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The Wind: The Story of Arnald
Have you ever been somewhere you had to be, but didn't belong? Caught up in something so huge there was no escape, yet staying because of a purpose you found?Arnald was born in 1927 Germany and grew up in a defeated country, oppressed by the Versailles Treaty. He experienced the Nazi propaganda that found fertile ground in a country searching for relief. Raised by his great aunt who was born in New York, he learned of American and British culture and the immoral fallacies of the Nazis.He was drafted into the German Wehrmacht at age fifteen and saw things no one should see or experience at any age. In war, everyone loses, and if they are lucky enough to live, they carry unforgettable memories forever.Arnald opened up and agreed to have his story told. I hope you benefit from meeting him.
233 pages, Paperback
Published March 19, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 15, 2022
The title, taken from John 3:8, "The Wind blows where it wishes and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from" symbolizes the unplanned, involuntary involvement of a young German boy as a conscripted soldier in Hitler's army. The author, who was a friend of Arnald's in his later years, captivates the reader with his straightforward descriptions of events as seen through Arnald's eyes with his limited insights into the larger context. It is a unique perspective on World War II, giving the reader new understanding of how moral German boys of good character were drawn into Hitler's diabolical plan.
February 6, 2022
Never Forget
This book is an unforgettable look at the suffering of a boy forced to become not only a man way too young but also a soldier. The author tells Arnald’s odyssey in a style reminiscent of writers of that time. I would give this book ten stars if I could.
This book is an unforgettable look at the suffering of a boy forced to become not only a man way too young but also a soldier. The author tells Arnald’s odyssey in a style reminiscent of writers of that time. I would give this book ten stars if I could.
October 5, 2022
The remarkable book tells the story of a young German going through WWII. It opens in 1945, when 18 year old Arnald, gravely injured, is hoping he’ll be captured by the Allies, his only hope of receiving medicine treatment. What struck me, reading this, is the role and attitude of the reluctant soldier, knowing his cause is unjust, but being forced to fight—the parallel today with the Russians who know they should not be fighting the Ukrainians.
His early life was rough, abandoned by her parents when he was three, but he ended up with a wonderful woman he called Aunt Maybell, or AM. She counteracted the information he was fed as a Hitler Youth, about racial purity and despising Jews, Polish, and Russians. The Germans at
that time, some still stinging from the WWI defeat, were determined to keep their Reich alive. It was a 1000-year-old institution, after all. But, by 1944, the soldiers were being given guns that didn’t work, and treated the injured by wrapped wounds with newspaper. All the while,
herding people to the concentration camps and slaughtering them.
Arnald survived by being wounded, then rescued by a priest and the American Red Cross. He was still very young, 18, and knew English from AM’s teachings, so was treated well in the hospital. When he finally made it back home to AM, though, the life they were faced was grim. They were occupied and given scant rations. And the shame of his country weighed heavily on Arnald.
After the book, I assume, he did make his way to the US, where he met the author. Barbour refused to think that he had led an ordinary life, as he said, and insisted on telling it. We’re all the better for it.
His early life was rough, abandoned by her parents when he was three, but he ended up with a wonderful woman he called Aunt Maybell, or AM. She counteracted the information he was fed as a Hitler Youth, about racial purity and despising Jews, Polish, and Russians. The Germans at
that time, some still stinging from the WWI defeat, were determined to keep their Reich alive. It was a 1000-year-old institution, after all. But, by 1944, the soldiers were being given guns that didn’t work, and treated the injured by wrapped wounds with newspaper. All the while,
herding people to the concentration camps and slaughtering them.
Arnald survived by being wounded, then rescued by a priest and the American Red Cross. He was still very young, 18, and knew English from AM’s teachings, so was treated well in the hospital. When he finally made it back home to AM, though, the life they were faced was grim. They were occupied and given scant rations. And the shame of his country weighed heavily on Arnald.
After the book, I assume, he did make his way to the US, where he met the author. Barbour refused to think that he had led an ordinary life, as he said, and insisted on telling it. We’re all the better for it.
March 16, 2023
There are multiple sides to any event, especially a war of the magnitude of WWII. This story of Arnald gives us the side of the story from those affected by propaganda and a megalomaniac leader. His great aunt is part of the Resistance, though Arnald is only occasionally aware of what she is doing. He begins to believe the propaganda until personal experience teaches him the truth. This story is thought-provoking and very human. It was hard to put it down.
October 7, 2020
The Wind tells the story of a young German boy conscripted into the Nazi army. Through his eyes, we see not only the horrors of war but also the incredible endurance of the human spirit. Arnald's refusal to lose his humanity is a triumph.
I'm not usually a fan of novels about war. But this is more than that. Its hopeful ending is much needed in today's world.
I'm not usually a fan of novels about war. But this is more than that. Its hopeful ending is much needed in today's world.
May 26, 2023
Interesting look at World War II from the perspective of a Hitler Youth recruit. The story comes from an interview with the main character. When we think about WWII, we seldom consider what the German people went through under Hitler's reign. This book provokes readers to examine their beliefs about the war.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews