Blood Red Snow

The Memoirs of a German Soldier on the Eastern Front

By: Günter K. Koschorrek

Narrated by: Nigel Patterson

Length: 9 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

Gunter Koschorrek wrote his illicit diary on any scraps of paper he could lay his hands on. As keeping a diary was strictly forbidden, he sewed the pages into the lining of his thick winter coat and deposited them with his mother on infrequent trips home on leave. The diary went missing, and it was when he was reunited with his daughter in America some 40 years later that it came to light and became Blood Red Snow.

The author was a keen recruit at initial training, and his excitement at the first encounter with the enemy in the Russian Steppe is obvious. The horror and confusion of fighting in the streets of Stalingrad are brought to life by his descriptions of the others in his unit; their differing manners and techniques for dealing with the squalor and death. He is also posted to Romania and Italy, assignments he remembers fondly compared to his time on the Eastern Front.

This book stands as a memorial to the huge numbers on both sides who did not survive and is, over five decades later, the fulfillment of a responsibility he feels to honor the memory of those who perished. Gunter K. Koschorrek was a machine-gunner on the Russian front in WWII. He lives in Germany, having retired from his job as managing director of a sales company.

©2002 Greenhill Books (P)2018 Tantor

Brutal, visarel, amazing

An amazing story of a very brave, very lucky man. Narrator should have had a German accent, not British.

Great book marred by reading

Content is interesting, providing the amount of a lot ranking German solider. I am less impressed by the British reader and the accent. It just isn't how i imagine the author, a German, would sound.

amazing story

This was an amazing story that really humanizes the German soldier in WW2. It really shows the unedited mindset that an infantryman had. too often we think of the German soldiers as monsters without realizing that they were people at the end of the day. I couldn't recommend this enough.

Lovers of history will enjoy!

Absolutely stunning! Engaging and interesting story told from a living part of history. History buffs and lovers from all around should give this piece a listen. The performance is spot on and the German annunciation is quite a pleasure to hear. Only problem I have is being a gun-nut, and so to hear the word "kalashnikov" (when really they're more than likely talking about Tokarevs) in a WW2 setting is quite odd. However this only happens maybe 5 or so times throughout the entire book, so it isn't a problem in the slightest. If you love history, military history, WW2 and a great read with a mix of excitement and sorrow, you won't regret listening to this one!

solid

great book not a single complaint gunter seemed like he wished he could have avoided the war

Moving autobiographical account of the Eastern Front

Intimate and personal memoir of a young German soldier sent to fight in Stalingrad during the German invasion of the Soviet union. Told in a series of journal entries, this story examines both the devastating and horrific fighting between the Germans and the Soviets and the internal effects that it has on an individual soldier. Beautifully narrated as well, capturing the voice and stoicism of the author perfectly. I highly recommend for anyone who wants to get a glimpse of WWII through the eyes of a common but thoughtful German soldier.

Finally, His thoughts on war in the final chapter should serve as a warning to all of us of the dangers of demagoguery and patriotic militarism.

I couldn't stop listening

With the story told by a run of the mill, lowly soldier, without any care about the ideology of the third richt and solely fighting to protect himself and his friends I found it incredible. There is no good and bad, its just helleatious warfare between the pawns of two terrible governments.

A very intense book, that really made me pity a group of soldiers I've always considered villains.

Great story terrible narrator

The narrators voice particularly when speaking as someone else is laughable, the story itself was very good however and I recommend it.

excellent narrator

excellent, straight forward narrative of a lowly soldier's war. excellently read. after suffering through so many books with narrators that make common errors that show little understanding of the English language, this narrator is a breath of fresh air.

Grunt’s perspective

Enemy or ally, this is the most accurate telling of a grunts daily life in the service of one’s country.