Craig W. Luther

A good book that illustrates the mood of the German soldiers that were the "boots on the ground" during Operation Barbarossa. Entries are on a day-to-day basis from the start of the operation, until early December. They deal with the daily life of the soldier: artilley strikes, losing comrades, lice, lack of food, lack of sleep, the cold and the dealings with the Russian people that stayed behind the retreating soldiers. As one reads in chronological order we see the optimisim of the troops fade, and the realism of the situation settle in to their individual realities. The way the book was presented, made it easy to pick up and read from wher you left off for long periods of time. I think this an essential read for anyone interested in Operation Barbarossa or the Eastern front.… (meer)