Radio Operator on the Eastern Front

An Illustrated Memoir, 1940-1949

De: Erhard Steiniger, Anthony Tucker-Jones - foreword

Narrado por: Julian Elfer

This is the true and dramatic testimony of a German grenadier during World War II.

Erhard Steiniger joined his Wehrmacht unit on October 12, 1940, as a radio operator, a role which required his constant presence with troops at the Front, right in the midst of combat. On June 22, 1941, he accompanied his division to Lithuania where he experienced the catastrophic first day of Operation Barbarossa.

He later witnessed intense clashes during the conquest of the Baltic islands and the battles leading up to Leningrad on the Volkhov and Lake Ladoga. He describes the retreat from battles in Estonia, Kurland, and East Prussia and his eventual surrender and captivity in Siberia. He finally returned to Germany in October 1949, a broken man.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2019 Verlagshaus Würzburg GmbH & Co, KG, Würzburg Fleschig Verlag; Forward copyright 2020 by Anthony Tucker-Jones; Translation copyright 2020 by Geoffrey Brooks (P)2021 Tantor

very brief novel

While not in my top 5 favorite books on German soldiers on the eastern front it does shed light on a seldom seen side or the war. I do recommend it

Great balance of detail and personal story

The narration and story are equally excellent. His experiences are very interesting. I highly recommend.

Humble insights

love these german memoirs, sharing some of the writers experiences in an environment I cannot begin to comprehend
Thank you for sharing Herr Steiniger

Excellent War Time Diary

A wonderful little book about the struggles of a German soldier on the eastern front. Absolutely ghastly stories of war crimes perpetrated by the Allies at wars end that are virtually erased from history. Apparently you can get away with such things when you win, and the victims are German.

Heartbreaking but Hopeful

One of the shortest German accounts of the war I have read, it is perhaps the single most tragic. I still recommend it highly, because it sheds light on many aspects of the conflict (both during and postwar) that are largely ignored today because they don't support current political ends. It is worth it for the ending, and I feel the account reaches a narrative resolution that most other resources lack. If you are starting to read German war memoirs, please start here.

Brilliant and honest depiction

Refreshingly honest and relatively unbiased depiction of the eastern front. It is criminal what the German soldier endured during and after the war.

Breathtaking

This was a wonderfully narrated account and deeply moving. I’m glad he made it home. Some luck, determination and soul.

The Author Despises the Czechs

Skip the first 45 minutes: it's nothing but bashing the Czechs and other untermenschen. Once you get passed the Germans good / Slavs bad whining, it's a very good story. The author deserved his time in the camps in Siberia.

Great story, mediocre narration

Excellent account of the Eastern front. The terror and many war crimes committed by the Soviets towards the end of the war had me in a rage. The narrator is clear, however very robotic and emotionless. Some moments that should have had a punch of feeling just fall flat as matter of fact. Perhaps that was the intention but it doesn't work.

A must read

Adds another dimension to this dark period of human history.

To each his or her fate.