the technicalities of the stories, for example the tanks or weapons - you could reference the types of technologies in use in stories to some official record of use of those same technologies; soldiers - the interviewees are given name, but it would be great if we could reference them with army records.
I can't find much on the author and also there's not much about the publishing company. The books only published electronically and have high ratings - which would suggest that they would be reviewed by some credible historian somewhere on the internet, but there's nothing. The same publishing company has issued many books on the same genre, all their authors are unidentifiable, they are published electronically, high scores on amazon, and there's no trace of review by historians. Highly recommend to check out this reddit post, the first response: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorian...
I don't know how to treat this book. I liked it at first, but it seemed a little suspicious. All soldiers are ideologically the same, meaning they tell the same stories and it is a bit repetitive. Interviewer, almost always, asks whether what they did in the war was bad and their answers are similar - they say that the Allies were invading and it's honorable duty of the soldier to defend his position (i'm paraphrasing their exact words, but this is what they mean). And they are quick to point out incredible scenes of Allied troops committing atrocities - I'm sure Allied troops committed horrible atrocities but it's improbable that each soldier interviewed saw those atrocities and describes them very vividly and a little in Hollywood style. Actually the whole book reads like a Hollywood plot. But the book doesn't drive a particular narrative, that is interviewed soldiers also say that they were treated well by Allies as prisoners—they cater to all audiences (this is probably why they have suspiciously high rankings for unidentifiable author, and unreviewed book). Read in a blog post that there is a a scam, people selling pseudohistoric books - 'memoirs'. It's a business!
I'm not a historian, so i can't vet the technicalities of the stories, for example the tanks or weapons - you could reference the types of technologies in use in stories to some official record of use of those same technologies; soldiers - the interviewees are given name, but it would be great if we could reference them with army records.
I can't find much on the author and also there's not much about the publishing company. The books only published electronically and have high ratings - which would suggest that they would be reviewed by some credible historian somewhere on the internet, but there's nothing. The same publishing company has issued many books on the same genre, all their authors are unidentifiable, they are published electronically, high scores on amazon, and there's no trace of review by historians. Highly recommend to check out this reddit post, the first response: https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorian...
July 15, 2020
If you really want to know history it's necessary to see both sides of a conflict. The book is a collection of memories of those tasked with defending Hitler's realm from the invasion of the Western Allies- we all know the outcome, but few books ever really focus on history as the losers saw it. One nice thing about this book is there's no real interviews with fanatical Nazis- with the exception of the book's final interview, with a soldier who describes a failed "doomsday weapon" most all of the interviews in the book deal with front line grunts tasked to "beat back the invasion at the beaches." Although those in more inland outfits realized the front line was rather expendable (in a manner much like the first wave of invaders were for the invasion's planners) those holding the resistance points on that overwhelming morning did so not necc. out of any personal loyalty to Hitler, but to their role as... grunts. The awful thing about wars is that they take normal teenage boys and throw them up against each other, & ALL those boys would probably have more likely just not been there to begin with. But in the aftermath of defeat, the voices of losers rarely count for much, when the tide of public opinion has washed away, they are all still just lonely, broken, traumatized teenagers. "Men" by their endurance of appalling and horrifying moments of combat, but still -vulnerable humans thrust into circumstances by others far away who are safe from the guts and grit of real life in wartime. Nobody can defend the cause of the Third Reich, but you can have sympathy for the kids sent out to face the wrath of the kids that were sent to defeat them.
One great unanswered question this book raises- what happened to all the Russians who had been sent (after surrender to the Germans) to fight on the Normandy coast? There are no stories from Russian "ostlander" soldiers here, partially perhaps, because they were all led away as POWs in the following weeks and repatriated to the Soviet Union, where they were, it's believed, they were immediately executed. Tyranny was the order of the day in Europe during those years. It's books like these which leave these questions int he minds of readers that eventually do the most good toward helping us understand what we need to do to change the almost universal idea that humans are, at base, warlike, destructive, violent creatures.
One great unanswered question this book raises- what happened to all the Russians who had been sent (after surrender to the Germans) to fight on the Normandy coast? There are no stories from Russian "ostlander" soldiers here, partially perhaps, because they were all led away as POWs in the following weeks and repatriated to the Soviet Union, where they were, it's believed, they were immediately executed. Tyranny was the order of the day in Europe during those years. It's books like these which leave these questions int he minds of readers that eventually do the most good toward helping us understand what we need to do to change the almost universal idea that humans are, at base, warlike, destructive, violent creatures.
July 21, 2020
I am a great fan of WWII nonfiction, including military and political history, biography, and memoir, as well as historical fiction of the period. I found this book utterly absorbing, a series of interviews of German soldiers and their first-hand accounts of the events of D-Day. This is not for the faint of heart or those readers who eschew graphic violence. Each of the accounts is intriguing in its own way. The interviewees vary in age, education, experience, and role in the military, but there are common threads which the author discusses in his postscript; not among those of the author, but which I noted, was the wish these men expressed that the stories they told be preserved and not forgotten. Some of the voices seem a bit stilted or reserved, but the reader must keep in mind that these are translations. The account I found most engaging was that of Martin Eineg, a young infantry private stationed in the area of Juno Beach; he was only 17 when he was assigned to the Atlantic Wall in France so, ten years after D-Day when the interview was conducted, he was still well short of thirty. His account is particularly detailed and grisly, and, in the end, he was captured by the British forces and eventually sent to a POW camp in Yorkshire where he was well-treated by his English guards but was threatened by fellow German prisoners who wanted to stage a breakout. Permitted to live outside the camp after a period of good behavior, he lodged with an elderly English woman, and remained in the country voluntarily for two years after the war before returning to Germany. This is the same young man David Eppenstein mentions in his very excellent review who was astonished that the Allies did not need horses or mules for transport.
