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Arno Sauer
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In the Hell of the Eastern Front: The Fate of a Young Soldier During the Fighting in Russia in WW2 Kindle Edition

by Arno Sauer (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 296 ratings
A Nazi infantryman recalls the horrors of combat against the Soviet Union in this WWII memoir as told to his son.

Friedrich “Fritz” Sauer was posted to the Eastern Front in 1942. A soldier in the 132nd Infantry Division, he was deployed in Hitler’s grand invasion of Russia. But instead of the swift knockout blow the Germans had anticipated, Operation Barbarossa ground on for almost four years.

Sent first to the Crimea and then the region around Leningrad, Fritz experienced horrors of all kinds. In this memoir, Fritz recalls losing his best friend to a sniper, rescuing the body of a fallen comrade from No Man’s Land, enduring Soviet tank assaults, and his own wounding during a counterattack.

Fritz was later transferred to a tank assault regiment where, on a mission to contact another unit, he lost his way in the snow. After sheltering with a farmer’s family, Fritz headed west to flee the advancing Red Army. His subsequent journey home took many twists and turns.
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  1. Print length
    179 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Frontline Books
  4. Publication date
    September 30, 2020
  5. File size
    3.7 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Known to his friends and family as Fritz, FRIEDRICH GOTTFRIED SAUER was born on 22 December 1923, in Bassenheim near Coblenz in the Rhineland, to farmer and potato dealer Josef Sauer and his wife Antoinette. He was just eighteen when he was first conscripted by the German authorities in the winter of 1940-41\. Initially joining the ranks of the Reich Labour Service, he was soon transferred to the Heer, the German Army, and posted to an infantry unit which formed part of Army Group North on the Eastern Front. Despite being terribly wounded, Fritz survived the war. Based on his recollections, this account of his wartime experiences was written by his son, Arno Sauer.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B092CSMWRL
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Frontline Books (September 30, 2020)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 30, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3.7 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 179 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1526797704
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 296 ratings

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Arno Sauer

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
296 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book an engaging first-person account of World War II from a German soldier's perspective. They appreciate the insightful, personal memoir that maintains their interest from beginning to end. Readers describe it as a good read and one of the best.

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StorytellingInsightReadability
6 customers mention "Storytelling"6 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the storytelling. They find the book provides a valuable first-person account of World War II from the German perspective. The account is interesting and engaging, not only for history enthusiasts but also for people approaching the subject.

"...Not only does this book tell some harrowing war stories, but it also gives valuable insight into the lives of everyday, working-class Germans during..." Read more

"...Nevertheless, it's a powerful story of war and defeat told by a boy soldier." Read more

"...read WWII extensively and particularly enjoyed the storytelling format in the first person, putting the reader in the shoes of the author...." Read more

"...Great overall true story intertwined with the history of the day." Read more

4 customers mention "Insight"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book insightful and engaging. They say it's a personal memoir that keeps their interest from beginning to end. The afterword summary is excellent.

"...tell some harrowing war stories, but it also gives valuable insight into the lives of everyday, working-class Germans during this time...." Read more

"...The ‘Afterward’ summary was excellent!" Read more

"...This book maintained my interest from beginning to end." Read more

"A personal memoir- great. As a history of WWII- nah..." Read more

4 customers mention "Readability"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and worth reading. They describe it as a good account of one soldier's life during the war and how he survived.

"...of WW2 Germany, and I have to say that this one is page for page, one of the best...." Read more

"A very good book recounting one soldier’s life during the war and how he survived. Interesting read. I highly recommend it." Read more

"...To me though, it was still worth a read." Read more

"Very well written, a good book for feeling like you were in the battle...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Lucas Crawford
    5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent first-person recounting of World War 2, from the German perspective
    Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    I have read literally hundreds of books on the subject of WW2 Germany, and I have to say that this one is page for page, one of the best. This book was written by Fritz Sauer and presumably finished and brought to publishing by his son Arno. In it, Fritz details his life before, during, and after the war. Not only does this book tell some harrowing war stories, but it also gives valuable insight into the lives of everyday, working-class Germans during this time. I recommend this book not only to serious history buffs, but also to people approaching this topic for the first time, or for the first time from the perspective of the "other side." A very insightful, engaging read.
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  • Steve Munden
    4.0 out of 5 stars good, but better is available
    Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Personal chronology is disjointed, with a good deal of the subject's history before the war detailed AFTER the defeat of the German army in the east. There's a great deal of military history of the collapse of the German armies in Russia, little of which directly involved the author. There's only a taste of the infantryman's "hell of the Eastern Front"'; if that's your main interest, read Guy Sajer's Forgotten Soldier (though be aware of the criticism of the strict details of his story). Or Defeat in the East by Juergen Thorwald.

    Nevertheless, it's a powerful story of war and defeat told by a boy soldier.
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  • M. Bauer
    5.0 out of 5 stars incredible insight into the effects of war on the soldiers, families, and home front.
    Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    I have read WWII extensively and particularly enjoyed the storytelling format in the first person, putting the reader in the shoes of the author. Anyone interested in WWII would realize that the position of the German (and Russian) infantry was one of total servitude, voluntary or involuntary. The ‘Afterward’ summary was excellent!
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  • Scott W Taylor
    5.0 out of 5 stars Worth Reading
    Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    A very good book recounting one soldier’s life during the war and how he survived. Interesting read. I highly recommend it.
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  • Phil Arnold
    3.0 out of 5 stars A personal memoir- great. As a history of WWII- nah
    Reviewed in the United States on December 16, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Aron’s personal story of his involvement in WWII as a common landser is excellent. The problem with this book lies in the fact that about one third of it is like a history text of the German war against Russia. Most readers will undoubtedly already know that information. To me though, it was still worth a read.
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  • Michael Long
    4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Account From A German Soldier
    Reviewed in the United States on February 28, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    The author writes about the experiences of his father fighting against the Soviet Union. Many of the overriding conditions of war, mentioned in the narrative, had to be learned years after the war actually ended.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Shane Avery Starr
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great Story!
    Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    A satisfying mix of a soldier's personal account of WWII with a broader account of events from the perspectives of the people who fought in the war. This book maintained my interest from beginning to end.
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  • Thomas E. McKiernan
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very nice descriptions of the soldiers reactions to battle situations.
    Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Very well written, a good book for feeling like you were in the battle.And I like how he placed his experiences in context with the broader history of World War II.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • AirViceMarshalGandhi
    1.0 out of 5 stars Not what I expected
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 20, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    The translation is laughable. I had to give up on p75 when one man addresses another as 'dude'. Somewhat rambling. Sorry to be so harsh, but I've read dozens of memoirs by German soldiers, and this is by far the worst, and the only one I unequivocally wish I hadn't bought.
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