What do you think?
Rate this book
Copse 125: A Chronicle from the Trench Warfare of 1918
Libro usado en buenas condiciones, por su antiguedad podria contener señales normales de uso
264 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1925
20 people are currently reading
309 people want to read
About the author
Ernst Jünger
251 books906 followersErnst Jünger was a decorated German soldier and author who became famous for his World War I memoir Storm of Steel. The son of a successful businessman and chemist, Jünger rebelled against an affluent upbringing and sought adventure in the Wandervogel, before running away to briefly serve in the French Foreign Legion, an illegal act. Because he escaped prosecution in Germany due to his father's efforts, Junger was able to enlist on the outbreak of war. A fearless leader who admired bravery above all else, he enthusiastically participated in actions in which his units were sometimes virtually annihilated. During an ill-fated German offensive in 1918 Junger's WW1 career ended with the last and most serious of his many woundings, and he was awarded the Pour le Mérite, a rare decoration for one of his rank.
Junger served in World War II as captain in the German Army. Assigned to an administrative position in Paris, he socialized with prominent artists of the day such as Picasso and Jean Cocteau. His early time in France is described in his diary Gärten und Straßen (1942, Gardens and Streets). He was also in charge of executing younger German soldiers who had deserted. In his book Un Allemand à Paris , the writer Gerhard Heller states that he had been interested in learning how a person reacts to death under such circumstances and had a morbid fascination for the subject.
Jünger appears on the fringes of the Stauffenberg bomb plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler (July 20, 1944). He was clearly an inspiration to anti-Nazi conservatives in the German Army, and while in Paris he was close to the old, mostly Prussian, officers who carried out the assassination attempt against Hitler. He was only peripherally involved in the events however, and in the aftermath suffered only dismissal from the army in the summer of 1944, rather than execution.
In the aftermath of WW2 he was treated with some suspicion as a closet Nazi. By the latter stages of the Cold War his unorthodox writings about the impact of materialism in modern society were widely seen as conservative rather than radical nationalist, and his philosophical works came to be highly regarded in mainstream German circles. Junger ended his extremely long life as a honoured establishment figure, although critics continued to charge him with the glorification of war as a transcending experience.
Junger served in World War II as captain in the German Army. Assigned to an administrative position in Paris, he socialized with prominent artists of the day such as Picasso and Jean Cocteau. His early time in France is described in his diary Gärten und Straßen (1942, Gardens and Streets). He was also in charge of executing younger German soldiers who had deserted. In his book Un Allemand à Paris , the writer Gerhard Heller states that he had been interested in learning how a person reacts to death under such circumstances and had a morbid fascination for the subject.
Jünger appears on the fringes of the Stauffenberg bomb plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler (July 20, 1944). He was clearly an inspiration to anti-Nazi conservatives in the German Army, and while in Paris he was close to the old, mostly Prussian, officers who carried out the assassination attempt against Hitler. He was only peripherally involved in the events however, and in the aftermath suffered only dismissal from the army in the summer of 1944, rather than execution.
In the aftermath of WW2 he was treated with some suspicion as a closet Nazi. By the latter stages of the Cold War his unorthodox writings about the impact of materialism in modern society were widely seen as conservative rather than radical nationalist, and his philosophical works came to be highly regarded in mainstream German circles. Junger ended his extremely long life as a honoured establishment figure, although critics continued to charge him with the glorification of war as a transcending experience.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
February 24, 2017
Having heard of Jünger’s involvement with the Conservative Revolutionary Movement I approached his most famous work “Storm of Steel” especially interested in reading political thoughts that could be seen as pertaining to that movement. My expectations were, however, confounded; although, it didn’t’ take long before I began to appreciate that work for its own peculiar brilliance. Of course one could say that a certain outlook pervades that work subtextually – one could even call it that volume’s main strength – however my expectations were for something more explicit.
It was here, with “Copse 125”, that I found what I was initially looking for. The Jünger encountered here is more incendiary – more forthwith, even more vitalic – which makes sense given “Storm of Steel” was revised throughout Jünger’s lifetime while the text of “Copse 125” (from 1925) has been allowed to come down to us from the in-the-thick-of-it moment in which it was written. We find a youthful Jünger with hope for the future and his fatherland in these pages. He is still using the literary device of diary entries but he now allows space for philosophical observations of considerable length.
Incidentally, it was during my reading of “Copse 125” that I became aware of just how much Jünger’s style owes to the intellectual milieu surrounding the German Youth Movement and its focus on Erlebnis(Experience). Indeed, one could say Jünger took his cue from the Erlebnis journals popular just before the war and made the style his own by taking it into the war experience (For more on the German Youth Movement and ‘Erlebnis’ one should get a hold of Robbert-Jan Adriaansen’s “The Rhythm of Eternity: The German Youth Movement and the Experience of the Past, 1900-1933”).
