German Boy: A Child in War

My review is much like the other reviews I read here. Whenever someone asks me my favorite book, German Boy is what comes to mind first. From the first page to the last, I was mesmerized. In my opinion, this book cannot possibly disappoint.

"German Boy" is one of the best books I have ever read. From the moment the story began, I was compelled to keep turning the page. The story is exciting, suspenseful, and most of all, real. This book presents something often lost in the modern day re-enactments of ww2 and postww2 accounts. It provides truth. As the reader progresses through the story, he finds himself in the action of the events as if he were also there. He learns that history is not so simple as to declare that 'Germans' are evil, or that 'Russians' are evil. The author and main character of the book takes you through his journey of post ww2 Germany in his flight to escape the ploundering, rape and torment of most of the Russian occupiers. Suffering untold horrors, he finally reaches west Germany and American occupation. Throughout the story, however, we watch as the main character analyses the choices made by individuals of all races, genders, and creeds. We learn that a man is good or evil based on his individual decisions, not on his race or even his upbringing. The main character meets people in his journey that would take his life just for a chance to cower to their new overlords, and he meets people, that despite their past, take the sacrifice to offer that one ounce of kindness that ended up granting him life. This is a powerful book. It deals with post ww2 Germany, but offers much more than just history. It provides a painfully vivid picture of what it meant to be an American Soldier. The contrast between the American army and Russian army is astounding, and inspiring for those who wish to uphold the level of mercy and justice that the American army so heavily depicted in conrtrast to the rest of the world in this book. Most importantly, this book provides truths many of us have long forgotten today. The young boy in this book, with no real chance for survival, no real 'reason' for hope, remains without a single ounce of pity for himself. The young boy does not feel sorry for himself. He does not curse his enemies. He remains, instead, unwaveringly devote to what he knows as 'good', and he endures. He displays more strength and inspiration than many grown men today. He shuns the communist regime thrown upon him in life and in school. At an age younger than many of us today, he refused to do what he knew in his heart to be wrong, even at the threat of death. And in the end... well... I'll leave you with a quote, but finding out what happens is up to you. "The meek shall inherit the earth."

Very well written page-turner memoir that reads like a novel about a German refugee from East Germany making his way with his mother to West Germany and finally the United States. Innumerable books have been written against Germans since World War II, which unfortunately have equated Germans with supporters of the political establishment during the war. This account shows that many Germans living in Germany (especially East Germany) suffered during the war and did not support the government at that time. The horrid living conditions, lack of food, and the falling of Wolfgang's mother into periodic prostitution to save her family, combined with the author's gradual realization that God had a part in his survival, can bring tears to even the most stoic readers. Another memoir, by Elizabeth Walter called "Barefoot in the Rubble", although not as well written, presents and even more moving account of displaced Germans living in Yugoslavia following World War II.

Review: German Boy is a beautifully written and moving story about life in Germany during the period 1945-1949. From the very beginning, I felt like I waa part of the ten year old German boy's world. His photographic memory retained the details of events and conversations which he relates in a pleasing and exciting manner. There is a universal message to be learned from the way the author saw the war, dictatorship and the goodness and badness in people. We are reminded that all human beings have the same hopes and fears. The reader will be surprised to discover how the author was influenced in 1948 by the United States humanitarian effort, - "The Berlin Airlift". I highly recommend this book, and predict that it will one of the top ten this year. A must Read Book

I knew a man once who had served as a Sergeant in the British occupation forces in Germany after World War II. As one who majored for a time in German Literature and studied in Munich in the mid-Seventies, I had imagined this would have been an interesting time to be in Germany and was surprised when he spoke of it as a very depressing experience for him personally. After reading "German Boy" I understand why he felt that way. Until I read this book I never really understood what immediate post-war Germany was like for the natives. Before reading "German Boy" my images of post-war Germany were mostly formed from reading Heinrich Boell novels and watching German film productions such as "Heimat" and "Wir Wunderkinder". I had imagined somehow that as soon as even the Russians and certainly the British and Americans came to liberate the German people, the war was over for them, and prosperity followed rapidly. Samuels shows in detail why for him and many people like him, the war did not end until really the Berlin Airlift and currency reform in 1949 brought a relative prosperity to at least his area of Germany. For example, for about three years, from age 9 to 12, he basically wore the same clothes. During this time he did not wear underwear until his Mother's future husband, an American GI, gave him a pair in 1949.This is a very adult book written from the point-of-view of a pre-teen. One of the major themes of the story is how his mother was forced to sell her body to feed her family. He tells the story from the point of view of a boy who does not really understand exactly what sex is. That understood, I think this would be an inspirational book for any 12-year-old boy, and I am going to encourage my own son to read it next.