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Fur Volk and Fuhrer

The Memoir of a Veteran of the 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler

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Fur Volk and Fuhrer

By: Erwin Bartmann, Derik Hammond
Narrated by: James Foster
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About this listen

Like many Germans, Berlin schoolboy Erwin Bartmann fell under the spell of the Zeitgeist cultivated by the Nazis. Convinced he was growing up in the best country in the world, he dreamt of joining the Leibstandarte, Hitler's elite Waffen SS unit. Tall, blond, blue-eyed, and just 17-years-old, Erwin fulfilled his dream on Mayday 1941, when he gave up his apprenticeship at the Glaser bakery in Memeler Strasse and walked into the Lichterfelde barracks in Berlin as a raw, volunteer recruit.

On arrival at the Eastern Front in late summer 1941, Erwin was assigned to a frontline communications squad and soon discovered that survival was a matter of luck - or the protection of a guardian angel. Good fortune finally deserted Erwin on 11 July 1943 when shrapnel sizzled through his lung during the epic Battle of Kursk-Prokhorovka. Following a period of recovery, and promotion to Unterscharführer, Erwin took up a post as machine-gun instructor with the Ausbildung und Ersatz Bataillon.

From the war on the southern sector of the Eastern Front to a bomb-shattered Berlin populated largely by old men and demoralized lonely women, this candid eyewitness account offers a unique and sometimes surprising perspective on the life of a young Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler volunteer.

©2013 Estate of Erwin Bartmann/Derik Hammond (P)2017 Tantor
Europe Military Modern War Thought-Provoking Inspiring German War Memoir
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Critic reviews

"This is a valuable memoir, providing both a good account of the nature of the fighting in the East, and the changing attitudes of the author, both towards the Nazi regime and the chances of final victory." ( History of War)

What listeners say about Fur Volk and Fuhrer

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WW2 The tragedy of the 20th Century

I like the story of an ordinary person caught up in world shattering events.
For the lower classes, whether your master be a facist or a communist, the outcome is just the same.........

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Excellent listen

I have read/listened to many books on the Second World War but you can’t get a more accurate picture than a first hand account of someone who was actually there. I struggled during the chapters when Erwin is on the Eastern front in regards to knowing what the date was on each chapter and keeping up with the characters. That said I thoroughly enjoyed the book and it went into great detail on what life was like for German soldiers as well as German civilians during the downfall of the Reich. I would have liked a bit more on Erwins life after the War. Need to find more books like this!

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Great to hear the other side

I simply can't imagine what life would have been like, but this goes someway to helping me understand.

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Captivating

This was my first foray with an audio book. I enjoy seeing the Second World War from the German perspective. The content and delivery was excellent. I would recommend this book.

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3 people found this helpful

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Excellent account

Excellent candid and honest account of SS LAH veteran, recommend to anyone with an interest in WW2 as such accounts are quite rare.

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Enlightening read

Incredible first hand account , blowing apart the accepted truth of the SS . Sheds light on the different functions within the organisation , and the surprising humanity within . Interesting perspective on the changing attitudes within German society as defeat looms.

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Very interesting

A great insight into the horrors of war. Hard to stop listening once begun. Highly recommended

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really well written and read.

interesting and compelling perspective of an elite young German soldier. so much detail, very vivid. highly recommended

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2 people found this helpful

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The Other Side

Every event has two tales to tell. We know our side but to hear the other side you forget that it’s some mothers son and she worries like our mothers did. The things they did and then the way they suffered brings this home by Arvins tale. A great listen.

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Interesting and Fascinating First hand recollections.

It’s amazing that he managed to survive, he really must have had a Guardian Angel!
I would have liked to know what he did after the war.

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