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Crossing the Sauer: A Memoir of World War II

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I've been reading WWII memoirs for thirty years. In that time I feel I've "seen" it all. Rarely, however, do I come across a book like "Crossing the Sauer," a book that I can't put down until I've read every page. Somewhat short (189 pp.) but chock full of honesty and realism, Felix's story oozes with gut wrenching confession. Too often things get glossed over and former soldiers leave out the juicy details. Mr. Felix, however, has brought his doubts, reluctance and horror at finding himself (trained in the artillery) attached to an infantry unit at the front to the reader's consciousness. It doesn't get any better than this.

Smooth, free-flowing prose and an eye for detail kept me riveted. I got some great laughs out of Felix's re-telling of some of his buddies' adventures, especially the sexual ones. We know those things went on but, until recently, the WWII generation has been reluctant to let the public in on their not-so-delicate tales of prostitutes and willing females. We want the whole story, not just the horror of war stuff.

I was a bit frustrated at not knowing the dates and, more importantly, which unit Mr. Felix served with but these are minor complaints. It would seem that he was with the 5th Infantry Division but one reference mentions the 28th Division, not part of Patton's Third Army, to my knowledge. Maybe he kept these things confidential to protect the participants. The officers, especially, come off looking pretty bad. As a former Marine I was appalled at how they treated the enlisted men. Marine officers and NCOs take care of their men first.

Evidently that wasn't the case in the WWII Army, especially the front line infantry units, full of replacements/draftees and lots of men who really didn't want to be there in the mud, blood and snow. Barely speaking to the lowly privates at best and sacrificing them for their own glory at worst, the higher ranks had no qualms about eating a fresh, hot meal of roasted chicken and baked potatoes under the nose of poor Felix who, while manning the radio, frequently went days without food. Spending up to fifty-two hours on duty without a break, Felix and his fellow "peasants" were at the mercy of the Army's "upper class," condescending, abusive, vainglorious and impervious to the plight of their underlings.

If you want to know what it was like to be drafted into an infantry unit during the war, pick up a copy of "Crossing the Sauer." I think, like me, you'll appreciate the author's honesty, insight and very literate tale.

Crossing The Sauer: A Memoir Of World War II is Charles Reis Felix's staunchly honest and unflinchingly vivid memoir of what it was like to serve in Patton's Army and advancing through the German battlefields of World War II. As memorable, emotional, and brutal as the bloodshed and battles of World War II itself, Crossing The Sauer is a compelling personal testimony and a highly recommended addition to Military History supplemental reading lists and academic reference collections.

This book pulls the reader in with its seemingly simple, lean style. Putting the book down was like stepping back from a great pencil drawing and feeling all the lean gestural lines come together into a wonderfully textured whole. Felix's clipped prose and pastiche of stories lays down a sense of unadorned reality and humanity. A moving book.

"Crossing The Sauer" by Charles Reis Felix.
Subtitled:" A Memoir Of World War II".
Burford Books, Short Hills, NJ, 2002.

This is a well written personal memoir, written the way all personal memoirs should be written: little on the preliminary training, more on the actual combat experiences. This book begins with action in the European Theater of Operations (ETO) in December 1994, the month of the Battle of the Bulge. The author, Charles Reis Felix, launches his story by stating that he was being "shipped" across France in the famous (infamous) boxcars known as 40 and 8s. Shipped like cattle! This iconoclastic attitude continues throughout the entire book. He relates how an Army corporal and two PFCs bilk the replacements out of American money by saying it was against regulations to have American money in France. American dollars had to be traded in for French francs. Welcome to France! Non-coms taking advantage of the new people; ("boots" as we called them in the Navy.)

Trained as artillerymen, Charles Reis Felix and his friends are thrown into the turmoil of the ETO just as the Battle of the Bulge was demanding warm bodies. The author and his friends expected to be assigned to the relative safety of behind-the-lines artillery, but, as usual with the Army, the replacement artillerymen were dispatched up front with the infantry ... despite their technical expertise with the 155mm weapon. SNAFU. The author did not identify his outfit by number or name. Personally, I did not check other books to see which outfit was where in the ETO at such and such a time, as I was more interested in the personal experiences of the writer. The author mentions the Army specialized Training Program (ASTP) on page 30.

For a time, Charles Felix escapes actual front line foxholes by volunteering the information that he was able to operate a radio. As a radioman, Felix worked up with certain officers, for whom he has not much good to report. He describes one officer who, with the intention of getting rid of Felix, sends him up to a dangerous front position. All this because the officer had been seen by Felix in an embarrassing position! Then there is the major, (later in the book), who likes to be first into a newly captured German town. The major would prance and dance and strut his stuff in the town square, so the recently surrendered German officials would obsequiously bow down to him. As they rapidly tracked through Germany, the major always wanted to be first into the town so that he could mince about in the part of the conquering American. This all ceased one day when a Hitler Jugend fired a Panzerfaust at the major's jeep. After that, the major was content to sit in his jeep in the middle of the convoy, protected both front and rear. There was one officer, however, who treated enlisted men, and radioman Felix, fairly well. In fact, he tells the author to go upstairs and enjoy some of the food that the officers are gobbling down. Of course, the "good" officer is quickly killed.

As the war winds down, early April 1945, Felix feels sick. An old German woman looks at him and says, "Krank." (p. 183). He WAS sick. Finally, he is diagnosed as having yellow jaundice, sent to the rear, and flown on a C47 to Paris. The war ended for him.

I wonder if he became sick because the U. S, Army had given him an unapproved vaccine against yellow fever. See: "Mapping Epidemics: A Historical Atlas Of Disease" by Brent Hoff, page 34. According to that reference, the unapproved Army vaccine caused thousands upon thousands of cases of yellow jaundice in American troops.

if charles bukowski (minus all the alcohol intake) had been in world war II, and had written a memoir about it, you probably would have gotten something like this. a fantastic, unpretentious, totally enjoyable book. i wish this author had written more.

The novel Crossing the Sauer is a book based on World War II. You read and learn about the different experiences from a soldier in the war. The man that you read about is Charles Reis Felix himself as he tells you what he encounters being in Europe during WWII. He explains about the hardships he has to face, not only physically but mentally as well. Charley is still young and he is confused on what he really wants in life. When he comes across those "you see your life flash before your eyes" moments, during an attack in Europe, he feels that there's so much more he wants to do with his life but feels trapped now that he is in the army and at war. Charley comes to think that being a soldier you either end up dead, then your life obviously is over with. Or specifically WWII, you spent most of your life over in Europe and by the time you return to the United States you've already missed out on several other opportunities. As he has so much going on in his mind he has to be able to fight the physical challenges and learn how to build up strengths and emotions.

One 9r class reading Crossing the Sauer connects to is mostly The Pearl. In Crossing the Sauer, he learns the value of life and that you need to make the most of it. In The Pearl,

Kino realizes what's important in life, not material things such as what he could get with the pearl. They each have to learn the hard way, Kino and Juana by losing the life of their child, and Charley being in war and seeing that his life could end in almost any minute when they are attacked or at battle.

Personally I did not enjoy the book as well as some other people might have. I liked the topic of WWII but, they go into great detail on war terms that I didn't understand and made me confused. What was good about this book was he talked about different events that had happened to him and to other people in all different countries. They were interesting because you didn't hear much about them and probably wouldn't expect to. I would suggest this book to adults or teenagers. The language and some conversation may not be appropriate for younger children. I'd especially recommend this to anyone that's been part of the army in any because they might be able to relate themselves tot his book.