Soldat

Reflections of a German Soldier, 1936-1949

By: Siegfried Knappe, Ted Brusaw

Narrated by: John Wray

Length: 12 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

A German soldier during World War II offers an inside look at the Nazi war machine, using his wartime diaries to describe how a ruthless psychopath motivated an entire generation of ordinary Germans to carry out his monstrous schemes.

©1992 Siegfried Knappe Charles T. Brusaw (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Wunderbar!

What did you love best about Soldat?

It is great to get a German soldiers perspective of the war. It is easy to demonize the German military during WWII, but in the end, soldiers are soldiers who take commands and execute them. I often wondered if the soldiers ended up taking on the perspectives of their Nazi leaders. Some did, but what this book confirmed was that war is ugly and evil, but it brings out both the good and the bad. Herr Knappe perspective helped paint a better picture.

What other book might you compare Soldat to and why?

I don't have a frame of reference for this book, but I'm hoping in the future I do. I'm looking into books from the Japanese soldier's perspective of WWII.

Have you listened to any of John Wray’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not listened to any of John Wray's other performances, but I loved his performance here. Never got boring and his accents were great!

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Not all of us agree with evil.

Any additional comments?

This book was well worth my time.

Soldat

Fantastic narrative about war, I loved the book, if you like study or only know about the Second World War don't loose.

German innocence portrayed

Could it be possible for any German, much less a highly intelligent officer in 1945, be unwary of the atrocities taking place? If so, this story defends the nobility and virtue of Germany, save that of its highest official conspirators, through the telling of one of their most respectable and compelling soldiers. The book is one thousand percent entertaining and enjoyable. Want to know the power if propugnada? Listen to this and you’ll soon find yourself on the same ideological side of this Wehrmacht Soldat.

Thoughtful voice and perspective

Well constructed story line, moving forward and backward in time, that tells of a young man coming of age within the German army during WWII. The author is not the common soldier, but one of education and social skills who rises both due to his merits and the war itself. The daily life and honor of the professional military is the focus, giving clear differentiation between being a soldier in the German army and a member of the Nazi Party. Excellent perspective to add for anyone interested in WWII history.

Great story terrible narration

I enjoyed the story although a bit boring in the beginning and also somewhat choppy jumping around but over all great story . Now the narrator was absolutely terrible just awful he seemed bored at times and just trying to get through this . I don't think you should ever hire that guy again he just did a really awful job narrating this book.

if you care at all about ww2 you must listen!

people tend to dehumanize German soldiers in ww2, however most were not evil they were not Nazis, they were human. yes we can ask ourselves why did they follow Hitler's orders, but are we really that different today?
sodat is a story from the other side, and it is best I have ever heard.

Good Book

Great story. The narration is too fast at first to get the book in but it slows down.

Amazing history

I thought this book had amazing historical significance, as a first person narrative of someone who was right at the center of the last days of the Third Reich. As someone who reads a lot of books on WWII I always look for alternative perspectives, especially when it pertains to the Eastern Front. I did question the author's honesty about not knowing anything of Hitler's final solution. I think for most people it seems inconceivable that a plan to exterminate an entire race of people, a plan that was partially carried out on such a horrific and massive scale, could not be known by those higher up in the military. We may never know the truth.

Good factual history

Similar to Hans Von Luck's Panzer Commander. Knappe gives his history in a different style and from a different perspective.

Absolute Must-Listen

This was recommended to me by a friend as a companion read for Guy Sajer's Forgotten Soldier. The Eastern Front from the perspective of an officer. In gripping narrative, Knappe goes beyond the war in describing his life both before and after the war, including his experience in the labor corps, officers academy, and an in-depth description of postwar Russian captivity. Well written and reflective, the book moves along quickly yet is filled with interesting detail and insight.