German Students' War Letters (Pine Street Books) [Paperback]

Philipp Witkop (Author), A. F. Wedd (Translator), Jay Winter (Foreword)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0812218167 | ISBN-13: 978-0812218169 | Publication Date: August 6, 2002

Originally appearing at the same time as the pacifist novel All Quiet on the Western Front, this powerful collection provides a glimpse into the hearts and minds of an enemy that had been thoroughly demonized by the Allied press. Composed by German students who had left their university studies in order to participate in World War I, these letters reveal the struggles and hardships that all soldiers face.

The stark brutality and surrealism of war are revealed as young men from Germany describe their bitter combat and occasional camaraderie with soldiers from many nations, including France, Great Britain, and Russia. Like its companion volume, War Letters of Fallen Englishmen, these letters were carefully selected for their depth of perception, the intensity of their descriptions, and their messages to future generations. "Should these letters help towards the establishment of justice and better understanding between nations," the editor reflects in his introduction, "their deaths will not have been in vain." This edition contains a new foreword by the distinguished World War I historian Jay Winter.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"There is a poignant appeal about the letters owing to the fact that every one of the writers was killed in battle. Some of their descriptions are fine pieces of writing; they all bear the marks of actuality."—Times Literary Supplement

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: German

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Product Details

• Paperback: 408 pages
• Publisher: Pine Street Books (August 6, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812218167
• ISBN-13: 978-0812218169
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #469,757 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best WWI books, January 31, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: German Students' War Letters (Pine Street Books) (Paperback)

This book contains letters written by German soldiers during World War I. Every writer in the book was killed in combat. The letters are, as one would expect, incredibly moving. They also contain some of the most graphic descriptions of battle I have ever read. Many of the letters talk about what war does to those who are religious, while others are just pragmatic attempts to convey the experience of battle to those back home. These letters are important because they show how people under such incredible stress are able to communicate something of value to those they love. I highly recommend this book. It is not sentimental and does not force you to draw conclusions; it simply makes you think about what would you do under the same circumstances. Excellent introduction by Jay Winter as well.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars War Letters, March 6, 2009

By 

Steve R. Johnston "Gica" (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: German Students' War Letters (Pine Street Books) (Paperback)

Wow-what a great book. Letters that will haunt you long after the book has been read and shelved. Pages full of young men yearning to impact the world knowing full-well that their young death is inevitiable. It is difficult imagine the psychic turmoil that comes with sustained bombardment, gas attacks and abolutely vicious hand to hand combat. What rings loud and clear is that thousands of good men-far better than any of us-died horrific deaths, often in isolation-all for absolutely nothing. I am certain the world lost the cure for cancer, the next Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein etc. amongst those brave souls. Read "The Living Unknown Soldier" to get a good idea what it was like to survive WWI and assimilate yourself back into the devastated European civilization.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Window into other minds, March 22, 2007

By 

Stephen Bull - See all my reviews
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This review is from: German Students' War Letters (Pine Street Books) (Paperback)

Contemporary German letters and opinions from World War I are still surprisingly difficult to find in English translation, and this book gives us valuable first hand insights. They are immediate and often fascinating views of war, untouched by subsequent ideas and hindsight. This can be said with confidence, because the original German version was published by way of memorial to its authors who were killed in battle. The only real weakness is that this volume does not cover the whole war, and its restriction to ex-students somewhat narrows the valuable window that we are given. Recommended reading.