Enlisting in the German Army in the fall of 1942, Sajcr takes the reader through his wartime experiences as a member, first, of a Luftwaffe training unit, then a support unit, and finally, as a member of the elite Panzer Grenadier Division Grossdeutschland. The book recounts the trials of a young soldier from Alsace-Lorraine. The Forgotten Soldier provides a useful example of how analysis of historical works can prove or disprove, lend credibility, or discredit supposed 'history.' It is a piece of literature the personal ideas of what war is like from an author who is not the character in the book which is taken as reality by others who wish to validate their theories of what combat was like for a German soldier. It is a fictional work cited by a number of readers as documented fact. In reality, Ute book is a carefully written novel that cleverly disguises as a factual account. Recently reprinted, the book has been reviewed and acclaimed by educated military reviewers who cite it as an example of 'a powerful firsthand account.' (1) Is it or isn’t it a 'firsthand account' and, if not. The book was translated from the French and written by a “Guy Sajer.' nom de plume for the real author. The Forgotten Soldier has captured the imagination of soldiers intrigued by the war on the Eastern Front in World War II.

'This devastating first hand story of a young German soldier trapped in the lethal machinery of total war is probably the most powerful reading experience you will ever have.' The Forgotten Soldier Fiction or Factįirst published in English in 1971. The forgotten soldier brings the reader closer to the actual experience of twentieth - century warfare in all its shattering terror that any other book. The greatest true story of armed combat ever written. The most shattering Slaughter - Saga of our Age.Īutobiography/war book - The Forgotten Soldier by Guy Sajer an international best seller. Translated from the French by Lily Emmet, 1967/1972. Front Cover, The Forgotten Soldier by Guy Sajer.