I’d particularly recommend “Copse 125” to those wanting to understand the mentality of the German junior officers who commanded the Stormtroop detachments during WWI. Jünger sees himself as giving written expression to the spirit of the Stoßtrupp – those elite troops, born of the war, and like him shaped by both their Wandervogel youth and the demands of modern warfare. The military historian will be delighted to find discussion revolving around the German command philosophy of Auftragstaktik – although never explicitly referenced as such. One should begin one's pursuit of Jünger with "Storm of Steel" but "Copse 125" is an important addition – not to mention an exhilarating read.
It was here, with “Copse 125”, that I found what I was initially looking for. The Jünger encountered here is more incendiary – more forthwith, even more vitalic – which makes sense given “Storm of Steel” was revised throughout Jünger’s lifetime while the text of “Copse 125” (from 1925) has been allowed to come down to us from the in-the-thick-of-it moment in which it was written. We find a youthful Jünger with hope for the future and his fatherland in these pages. He is still using the literary device of diary entries but he now allows space for philosophical observations of considerable length.
Incidentally, it was during my reading of “Copse 125” that I became aware of just how much Jünger’s style owes to the intellectual milieu surrounding the German Youth Movement and its focus on Erlebnis(Experience). Indeed, one could say Jünger took his cue from the Erlebnis journals popular just before the war and made the style his own by taking it into the war experience (For more on the German Youth Movement and ‘Erlebnis’ one should get a hold of Robbert-Jan Adriaansen’s “The Rhythm of Eternity: The German Youth Movement and the Experience of the Past, 1900-1933”).
I’d particularly recommend “Copse 125” to those wanting to understand the mentality of the German junior officers who commanded the Stormtroop detachments during WWI. Jünger sees himself as giving written expression to the spirit of the Stoßtrupp – those elite troops, born of the war, and like him shaped by both their Wandervogel youth and the demands of modern warfare. The military historian will be delighted to find discussion revolving around the German command philosophy of Auftragstaktik – although never explicitly referenced as such. One should begin one's pursuit of Jünger with "Storm of Steel" but "Copse 125" is an important addition – not to mention an exhilarating read.
March 29, 2023
"Copse 125" is a short autobiographical book written by Ernst Junger, a German writer and philosopher who served in World War I as a soldier. The book was first published in 1925 and is based on Junger's experiences in the Battle of the Somme in 1916, which was one of the bloodiest battles of World War I.
In "Copse 125," Junger describes in detail his experiences as a young German officer leading a platoon of soldiers into battle. He writes about the horrors of trench warfare, the brutal conditions in which soldiers lived and fought, and the constant fear of death. The book also explores Junger's philosophical reflections on war and the human condition.
Junger's vivid and often poetic descriptions of the battle and its aftermath have made "Copse 125" a classic of World War I literature. The book is notable for its unflinching portrayal of the brutality and chaos of war, as well as for its exploration of the psychological and spiritual effects of combat.
GPT
In "Copse 125," Junger describes in detail his experiences as a young German officer leading a platoon of soldiers into battle. He writes about the horrors of trench warfare, the brutal conditions in which soldiers lived and fought, and the constant fear of death. The book also explores Junger's philosophical reflections on war and the human condition.
Junger's vivid and often poetic descriptions of the battle and its aftermath have made "Copse 125" a classic of World War I literature. The book is notable for its unflinching portrayal of the brutality and chaos of war, as well as for its exploration of the psychological and spiritual effects of combat.
GPT
June 13, 2016
Some of Ernst Junger's work on war deals with the sometimes terrifying, sometimes prosaic and dull realities of the life of a soldier in a trench. Other of Junger's books on war deal with the effects of war on the psyche and the soul. "Copse 125" gives one a hearty sampling of both types of chronicle. The book intersperses "Tagebuch"-style entries on various troop maneuvers, movements, and ration issues with deep philosophical ruminations on how a select breed of men (Junger channels Nietzsche quite a bit) molded in the forge of combat will go on to shape the future of the German nation.
Junger's usual themes of technology and spiritual fortitude in the face of mounting materialist/nihilist philosophy are well on display. There are some musings on how not just the titular copse in question may be ceded to the enemy, but that the Great War might in fact be lost by Deutschland. Junger assures the reader (and perhaps himself) repeatedly that this loss will not be without its own intrinsic meaning or glory. As usual with Junger, there are some ominous grumblings about race that are problematic for many readers and those eager to pretend he had no common ground with the Nazis (he did, even though he wasn't a Nazi), but readers with the hindsight of half a century of German history shouldn't let Junger's occasional "ubermensch" rants blind them to the brilliance of his prose or the keenness of his thinking. Recommended for fans/students of Junger. First-time readers might want to start elsewhere, though.
