The Horrors of War: Up Close and Personal

I had heard wonderful praise about this book for years. Some of my friends told me that they had read it in school; unfortunately I did not have such an assignment. When I mentioned that my favorite book was Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo, another World War I narrative, numerous people told me that I had to read this one as well. So finally I succumbed to the chatter and gave it a try. What I found was an equally gripping account of the horrors of war.

The story centers around Paul Baumer, a twenty-year-old recruit in the German army, and his infantry unit. Like many young men his age on both sides of the conflict, Paul listened to stories of the glory and honor of fighting for his country, and he enlisted in the army, eager to earn some of that glory. It did not take long for him to realize, however, that those stories omitted most of the details about a soldier's life. They told nothing about the meager rations, the horrible amputations, the need to dodge bullets and grenades, and the endless hours spent in the same trench.

The narrative is filled with harrowing images as Paul narrowly escapes attacks by the French and British forces. Many of the scenes described seemed too horrible to believe, such as when Paul struggles to carry his wounded comrade several miles through a barrage of bullets to a hospital only to find that he had died along the way. One by one, Paul must witness his friends in his company die until he is the only one left. Early on in the war, Paul realizes that he will never be able to go back living the way he did before the war, that he is irrevocably changed as are all of the soldiers on both sides. The lives of his entire generation were defined by the war in a way that no one who didn't live through it can fully understand.

This book is full of Paul's observations and reflections that require careful contemplation, especially at a time where our country is sending young men and women into battle. Through Paul, I was able to internalize what being a soldier meant and understood the thoughts that sustain you through such a situation. It made me give even more respect and honor to soldiers and the sacrifices that they make for their country, and it also made me question again whether I could make those types of sacrifices in the name of my country.

This is a must read for everyone, regardless of your interest in history and warfare because war affects everyone; narratives such as this give us a first-person perspective as to what it is like for those who actually do the fighting.