A review by tonyfrobisher
Storm of Steel by Ernst Jünger
5.0
Brutal, unflinching and raw account of World War 1
Ernst Jünger's graphic, unflinching, gutteral and brutal account of his experiences as a soldier / officer in the trenches and key battles of World War 1 in Flander's fields.
The writing is unapologetic as it records in explicit detail the horrific bombardments, killing and gruesome end for so many on both sides. It is not a comfortable read, nor an enjoyable one in any sense. Nor should it be. Of all the literature surrounding warfare Storm of Steel has to be one of the most important and accurate accounts. A sobering treatise that shows the utter futility of combat, the cheapness of human life in conflict, the abandonment of the norms of civilization.
Jünger became a controversial figure, lauded by the Nazi Party, Storm of Steel providing a rallying cry for patrotism and honour. However, Jünger's account should not be dismissed for how it was appropriated. His writing, his experience of warfare close up, is something that should have served as a lesson to humanity.
You feel every bullet and shrapnel wound. You hear the rumble of drumfire artillery shelling, you can smell the gas wafting through the trenches. It is a powerful and unforgettable book.
It is a hard book to read, gut wrenching and shocking. As with All Quiet on the Western Front, it is a book you wish should never have been written, but as a record of that most terrible of wars, it is incredible Jünger survived countless injuries to write it. And it an important testament to the madness of men at a pivotal time in recent history.
Niemals wieder. Never again. Though sadly a little over 2 decades later, the world was ripped apart by war again.
Recommended, if you have a strong stomach and an interest in WW1 and the counterpoint of the German soldier's experience.
Ernst Jünger's graphic, unflinching, gutteral and brutal account of his experiences as a soldier / officer in the trenches and key battles of World War 1 in Flander's fields.
The writing is unapologetic as it records in explicit detail the horrific bombardments, killing and gruesome end for so many on both sides. It is not a comfortable read, nor an enjoyable one in any sense. Nor should it be. Of all the literature surrounding warfare Storm of Steel has to be one of the most important and accurate accounts. A sobering treatise that shows the utter futility of combat, the cheapness of human life in conflict, the abandonment of the norms of civilization.
Jünger became a controversial figure, lauded by the Nazi Party, Storm of Steel providing a rallying cry for patrotism and honour. However, Jünger's account should not be dismissed for how it was appropriated. His writing, his experience of warfare close up, is something that should have served as a lesson to humanity.
You feel every bullet and shrapnel wound. You hear the rumble of drumfire artillery shelling, you can smell the gas wafting through the trenches. It is a powerful and unforgettable book.
It is a hard book to read, gut wrenching and shocking. As with All Quiet on the Western Front, it is a book you wish should never have been written, but as a record of that most terrible of wars, it is incredible Jünger survived countless injuries to write it. And it an important testament to the madness of men at a pivotal time in recent history.
Niemals wieder. Never again. Though sadly a little over 2 decades later, the world was ripped apart by war again.
Recommended, if you have a strong stomach and an interest in WW1 and the counterpoint of the German soldier's experience.