Junger's usual themes of technology and spiritual fortitude in the face of mounting materialist/nihilist philosophy are well on display. There are some musings on how not just the titular copse in question may be ceded to the enemy, but that the Great War might in fact be lost by Deutschland. Junger assures the reader (and perhaps himself) repeatedly that this loss will not be without its own intrinsic meaning or glory. As usual with Junger, there are some ominous grumblings about race that are problematic for many readers and those eager to pretend he had no common ground with the Nazis (he did, even though he wasn't a Nazi), but readers with the hindsight of half a century of German history shouldn't let Junger's occasional "ubermensch" rants blind them to the brilliance of his prose or the keenness of his thinking. Recommended for fans/students of Junger. First-time readers might want to start elsewhere, though.
Currently reading
April 1, 2008Interesting. Juenger adapted entries from his war diary (See "Storm of Steel" for a much fuller account) relating to a week or so that he spent along one stretch of the Western Front in 1918 (after the German Spring Offensive) along with later recollections of events and his postwar thoughts on the significance of the war. The result is not a straight-forward description of his war experience. Juenger's radical right philosophy comes through at multiple points; in his considerations of liberalism and democracy, in his social darwinist vision of war, his fervent nationalism combined with disdain for traditional elites and bourgeois order, and in his constant harkening to a particular model of warrior heroism (the soldier without nerves who sacrifices himself for the nation and who overcomes an enemy's material advantages through sheer will.) Interesting document overall, both as a description of trench warfare in WWI and for the window it provides into the intellectual world of the postwar radical right.
December 24, 2012
Junger was a soldier in the Imperial German Army serving during most of the WWI. In this work, Junger expands upon his journal entries towards the end of the war by presenting his own reflections. This work provides a great insight into some of the driving forces of WWI such as a strong ultra-nationalist sentiment and social Darwinism.
August 5, 2023
Really well articulated account of WWI through the eyes of a German soldier.
June 2, 2022
"Ogni volta che incomincio a scrivere su uno di questi esili quaderni che si possono così facilmente infilare in un tascapane, mi viene da pensare che, forse, non farò scorrere la matita sull'ultima pagina."
Ho percepito 'Boschetto 125' come una naturale continuazione di 'Nelle tempeste d'acciaio', l'immortale cronaca di Ernst Jünger della prima guerra mondiale sul fronte occidentale. Attraverso questo libro, Jünger mette a disposizione del lettore una lente d'ingrandimento attraverso la quale le ultime settimane di guerra vengono descritte con maggiore dettaglio, nell'ambientazione del Boschetto, familiare se si conosce l'opera principale.
La narrazione è impetuosa e razionale, ma nella sua natura di diario riesce a far vivere e rivivere nell'istante il momento della battaglia.
Non mancano riflessioni politiche e filosofiche sul senso della guerra e sull'approccio dell'uomo verso di essa: i soldati veterani e i nuovi arrivati la affrontano in maniera molto differente, come si vedrà, ma una cosa li accomuna: il senso di atterrimento nei confronti della morte. Jünger, differentemente dal suo solito, stavolta si lascia andare anche a considerazioni e giudizi più personali su alcuni dei suoi soldati: devo ammettere di esser rimasto sorpreso.
In questo libro, Jünger ci dimostra concretamente l'importanza dei diari: nonostante molti soldati cominciassero la guerra annotando le proprie esperienze su carta, i più abbandonavano gli appunti dopo poche pagine, sopraffatti dalla miscela di emozioni dei combattimenti. La perseveranza di Jünger invece è da apprezzare e imitare: i tratti di matita regolari tracciati nella quiete della tregua si alternano ai segni scomposti e distorti lasciati durante i bombardamenti: entrambi, però, sono fondamentali per il ricordo, la memoria e la comprensione delle dinamiche più intime dell'animo di un combattente al fronte.
Ho percepito 'Boschetto 125' come una naturale continuazione di 'Nelle tempeste d'acciaio', l'immortale cronaca di Ernst Jünger della prima guerra mondiale sul fronte occidentale. Attraverso questo libro, Jünger mette a disposizione del lettore una lente d'ingrandimento attraverso la quale le ultime settimane di guerra vengono descritte con maggiore dettaglio, nell'ambientazione del Boschetto, familiare se si conosce l'opera principale.
La narrazione è impetuosa e razionale, ma nella sua natura di diario riesce a far vivere e rivivere nell'istante il momento della battaglia.
Non mancano riflessioni politiche e filosofiche sul senso della guerra e sull'approccio dell'uomo verso di essa: i soldati veterani e i nuovi arrivati la affrontano in maniera molto differente, come si vedrà, ma una cosa li accomuna: il senso di atterrimento nei confronti della morte. Jünger, differentemente dal suo solito, stavolta si lascia andare anche a considerazioni e giudizi più personali su alcuni dei suoi soldati: devo ammettere di esser rimasto sorpreso.
