Soldaten

On the basis of 150,000 pages of bugging logs, this book presents a convincing history of the mentality of war for the first time. In camps especially set up by the British and Americans, German prisoners of war from all ranks and military branches were secretly bugged. They talked about military secrets, about their views of the enemy, their own leaders and the annihilation of the Jews. The book shows how soldiers perceived the war in historical real-time, presenting a fascinating and shocking view from inside World War II through eyes of the soldiers who laid waste to large parts of Europe. In comparison to other wars, it also establishes what was specific to National Socialism in the German soldiers’ feelings and actions, and what was not.