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Lili Marlene: The Soldiers' Song of World War II

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Lili Marlene was one of the most famous love songs ever created or sung. The song and it tune won immediate popularity with the German troops of World War II and this popularity amazingly transferred on to the Allied troops as well. It was so popular among the Allies that the English version of the song was finally done.

This book describes how this song came to be. The author, Han Leip who wrote the lyrics during the First World War, Nobert Schultz who wrote the tune and finally, Lale Andersen who sang it at the beginning of Second World War. The authors skillfully traced the origins of the song, background information on all the major players that led up to the success of this song. It was interesting to note that Joseph Goebbel distaste this song and tried to censored it while Allied leaders were bit dismay themselves that their troops were taken in by a German love song. But the book clearly shows that this song, was written for the common soldiers and its words and meanings transcended military front lines. The subtitle of the book, "Soldiers' Song of World War II" proves to be very accurate.

If I may be allowed to whine a little, I thought it would have been a nice addition if there was a CD attached to this book that we could have listen to, both Andersen and Marlene Dietrich versions of this song. That would have been rich although the price of the book may have gone up a bit.

Nevertheless, a well written book that should interest anyone that like to read about World War II without the weapons, battles and campaigns. It should also interest anyone who are into music history as well.

This is a must have, it is a fantastic book. I bought it for my husband and he couldn't put it down until he had finished it. It is full of the most amazing historical facts, and my husband hasn't stopped talking about it since he got it! Buy it you'll love it.

most war time books focus either on the military machine that initiated the war or the military machine on the other side that felt compelled to defend themselves. with liebowitz and miller's book "lili marlene" we are exposed to a view of wartime experienced by the combatant or civilian who typically had very different goals than the generals. we see that the average soldier for the most part entered the war with either mixed feelings or more likely entered the army against his will and from the beginning was mostly concerned with getting home alive and unharmed. his thoughts were not the grandiose ideas of world domination but rather seeing his wife or girlfriend and family. the powerful and touching song lili marlene seemed to convey all of these warm notions to soldiers and civilians alike. what apparently made this song so special was that it not only transcended nationalities but ideological boundaries as well. germans, brits, americans and apparently all the european combatants were touched by this song and for that reason the military commands tried to silence it. i found the authors telling of the story to be more about what really matters to soldiers in a war than about the song itself.

Hans Leip wrote the words during World War I, Norbert Schultze composed the melody, and Lale Andersen and Marlene Dietrich each sang the song to popularity. Even though it can be said to be the Nazi's one positive contribution to World War II Joseph Goebbels hated the song and wanted it banned from playing because he felt it wasn't the type of song to encourage men to fight. I haven't heard Lale Andersen's rendition of the song, but I do find Marlene Dietrich's version to be haunting even if it is a German rendition. In addition to the melody the lyrics to the song cause a soldier on both sides of the war to long for home and the love he left behind. Unbeknown at the time to The Turtles, a 1960s group, their song "Happy Together" left soldiers in Vietnam longing for home and their wife or girlfriend. The book also details the struggles singer Lale Andersen went through in her life in relation to singing the song that made her famous. Soldiers who fought all day and didn't let their emotions get in the way of doing their job even while seeing the horrors of war would stop what they were doing at 9:57 in the evening and listen to a rendition of Lili Marlene while the tears ran down their cheeks. The book concludes with a story of British and German veterans of the African campaign meeting for annual reunions either in Germany or England and trading stories without any bitterness towards one another. Before the meeting begins and the dinner is served they all stand and sing the song that reminded them of home. They sing Lili Marlene.

On August 18, 1941, Soldier's Radio Belgrade, the Armed Forces Radio of the German Army, began airing a little ditty called "Song of a Young Sentry." It was a vaguely martial, vaguely sad song about a young soldier and his sweetheart, Lili Marlene. The station was swamped by letter from soldiers asking that they again play, "Lili Marlene." The song was a runaway hit, and not just among the German soldiers, its popularity spread among the German civilians, and then to people throughout the world. This is the story of a simple little poem that became a simple little song that spoke to an entire generation at war.

I was familiar with Marlene Dietrich's version of Lili Marlene, and as such I was very happy when this song fell into my hands. The author does an excellent job of tell the story of history of Lili Marlene. Indeed, this isn't just the story of a song, it's the story of the rise and fall of Nazi Germany, and the affects it had on the many artists of Germany.

