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Devil's Guard: The Real Story

Eric Meyer

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Sep 02, 2012 Zare rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: history, historical-novels

This was my second read and first such situation in which I took one star off. It is not the story itself but the way it is told. And it annoyed me immensely.

Main character is a man so disgusted by actions of "the communists" that he considers them single threat to human race. He is more than willing to fight them no matter the odds or location.

Rather determined guy eh. Not bad for a war veteran novel.

I agree and all of the above would be great if our protagonist was not very very racist (all th This was my second read and first such situation in which I took one star off. It is not the story itself but the way it is told. And it annoyed me immensely.

Main character is a man so disgusted by actions of "the communists" that he considers them single threat to human race. He is more than willing to fight them no matter the odds or location.

Rather determined guy eh. Not bad for a war veteran novel.

I agree and all of the above would be great if our protagonist was not very very racist (all the enemy are "vermin", "horde", "ugly monkeys" that deserve nothing but death by hail of bullets) - he even stereotypes his comrades in arms (French are for all means and purposes depicted as weak bureaucrats that need former German troops to fight for them, Arabs are shown as thieves and predisposed to throat cutting etc). Or so quick to judge enemy actions and present his and his team's (and of course SS in WW2) similar actions as a "required act to achieve victory". I asume enemy does not have that same goal (what?!?!).

I have not read this apologetic/redemption book about SS ever, and I have read on the subject and their role in WW2. They are shown as "epitome of warriors" misdirected by politicians and if somebody did something against civilians on Eastern Front it was those "wild communists"... and in some cases "mis-directed" parts of SS - only at the end, like through clenched teeth did this character mention a few "misdeeds" from German end. But again it is politicos to blame not the soldiers themselves. Incredible.

Who ever remembers German anti-partisan massacres from Balkans and Eastern Europe, right?

All of this ranting spoiled second read for me. Which is a shame because story is interesting (hardly historical but lets leave the oooh-aahhhh's of controversy as they are, crazier things happened during the war).

So, if you are looking for as realistic as possible portrayal of war from Waffen-SS veterans (i.e. Guy Sajer's excellent book "The Forgotten Soldier") you will be disappointed.

Give it a shot if you are interested in theme but do not expect much. ...more

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