Against the Odds: Survival on the Russian Front 1944-1945 Kindle Edition

One of many reminiscences by men who served in the German Armed Forces as young soldiers during WWII as these veterans approached their senior years.Most of these books contain the usual "concentration camps were bad but we didn't know about them" sort of claims. In this case, the author served in the Herman Goering Division 1, about which he makes the assertion the German soldiers were disciplined, didn't loot, never raped, committed no war crimes, etc. Well, Google that unit name for the short version. The Herman Goering Division was implicated in war crimes related to the Putten Raid in the Netherlands, murders of civilian villagers in Italy, and during the period the author was in the unit, further war crimes during the suppression of the Warsaw ghetto. And German units simply did not treat Russian prisoners in accordance with the Geneva Convention. That's not to say Stieber was personally involved in any war crimes - he admits nothing - but it is disingenuous for him to claim the soldiers in Herman Goering Division 1 were innocent of the excesses of the Nazi military during WWII.

Disclosure: I am a friend of the author's grandson and read the book at his suggestion. That doesn't affect my opinion of the book, however. If I thought the book wasn't any good, I would simply maintain polite silence.In fact, I think the book is well written and thought provoking. I have never read another non-ideological personal history narrative from this era. It presents the experiences of a boy who ended up in the German armed forces in WW2 because of his parents' naivete about the wisdom of sending him to school in Germany just at that time, The story is not about ideology, and the author is in no way a Nazi apologist. The key word is in the title: "survival." Stieber's surviving the war, he knows, depended greatly on luck, on not being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He doesn't make himself out to be a hero -- just a young man doing his best to stay alive and then to get back to the country he considered his home. It was, as the cliche' goes, what it was,It is too easy to say, "Ooh. Nazi soldier. Bad guy!" This narrative doesn't support that snap judgment. How many soldiers on all sides of many wars have been engaged in making the best of a bad business? There's no self-serving rhetoric here, but rather one thoughtful young man's experience in a war he didn't choose. This is a perspective that people should know about.

A very interesting story. If you're expecting any detailed information concerning his action, there isn't any. He'll say something like the battle lasted several hours and we shot down 2 planes. That's it.But I enjoyed the story.

Well written, unique insights, and an honest portrayal of what it must have been like to have been a soldier in the later stages of the war. The book smacks of realism, not made up scenarios but the way it must have been. A book that is engrossing and hard to put down.

Great autobiography of a soldier in Hitler's great Herman Goring Division. Apart from the author's confusion as to his nationality and what he would call home. Under European law he would be Austrian as his parents were both Austrian, and although he was born in Checoslaviakia he makes reference to going home to Ireland? (His father worked there as part of his employment) As Austria was incorporated, in the end, by a democratic vote into the Reich it would make him a German soldier 100%. Apart from this, it is a great read and well written.

I have always enjoyed reading historical non-fiction and war histories in particular. As a simple war story, this would be well worth reading. The author lives through a series of extraordinary events that kept me turning the page to find out what happened next. Much of the book describes his service on the Russian front near the end of WWII - at a time when the Germany army was running out of supplies and men.But it isn't just a simple war story. Stieber was clearly educated and intelligent and it was fascinating to read about the events of WWII from the perspective of someone who really didn't have a partisan side in the conflict. At least beyond the fact that he was serving with the German army and trying to survive. He was born in Czechoslovakia, spent much of his childhood in Ireland, and his teen years in Germany.Our world has grown very divided and we have a tendency to label people based on their race or background. That's what made this book thought provoking for me. Stieber was trying to survive and get back to his family. At the same time, he expressed happiness when he could help stop an attacking plane without injuring the pilot. This put a very human face on the war and was one I could relate to. The story serves as a strong reminder that the sides we take in conflict are often arbitrary compared to the similarities we share as people.

I've read lots of these first person accounts, but this is the most realistic as per the very minor details and events one cannon make up. He was there, he was young, and most important he has a superb memory for the smallest details.

No waffle or lots of tactics explanations or maps of terrain etc. Straight from the shoulder writing giving a clear insight into the way of life for a young recruit into the German army. Lots of anecdotes about action in the line and though saddening to think about all of the young lives lost, nonetheless a read which became a page turner for me until finished over space of just a few days. Probably become a re-read for me.

This is a fascinating story on so many levels. Initially of a nice kid growing up in a middle class family in England and then Ireland in the 1930s. His parents were, however, from Central Europe and their first language was German. For that reason he was sent for secondary schooling in Germany and then Hitler invaded Poland. The book straightforwardly records how he eventually ended up in the German army on the Russian front which he pragmatically and shrewdly dealt with as well as anyone could. He was a clever chap but still lucky as hell to survive. And he wrote his story very well. It naturally touches on the tragedy that the war brought to Central Europe due to Allied carpet bombing and Soviet rape and pillage. Thank Heavens for the European society we have today by contrast (even if misguided and ill-informed Brits are doing their best to screw it up).

The writer describes several years of his life in a very detailed way. As a young man he is enrolled in the German army to fight in World War II since his parents have sent him to a German school although they live in Ireland but are of Austrian descent and he therefore finds himself in Germany when Hitler is engaged in the war. Afterwards he returns to Ireland because it feels more like home to him than Germany. I do not however understand why he is not more critical of Germany's behaviour during those years. I enjoyed reading this book

not recommended. the man is in denial and innocent of any possible wrong doing. he has written this as a statement aimed at possible investigation from any authority that may want to prosecute ex soldiers. he was in the junior hitler youth, flak auxiliary, labour service, Herman Goring Division and post war criminal investigation unit (police) and repeatedly claims he didn't witness one act of misconduct. his personnel involvement during the war was just filling magazines and driving duties and post war clerical. not like any ww2 german personal account I have ever read. he has made it into a boring read more like a tourist info leaflet to pad it out..talking about architecture and landscape. disappointed

An interesting read from the cosmopolitan John Stieber, relating his experiences from youth to the conclusion of the second world war. Of particular interest is his wartime unit, the Hermann Goering Division, a rare look into the actions of this group of men. He is a talented writer, and you will see from his narrative, a very resourceful soldier. What is really interesting is the fact that Stieber could have avoided any action in the first place, but was actually a victim of circumstances beyond his control. A good read!

I try to read as much WWII books from the German and Soviet point of view as I can but I find most of them seem to have lost something in 'translation' or for other reasons. This book is no different, while it is informative and often enjoyable it mostly lacks a true since of personal experience, emotion or impact.I read these books hoping to learn what it was like living through this time period and what it felt like being in the most terrible war in human history but so far with rare exceptions most disappoint.My Grampa served but he would never talk about his experiences. In fact the only time he ever spoke about what he went through was just before he died and then he just talked about 'the cold and how it was coming to take them all'.I am still hoping to find a book that truly describes what these people went through.