In questo libro, Jünger ci dimostra concretamente l'importanza dei diari: nonostante molti soldati cominciassero la guerra annotando le proprie esperienze su carta, i più abbandonavano gli appunti dopo poche pagine, sopraffatti dalla miscela di emozioni dei combattimenti. La perseveranza di Jünger invece è da apprezzare e imitare: i tratti di matita regolari tracciati nella quiete della tregua si alternano ai segni scomposti e distorti lasciati durante i bombardamenti: entrambi, però, sono fondamentali per il ricordo, la memoria e la comprensione delle dinamiche più intime dell'animo di un combattente al fronte.
November 20, 2010
I'll admit right off the bat I am a "Storm of Steel" guy. I read it first and was sucked right in. I picked this book up thinking it would prove more of the same but was quite mistaken. I believe the book has merit in that it explores a multitude of experiences and ideas he had perculating in his head. His ideas on the future warrior and the new wave of military hardware are rather uncanny and farseeing. It was enjoyable reading his ideas on leadership and know from personal experience he is right on. Irregardless the book is slow and choppy compared to "storm of steel" so if you intend to read this be prepared for the differences and enjoy the book for what it is.
November 16, 2019
Molto bello, perso sul treno, e ricomprato subito per continuare a leggerlo. Un "Nelle Tempeste di Acciaio" in piccolo. Appassionante. Se qualcuno si volesse avvicinare a Junger, da leggere prima del classico "Nelle..." per testare il genere, di cui racchiude tutti gli elementi.
February 26, 2021
Jünger at his most radical. This book is less about Jünger’s personal experience of warfare and more about his political ideas. He uses the setting of 2 weeks at the end of 1918 as a backdrop to describe a variety of topics in german politics, as well as providing wonderful anecdotes about the type of men he met during the war, and their future in peacetime. He confronts anti-war intellectuals (“literary fellows”) throughout the book, and those who advocate “reason” in warfare as well. Indeed one of the primary themes throughout the entire book is what he describes as Blood vs Brains. Emotion vs Reason. Instinct vs thinking. As one might expect he sides decisively with the blood. The book is thoroughly political, but also German. His continuous references to all types of German culture fascinated me, especially his chapter on Hermann Löns. He writes these little cut away chapters about little things like this throughout the book, and they add a tremendous amount of charm.. Perhaps the most incredible part of the book is Jüngers incredibly clear sighted vision of the future. The man practically perfectly predicts the course of world war 2, especially pertaining the blitzkreig and tanks and aircraft having the central role. The book is also inspiring, Jünger frequently is empowering and only a literary fellow with no blood cannot feel this deeply.
October 19, 2022
In sostanza un appendici di _Nelle tempeste d'acciaio_: il resoconto di una battaglia nell'ultimo anno di guerra. Seppur più cupo e realista delle altre sue opere precedenti permangono elementi auto-mitologizzanti e in parte (seppur in misura minore) l'apatia verso il mondo; tutto ciò, unito ad uno stile di scrittura ancora più frenetico, aggiunge un livello di astrattezza quasi metafisico a questo resoconto. Per completisti di Junger.
August 15, 2023
Junger is an example of a philosophic warrior. I enjoyed Copse 125 just as much if not more than Storm of Steel. Jungers memoirs seem to traverse the space time continuum and are very relatable even to this very day and age. Highly recommended and saluted.
October 4, 2021
El sudor cuenta en primera persona los sufrimientos especialmente psicológicos de la guerrera en una trinchera. Un libro realmente bueno por la realidad que transmite a través de sus páginas.
January 18, 2016
Another Great War memoir by Ernst Junger -- this one based on his 1918 experiences at Copse 125, known to the Allies as Rossignol Wood. There was a lot of flowery exposition of the greatness and superiority of the German spirit, so much that you could see the tender green shoots of Nazism sprouting at the base of every word. But he also got down to brass tacks concerning his combat experience, some of it quite hair-raising. After 4 years of that sort of brutality, I'd have to say he earned his sense of pride, many times over. This is a powerful glimpse, not only into what fighting that war was like, but how the soldiers fighting it made sense of it.
June 26, 2014
A fascinating memoir by a German soldier serving in the trenches in 1918 that is particularly revealing of Juenger's radical right philosophy, his social Darwinist vision of war, his fervent nationalism, and in his constant musings about a particular model of warrior heroism.
April 30, 2017
Titre en français : le boqueteau 125. En d'autres termes une petite colline du nord de la France prise et reprise cinquante fois par les deux camps vers la fin de la guerre en 1918. Qui permet à l'auteur de continuer son évocation de la première guerre. Aussi bon qu'Orages d'acier.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews