The Forgotten Soldier

The Forgotten Soldier is an international bestseller that presents a German soldier's first-hand account of life on the Russian front during the second half of World War II. When Guy Sajer joins the infantry, full of ideals in the summer of 1942, the German army is enjoying unparalleled success in Russia. However, he quickly discovers that for the foot soldier, the glory of military success conceals a much harsher reality of hunger, fatigue, and constant deprivation.

Posted to the elite Grosse Deutschland division, with its sadistic instructors who mercilessly shoot down those who fail to make the grade, Sajer enters a violent and remorseless world where all youthful hope is gradually ground down. In this environment, all that matters is the brute will to survive.

As the biting cold of the Russian winter sets in and the tide begins to turn against the Germans, life becomes an endless round of pounding artillery attacks and vicious combat against a relentless and merciless Red Army. This book of stunning force serves as an unforgettable reminder of the horrors of war.