The Storm of Steel

Junger's excellent diary of four years' war is put down in highly descriptive prose. He never looses sight of the beauties of nature in a time of horror. The comparison with the descriptions of the same tragedy by Graves and Sassoon will not escape the reader. Junger's unflinching love and support of the Motherland shows through until the end. It is easy to compare the values of the three writers under similar conditions. Junger was in constant combat for four years and served in most of the major battles of the Western Front. He was wounded seven times and received the "Pour le Merit" (Blue Max) for his service. The only fault I found with this great book is that he makes it somewhat difficult to relate his descriptions of war in a limited area to the overall engagement. This is the view from the trench as he watched it unfold and is a classic work of military literature.

By the time you get through this the thought of 5 or 6 guys shooting rifles at you seems like no big deal - a bit annoying but no reason to jump in a shell hole or anything. I can't believe anyone survived this war at all- especially 4 years of it. Apparently 1914 to 1918 was no holds barred artillery pounding village leveling madness! And listening to Ernst tell his stories about this attack or that manuever or the hellish clatter of a machine gun is amazing. The whole world must have been making shells and bombs and bullets during this time - the scale of firepower is staggering.

Invigorating, poetic, enlightening.

They broke up chapters of the book with the sounds of artillery and machine gun fire. This made you feel like you were in the trenches. The language was clever and insightful. You felt more respect for those men with every word. Honorable account of the trenches.

The countless times Junger ended up being one of the only men standing when people were being blown up and shot all around him. He counts over 20 holes in his body by the end of the war and somehow survived.

I wouldn't call it a moving story. Junger doesn't delve deeply into emotional aspects of war.

What I found most interesting wasn't the carnage that took place all around this man, but how he regards it. You're listening to someone from another age who thinks in terms of bravery, cowardice, duty, and honor. There's no talk of trauma or PTSD, and it leaves you wondering how they dealt with it back then.

Everything, its a great account from the other side.

The detail of his experience you get the feeling of being there with the great description.

The description of the final offensive of 1918

Never read or heard a WW1 account like this. Outstanding account and highly recommend

I'm not sure I loved anything about Storm of Steel. I feel the word love is out of place in this context. Storm of Steel is a view of World War One from a German soldier. I enjoyed the stark reality of what war is all about

When the lead character first encounter death.

The Lead

If you're lucky you will just get wounded.

Very interesting view from the German side however the overwhelming tone is one of incredible violence which almost becomes the norm, without much sympathy for the individual. Well worth reading if your into the history of Early 20th Century Europe.

This account is completely unlike any history book I've ever read or listened to, especially in regards to the First World War. This account, from the journals of Ernst Junger, is one of the most patriotic accounts of this war I've come across. But Junger is not so much fighting for his country as he is fighting for personal glory that only the thrill of battle can bring.

Interestingly, there's nothing glossy about this account. He tells everything from festering wounds to the actual conditions of trench warfare, and all of the hideousness you'd ever come to expect from the Great War. This account is fast, matter-of-fact, and no holds barred. And yet, it's awkwardly optimistic, as though he didn't understand what was going on. Thing is, he did understand, and he reveled in it. He'd get injured, take leave, recover, and be back on the battlefield seemingly in no time, ready to prove himself all over again. I'd expect this sort of thing if I were reading about Leonidas and the 300 Spartans, or if I were reading about Klingons in a Star Trek novel, but it seems almost unreal here in an historical setting not too far removed from our own time. It's here for you to take in and judge for yourself how it comes across.