Casca, Panzer Soldier - The Eternal Mercenary, Book 4

I can't remember enjoying reading a series this much, since completing the JK Rowling ( Harry Potter series). I enjoyed this book as much as the first three. I love the characters and can't wait to finish reading book four. I feel I will be disappointed when I continue reading books in this series by other authors.

This book is one of my top 5 of all the Casca series. No Casca fan should be caught without this book. If you don't already have it, get it. It's Barry Sadler in top form and a must read for any person trying to get the full picture of the character of Casca.

Of the entire series, this is probably one of the top three or four written by Sadler. It rather amazes me that the author was able to get so much in so few pages. Sadler is able to capture the character of Casca very well in this one and developes other character or character types that will appear in later novels. The story is fast moving, yet detailed. The nice thing about the Casca books, is that after the first one is read, you really do not have to read them in order, each book is a good story within itself. Again, as with most of his novels, Sadler has done a wonderful bit of reasearch. This is certainly true of this one. The few errors he did make were of little moment. Very much recommend this one.

Barry Sadler's work is one of the best short run downs of the war in the Eastern Fron in WWII that I have ever read. His attention to small details and insights into how soldiers think and act is incredible. Former Staff Sargeant Barry Sadler should know, he was a Green Beret. His tragic death a few years ago of a gunshot wound robbed us all of a great talent. He will be missed.

Panzer soldier was the first Casca book I read. It was on a long road trip back in about 1983. I picked up the book at a small book store for about 2 dollars and spent the next 8 hours sitting in the back of a Chevy van totally immersed in this book.As the title implies, Casca finds himself a soldier in the German Tank Corp. during WW2. He didn't pick the German Army for personal reasons, it is just that they were hiring when he was looking for work. Most of the story deals with battles with the Russians on the eastern front, but some of it takes place in Berlin during the last days of the 3rd Reich. Without ruining it for you I will just say it is very very good.