This is a very interesting read, quite an interesting history told from a unique position. I really enjoyed reading this book, and felts sorry when it was over. I highly recommend this book!

When I came across this title I decided I had to have it. Well-illustrated with photographs, it does a lot towards explaining how this whole Lili Marlene phenomena happened. The book does tend to have a soap opera quality to it at times and I wish the book had included more versions of the song, particularly Italian and Russian versions which were supposed to be very popular. In fact, I expected this from the description of the book but there are only a handful of different versions included.

A footnote to WWII history made into a complete book. Well done.

One of the truly great love songs of World War II has inspired this book, a lyrical account of how 'Lili Marlene' came to be and the reactions it produced.

Obviously, though it of German origins, anything this good had to be detested by the Nazis. It was. The twisted little mind of Joseph Goebbels, whose words were amplified to express the ruling hate of the Nazis from 1933 - 1945, sought only words and songs to glorify force, conquest and domination. He couldn't understand love nor nostalgia.

For millions of German and Allied soldiers, this song expresses the reason they endured so much; not for the grand glory of politics or ideals, but for the loved ones who waited at home. Politicians send vast armies far afield in search of conquest, glory and their own petty ego; soldiers have little option except to obey or die.

Every soldier knows failure may endanger those at home. American soldiers didn't charge into battle carrying President Roosevelt's "Four Freedoms" pledge in one hand and a rifle in the other; instead, they carried pictures and letters from wives, sweethearts, children and parents. Even a stranger's encouragement means more than silence.

They longed to win and be home again. In the meantime, they had 'The White Cliffs of Dover' in England, 'White Christmas' (written in Phoenix in 1940) for Americans, and 'Lili' for everyone. It was not only nostalgia; its haunting melancholy reminded soldiers of the daily reality that "a dance of death lingers between its bars."

This book does it justice. It nicely recalls Lale Anderson's "husky, sensuous, nostalgic, sugar-sweet" voice. It even caught the imagination of Fitzroy Maclean -- the man whose real life adventures became the model for James Bond as created by Ian Fleming.

Obviously, anything this good spurred numerous parodies and take-offs that varied from rage to pride and accomplishment. One favourite began:

We're the D-Day Dodgers out in Italy,
Always on the vino, always on the spree.
Eighth Army scroungers and their tanks
We live in Rome -- amid the Yanks.
We are the D-Day Dodgers, over here in Italy.

After the war, American soldiers got into the mood:

Oh Mister Truman, won't you send us home?
We have conquered Naples and we have conquered Rome
We have defeated the master race
Oh why won't you give us shipping space?
Oh why can't we go home?
Oh why can't we go home?

Few songs have generated such popularity, loyalty and satires. In the U.S. alone, it inspired at least 39 movies and television shows, plus more than 200 different recordings. Anything so unique deserves an explanation and remembrance, and this book beautifully does both.

Somewhere, I trust, there's new versions for Iraq and Afghanistan (as there was for Korea and Vietnam). It's too good to fade. This book aptly explains its appeal and basic merits.

Lili Marlene is really a rather simple song. Perhaps that is its secret - anyone can sing it. My favorite version is sung in German by Marlene Dietrich, though she also did it credibly in English (her English was astonishingly fluent - she seemed able to sing in both languages without any change in facial tension, though English normally allows the jaw to be much more relaxed than German). I've also heard, and own, many other versions. The biggest problem with this song is getting it out of your head once it's lodged inside. It's the ultimate ear worm - I am hearing it even as I write this review, though I haven't actually heard it in several months. There are, by the way, many samples on YouTube, some with pictures and quite moving.

I ahould point out that, while they seem minor and do not detract too much from the book, there are surprising errors. For example, on p. 74 it is stated that Kristallnacht was instigated as reprisal for the murder by a Jewish student in Paris of the German diplomat "Ernst von Roth." In fact, the German diplomat was Ernst vom Rath. There is also perhaps more historical detail than absolutely necessary. Nevertheless, this book can be highly recommended as giving context to a simple song which, although (because?) its message is really pacifist, resonated among the soldiers of many nations at war.

While stationed in Germany, the song "Lili Marlene" was played every Saturday night in the military club by a German band--it was a GI favorite. What a pleasure to read the book! Well written, informative and entertaining.

This is a fascinating background story behind the classic song that captured the hearts of Allied and Nazi soldiers during WW II. It's popularity with both groups infuriated the Nazi hierarchy. Interesting that the poet and composer of the song lived into their 90's, and died only in the last 5 years.