Unlikely Warrior: A Jewish Soldier in Hitler's Army

The title of this book alone makes it interesting. A Jewish Soldier in Hitler’s Army? It does make for an unlikely warrior and a very interesting story.The author was born German. Like most Europeans his family history was quite rich and complicated with intermarriage among faiths. With this in mind he was about, according to him, a fourth Jewish in blood. He was also a member of the aristocracy with a mother who held the rank of Baroness.As complicated as this sounds it’s important to the history of the book. As it turns out this man’s situation was not completely uncommon given the totality of the German war experience. There were others much like him who served the nation during a time of great distress. The Nazi system of government even had procedures to cover this type of situation.One of the more interesting aspects of this book concerns the use radio technology. The author was a radio enthusiast who built his own small scale radios in his youth. This skill allowed him a unique position within any unit as he could work with one of the more technical systems in the army. In his case he went to an infantry unit on the Eastern front. It must have been like no other place on earth or in history.The author does a wonderful job describing his experience on the Eastern front. At times he runs a radio and others he grabs his rifle and returns fire on advancing Russians. This is where the book really finds its stride. The first person account of the infantry war with Russia is fairly rare among history books.Interestingly enough, while he was on the Eastern front, the authors mother was playing a role in the resistance by hiding Jews within her own home. It is unclear how many lives she saved. But one thing is clear, t was deadly serious work. With one slip up the entire family could have been guilty of a major crime. She was a remarkably strong willed woman and it was interesting to learn something about her experiences in the war.I’ll leave the end of the book for the reader to enjoy. But the end is fairly typical of many of the experiences of German soldiers at the end of the war. The book does a great job of explaining the fall of German and conditions people endured. It shows the clear heavy lose the people suffered.For more information regarding the end of the war in Germany I would strongly suggest reading Fur Volk and Fuhrer by Erwin Bartman. I would also suggest reading the classic The Forgotten Soldier by Guy Sajer for more first person accounts of the German experience in World War Two on the Eastern front.

Approximately 150,000 Jew soldiers served in Hitler's Wehrmacht in World War II. This is the story of one such soldier, Georg Rauch, from Austria. It is a very well written and moving story. Rauch served on the Eastern Front until he was captured. He served a number of years in Soviet prison camps and was fortunate to be amongst the first group of German soldiers released by the Red Army. Of the millions of Hitler's soldiers captured by the Russians, only a very small percentage survived to return to Germany. This book is highly recommended for those interested in the fate of German Jews in World War II, the Wehrmacht, and the Eastern Front.

This book provided a different perspective of the German soldiers in World War II. This book focused on a Jewish soldier but the perspective presented could have been any of the soldiers thrown into a cause that they probably didn't understand and a war they probably didn't agree with.

This product is what was posted. Just the right size and good quality. The product was delivered as promised. Excellent seller. Will be back for sure. Thank you.

I enjoyed the perspective of this book. It was written from the viewpoint of a "normal" person who had to fight in a war in which he did not believe, in fact, he was against it. I would have loved to learn more about his mother's activities- while the author was consigned to Hitler's army, she was rescuing Jews. Love that.

An uplifting story about a Jewish Soldier in Hitler's Army? This was not what I expected. I felt that there would be a lot of sadness and self pity, but Rauch seems like he was a really positive man in his youth. I have bought this book for several people because I think that it is a good story about the horrors and realities of war while offering a lot of grit, positivity, and problem solving.

This memoir is heartbreaking and in knowing what was done to his folk in general I can not imagine how he feels about his role in this hell of time.This book is - in my opinion - a must read for all students, so this generation will remind what a war can do the everyone, friend or foe.I recommend this book 100%

I have been brought up reading and hearing about WWII from the American point of view. Unlikely Warrior gave me a look at the German army battling on the Russian front. It points out that our enemies suffered as much as our troops did and the war through the eyes of the common soldier. A great book.