ADVENTURES IN MY YOUTH: A German Soldier on the Eastern Front 1941-45 [Hardcover]

Armin Scheiderbauer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2003

The author could be described as a 'veteran' in every sense of the word, even though he was only aged 21 when the war ended. Armin Scheiderbauer served as an infantry officer with the 252nd Infantry Division, German Army, and saw four years of bitter combat on the Eastern Front, being wounded six times. This is an outstanding personal memoir, written with great thoughtfulness and honesty.

Scheiderbauer joined his unit during the winter of 1941/42, and during the following years saw fierce combat in many of the largest battles on the Eastern Front. His experiences of the 1943-45 period are particularly noteworthy, including his recollections of the massive Soviet offensives of summer 1944 and January 1945. Participating in the bitter battles in East Prussia, he was captured by the Soviets and not released until 1947.

Adventures in my Youth is a unique memoir - the author originally wrote it only for his daughter. It has never been published in any language, until now.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Armin Scheiderbauer was born in 1924, the son of an evangelical pastor. After attending schools in Thuringia, and Stockerau, he was called up in August 1941. He served with distinction on the Eastern Front until 1945, with 252nd Infantry Division, reached the rank of Oberleutnant, was wounded numerous times, and was awarded the Iron Cross 1st Class and close combat clasp. He was wounded and captured by the Red Army in March 1945, returning home in September 1947. In the postwar years, he became a senior lawyer in Vienna, and continued his close associations with the evangelical church. He married a doctor, and has one daughter, also a doctor! He now

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Helion and Company Ltd (July 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 187462206X
• ISBN-13: 978-1874622062
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,160,348 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good read, October 27, 2003

By 

D. Schafer (Oregon, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: ADVENTURES IN MY YOUTH: A German Soldier on the Eastern Front 1941-45 (Hardcover)

This was a well written and detailed autobiography of a young Austrian's experience in the German Army as an infantry officer on the Eastern Front. He covers his officer training in 1941/42 when the army was still interested in turning out gentlemen as well as competent leaders of men. Armin saw his first action in Russia in 1942 and his last as a badly wounded hospital patient in Danzig in 1945 where he began two years of Soviet captivity.

This book deserved 5-stars, but the publisher did not include any maps! How a reader is suppost to follow a military campaign of movement without maps is beyond me and is the only real flaw of this book. Be warned that the print is small (paperback size), and some photos would have been nice too(there were none). Despite its flaws, it is still a good read.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars German Infantry Officer's Memoirs, February 8, 2005

By 

Michael Slater (Ashburn, VA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: ADVENTURES IN MY YOUTH: A German Soldier on the Eastern Front 1941-45 (Hardcover)

Excellent account of a young platoon leader and company commander's experiences fighting the Russians in WWII. Explains in detail elements of WWII German officer training; one of the reasons the German Army remainded a deadly opponent to the end of the war was the overall high quality of its company grade officers and NCOs. Describes in detail how it felt to be on the receiving end of a massive Soviet artillery barrage and to defend against tank-supported massed infantry assaults. Points out things this officer did right and wrong in combat, and how a young men deal with death in combat. One of the handful of books written from a company grade infantry officer's perspective; most accounts deal with panzer and panzer grenadier units, but this one does not. It focuses on the combat actions of an infantry regiment equipped with horse-drawn waggons for supply and occasionally transportation. Rock solid history of small unit to regimental combat on the Eastern Front in WWII.

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another great German memoir, August 2, 2005

By 

Roger Mangum (San Antonio, Tx.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: ADVENTURES IN MY YOUTH: A German Soldier on the Eastern Front 1941-45 (Hardcover)

What a great read. This is a superbly done memoir that I found to be interresting, informative, humbling and fascinating. It ranks among the best I have read (in my personal opinion) about the German soldier in WW2. I do agree with a previous reader that a lack of photos and maps keeps me from giving it a 5. However, compared to SS Panzergrenadier (a bunch of crap), Adventures in my Youth is absoutely worth the time. Thank you, Armin, for leaving us this narrative.