Customer Reviews

Twilight of the Gods: A Swedish Waffen-SS Volunteer's Experiences with the 11th SS-Panzergrenadier Division Nordland, Eastern Front 1944-45

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4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is a short, intense account of a specific period of the war. I found this to be a gripping story, and hard to put down. With the number of personal accounts appearing, I also found it interesting that it tracks and crosses with several other personal accounts currently available dealing with the battle for Berlin. The one disappointment is that the story starts in the middle, since the ending was so exciting, I would have liked to read about the beginning. Because it is the story of one person and limited to his view as a member of a mortar platoon, I would recommend reading something with a larger scope to give this book more context. None of this detracts from the book, however, I heartily recommend it.

'Twilight of the Gods' describes the experiences of a Swedish Waffen-SS man, Erik Wallin, in the ranks of the 11th-SS 'Nordland' division, from Courland to Pomerania, the Oder and finally Berlin, 1944-1945. He served in the mortar platoon of the reconnaissance battalion of this divison manned by Scandinavian volunteers. It is a short book, readable in an evening. One of the most striking aspects of the book is its unapologetic nature, the text is riddled with unabashed references to 'Asiatic Hordes' and 'staunch Nordic defenders of European civilization'. Many readers might well be offended by this. The editor's (who is apparently also a Swedish SS veteran) introduction is annoyingly in the same vein, one would have hoped for a far more balanced and impartial approach. On the other hand, the book describes numerous small-unit actions in detail, during the final desperate battles on the Eastern Front (readers should however keep in mind that this is not a first-hand account, the story was written by the editor based on conversations held with Wallin soon after the war). There are plenty of references to tactics, weapons and equipment to satisfy the military buffs. King Tigers, Panzerfausts, assault rifles etc. all make their appearance. The intense combat scenes are many and vividly related.
If you are looking for a self-critical/remorseful account of a (non-German) SS volunteer, this is not the book for you. If you are more interested in the military aspects of this dramatic closing period of the war, and/or want to know what motivated men such Wallin to fight for an evil regime, then I suggest you read it.

Both Eric Wallin, and the editor, Thorolf Hillblad served as Swedish volunteers in the 11th Waffen-SS PanzerGrenadier Division "Nordland". This was a truly elite division made up of volunteers from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Switzerland, and even a few Britons. This divsion was, in 1945, the single most effective unit in the defence of Berlin against Stalin's communist hordes. Wallin's description of the communist enemy is quite descriptive. These were, after all, the same enemy that we fought in Korea and Vietnam. I would have liked this book to be longer, covering his experiences as a volunter in Finland fighting the red invasion in 1939, and his earlier experiences in the Waffen-SS. However, this book is still an excellent addition to those interested in Hitler's preemtive war against Stalin, and communism. Those interested in the non-German volunteers that served in the WAffen-SS may want to read the following: "The Last Knight of Flanders" by Brandt, "European Volunteers" by Strassner, "Campaign in Russia" by Degrelle, "The Patriotic Traitors" by Littlejohn, "Charlemagne's Legionnaires" by Landwehr, "Latvian Legion" by Silgailis, "Galicia Division" by Logusz, and "Waffen-SS Encyclopedia" by Rikmenspoel.

This is a very good book. The combat descriptions are unbeatable, and the author provides a wealth of detail on conditions and circumstances during the last year of the war. As other reviews have noted, the author is not a particularly self aware fellow, meaning that he has some strange views about himself and his mission; but those views are an interesting historical fact in themselves. I recommend this book to any Russian Front buff.

Thorolf Hillblad's Twilight Of The Gods provides a very unusual wartime account written by a Waffen-SDS soldier: it's one of the few to appear in English, originating from one of the non-German European volunteers. Originally written in Swedish and published shortly after war's end, it tells of the experiences of Swedish soldier Wallin, who volunteered for service and participated in the battles on the Eastern Front towards war's end. Wallin served in different locations in a division which gained a reputation for its combat capability: Twilight Of The Gods documents his experiences.

THE best memoirs of an SS soldier i've ever read . This guy had angels on his shoulders to have survived half of what he went through . Absolutely fantastic reading .

I have read the priceless "Forgotten Soldier" and never thought anything could touch it but this book does. The story begins with much of the war already lost for the Germans on the Eastern front and fights on until the final battle for Berlin. My only regret is the story does not start with his experiences from the start. He leaves good detail of the Russians he is fighting and really opens your eyes to the amount of Mongolians and other ethnic groups serving with the reds. A great book and a must have!

This is among the finest first-hand accounts I have read.The author pulls you in and you almost live through these times with him. His strong anti-communist feelings shine though, it is obvious this book is written soon after the end of the war by his unbashfull, or unrepentant expressing of his feelings and thoughts. What a fortunate man to survive all he did!!And to firmly believe in saving Europe from Stalin and his ilk untill the itter end!

Where to start...I've read a hell of a lot of books dealing with the Eastern Front, a lot of them written from a German point of view. Books like Soldat, The Forgotten Soldier, Black Edelweiss, In Deadly Combat, Memoirs Of A German Sniper, Five Years Four Fronts, With Our Backs To Berlin... and so on. As someone who is intrigued by the German mindset on the Eastern front, this book is absolutel gold. The mindset of a Swedish SS VOLUNTEER. If you crave the vivid combat scenes and wish to learn more of what fighting was like in an armed reconnaissance unit, as dismounted infantry, alongside kingtigers, then this book is for you. Detatiled accounts of ambushing Ivan, counterattacking against all the odds, its an incredible read.

To those of you criticising the author, i say, are you not looking for an account of a member of the 11th ss panzergrenadier division Nordland? Do you not wish to read of his experiences? Do you not wish to learn how he thought? Why he fought? Or do you want some sugar coated edited version where the author shows how remorseful he is. This is how he thought. This is how he fought. Accurate history and a brilliant account. Nothing more. Nothing less. Buy it If you wish to get an incredibly vivid account of how brutal fighting from Pomerania to Berlin really was.

This personal account of the experiences of Swedish volunteers in the Waffen SS was originally written by Erik Wallin and later related to the editor of this book, Thorolf Hillblad.
Wallin served with Nordland Division and was involved in many battles during the last year of the war until it was destroyed in the defence of Berlin. These were high quality men who struggled mightily to stem the Bolshevik tide as it swept into eastern Europe and Germany.
The translation is good and the description of the battles is absorbing. I strongly recommend this book to those who are interested in another aspect of WW2.