Legion of the Damned: The iconic anti-war novel about the Russian Front

by Sven Hassel

Overview

Sven Hassel's iconic anti-war novel about the Russian Front.

'An extraordinary book, which has captured the attention of all of Europe' NEW YORK TIMES
'An incredible picture of totalitarianism, of stupefying injustice . . . Hassel is a first-rate storyteller' WASHINGTON POST

Convicted of deserting the German army, Sven Hassel is sent to a penal regiment on the Russian Front. He and his comrades are regarded as expendable, cannon fodder in the battle against the implacable Red Army. Outnumbered and outgunned, they fight their way across the frozen steppe...

Clear-eyed and unflinching, this iconic anti-war novel based on Hassel's real-life experiences in the German Army is a testament to the atrocities suffered by the lone soldier in the fight for survival.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780297865735
Publisher:	Orion
Publication date:	12/23/2010
Series:	Sven Hassel War Classics
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Born in 1917 in Fredensborg, Denmark, Sven Hassel joined the merchant navy at the age of 14. He did his compulsory year's military service in the Danish forces in 1936 and then, facing unemployment, joined the German army. He served throughout the Second World War on all fronts except North Africa. When the war ended in 1945 he was transferred between Russian, American and French prison camps, and upon returning to Denmark, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for treason. He began writing LEGION OF THE DAMNED during his time as a prisoner of war. His 14 Second World War books, which draw on his own encounters and experiences as a soldier, have sold over 53 million copies worldwide and have been published in more than 50 countries. He peacefully passed away in Barcelona in 2012, where he had resided since 1964.
Born in 1917 in Fredensborg, Denmark, Sven Hassel joined the merchant navy at the age of 14. He did his compulsory year's military service in the Danish forces in 1936 and then, facing unemployment, joined the German army. He served throughout World War II on all fronts except North Africa. When the war ended in 1945 he was transferred between Russian, American and French prison camps, and upon returning to Denmark, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for treason. He began writing LEGION OF THE DAMNED during his time as a prisoner of war. His fourteen World War II books, which draw on his own encounters and experiences as a soldier, have sold over 53 million copies worldwide and have been published in more than 50 countries. He peacefully passed away in Barcelona in 2012, where he had resided since 1964.

Editorial Reviews

An extraordinary book, which has captured the attention of all of Europe—NEW YORK TIMES

Hassel's books of war are the most powerful I have ever read

In essence this is an expose of the absurdity of war, and a moving plea for peace. As such, it takes its rank with far milder books, such as ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT—NEWSDAY

The story shudders from page to page while the devoted friends live precariously from year to year, until only the one survivor is left to write this book. And a gripping book it is—CHICAGO SUNDAY TRIBUNE

From the Publisher