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Title: German officer's account of WWII & Soviet POW camp
Review: I read this book in the space of eight hours. Although it held my attention, the author's narrative seemed strangely detached from many of the events he experienced. After reflection, I have come to the conclusion that the sterile way in which he recounts the war--and his less than overwhelming assertion that he did not know about the atrocities committed by Germans--has more to do with the German mentality of the time, than with any deception or arrogance on his part. Reading about his idealistic views and actions, one begins to get a sense of how a nation of individuals with similar views could rationalize or overlook acts that they might have individually rejected.Soldat is an interesting account by a very lucky man, that--when combined with other perspectives of the subject--will give the reader not only a deeper historical understanding of WWII, but a glimpse at the German psyche as well.
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