I'm looking forward to the second book of interviews.
I'm looking forward to the second book of interviews.
March 13, 2019
A fascinating range of interviews of the German army facing the Allied onslaught on D-Day, June 6th 1944. German troops were highly motivated to defend France, and defend a united Europe against the various international forces. This German propaganda was highly effective in mobilising a very determined German defence force. These German troops were also highly surprised by the determination and aggression of the Allied forces, which was strange as they themselves were occupying Western nations but I guess the Nazi propaganda had effectively managed to absolve them of any guilt. In the end, the battle was decided by the overwhelming superiority of the weapons and resources employed by the Allied forces compared to the meagre German forces deployed at the first line of defence.
But the most striking feature of the interviews was the importance of luck in the life of soldiers in combat. The bullet or piece of shrapnel has no associations and no friends, which invokes a great amount of stress among the foot soldiers on both sides, whether German or Allied thus proving to the common enemy for both.....
But the most striking feature of the interviews was the importance of luck in the life of soldiers in combat. The bullet or piece of shrapnel has no associations and no friends, which invokes a great amount of stress among the foot soldiers on both sides, whether German or Allied thus proving to the common enemy for both.....
December 24, 2016
It is always good to see through things from the point of view of others and I think that this book captures this idea very well. In this compilation of interviews one thing that I found to be repeated by the interviewees is that Americans will probably do the same if they were in their place. It is a thought provoking and quite gruesome look at the war.
كتاب فيه مقابلات مع عدة ألمان ممن حاربوا يوم D Day وهو اليوم الي نزلت فيه قوات التحالف الأمريكية في نورمندي لتحرير فرنسا من الإحتلال الألماني، الكتاب فيه وصف لكمية العنف في ساحة المعركة لكن ما شد إنتباهي هو تكرار عدة ممن تم تسجيل مقابلاتهم بأن الأمريكان كانوا ليقوموا بالشيء نفسه إذا ما تبادلوا الأدوار. في ظل كمية المواد الإعلامية التي لا تُعطينا سوى وجهة نظر واحدة للحرب العالمية فإن هذا الكتاب به كمية لا بأس بها من المعلومات لكن من وجهة نظر مختلفة.
كتاب فيه مقابلات مع عدة ألمان ممن حاربوا يوم D Day وهو اليوم الي نزلت فيه قوات التحالف الأمريكية في نورمندي لتحرير فرنسا من الإحتلال الألماني، الكتاب فيه وصف لكمية العنف في ساحة المعركة لكن ما شد إنتباهي هو تكرار عدة ممن تم تسجيل مقابلاتهم بأن الأمريكان كانوا ليقوموا بالشيء نفسه إذا ما تبادلوا الأدوار. في ظل كمية المواد الإعلامية التي لا تُعطينا سوى وجهة نظر واحدة للحرب العالمية فإن هذا الكتاب به كمية لا بأس بها من المعلومات لكن من وجهة نظر مختلفة.
February 12, 2020
Although I have enjoyed reading this book very much, I also found it to be not very credible. Starting with the first story. I decided to give it a chance and the book became interesting and the other stories are a bit more convincing.
The cues that led me to think this was the way the same stories were narrated. All of them not only have the same political views as they emphasize this almost as an excuse for serving the Wehrmacht. They all also mention in a very specific way that there were no Lufftwave planes supporting them and almost all of them have to depict some sort of war crime they witnessed at some point. There is a chance these were questions the reporter asked at the time for all of them and those questions were not explicitly mentioned in the text.
I'll give it 3 stars because I enjoyed it, but I'm not sure if I'll ever pick up volume two of this book.
The cues that led me to think this was the way the same stories were narrated. All of them not only have the same political views as they emphasize this almost as an excuse for serving the Wehrmacht. They all also mention in a very specific way that there were no Lufftwave planes supporting them and almost all of them have to depict some sort of war crime they witnessed at some point. There is a chance these were questions the reporter asked at the time for all of them and those questions were not explicitly mentioned in the text.
I'll give it 3 stars because I enjoyed it, but I'm not sure if I'll ever pick up volume two of this book.
April 7, 2017
I've always been curious to hear about German side of the war, I'm tired of the whole media demonizing Germans when they, as the Americans, British and rest of the allies, were mostly just soldiers performing their duties for their country. These were not SS soldiers and maybe most or many of them didn't even know how crazy was Hitler and maybe never even supported de Nazis.
This book is a great piece of story that should be read by more and more people so we can have a better understanding of the pain and awfulness of both sides in a war, and become citizens of the world, rather than being the nationalistic pricks most of us are.
This book is a great piece of story that should be read by more and more people so we can have a better understanding of the pain and awfulness of both sides in a war, and become citizens of the world, rather than being the nationalistic pricks most of us are.
August 18, 2020
Oh boy. At first I fell for it and gave this four stars. Years after reading it I happened upon its listing here and realised it's published by Sprech Media. Now Sprech media is known to publish war porn and nazi propaganda as history, so I gave it another look. Sure enough, this one is fake too...
More details:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
https://nypost.com/2019/05/11/experts...
More details:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
https://nypost.com/2019/05/11/experts...
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