Discussion for Storm of Steel

[Diane , Armchair Tour Guide]

Start discussion here for Storm of Steel by Ernst Jünger.

[Diane , Armchair Tour Guide]

Summary from Wikipedia

Storm of Steel (in German: In Stahlgewittern) is the memoir of German officer Ernst Jünger's experiences on the Western Front during the First World War. It was originally printed privately in 1920, making it one of the first personal accounts to be published. The book is a graphic account of trench warfare.


About the Author

Regarded as one of Germany's most controversial and contradictory writers, Jünger was a highly decorated German soldier who served in WWI. He studied zoology, geology, and botany before becoming a full-time writer. He died one month before his 103rd birthday in 1998.


Discussion Question found on Internet without originating author to credit

1. Should Jünger's account be considered a "pro" or "anti" war book?

2. What insights does Storm of Steel provide into the experiences of a soldier during WWI?

3. What is Jünger's attitude to the enemy, the British, in Storm of Steel?

[Diane , Armchair Tour Guide]

I am reading this now and it is quite good. It is very descriptive regarding the horrors of war, so its not for the squeamish.

[Diane , Armchair Tour Guide]

This is a personal memoir about the horrors of war during WWI. The author is a young German soldier in his late teens through early twenties who is fighting on the Western Front. His descriptions of what he sees are very graphic. He writes in a straightforward and unemotional manner and doesn't seem to embellish the story in any way. I appreciated his objective, nonjudgmental manner. Despite his young age, he had a very mature view of war and its operations. The author sustained multiple serious injuries (13 or 14 times, I believe) during the war but went on to live to the age of 103.