"We Will Not Go to Tuapse: From the Donets to the Oder" Topic

… with the Legion Wallonie and 5th SS Volunteer Assault Brigade ‘Wallonien' 1942-45

"This is a classic soldier's chronicle, told in unvarnished candor, about the author's experiences as a volunteer with the Wallonian Legion of the German Army and later the 5th SS Volunteer Assault Brigade Wallonien and the 28th SS Volunteer Grenadier Division Wallonien. However, it also ventures far beyond the usual soldier's story and approaches a travelogue of the Eastern Front campaign, seldom attained by the memoirs of the period. His self-published book in French is highly regarded by Belgian historian and expert on these volunteers Eddy de Bruyne, and Battle of Cherkassy author Douglas Nash. This book merits attention as the SS volunteer equivalent of Guy Sajer's The Forgotten Soldier, a bestseller in the USA and Europe. By comparison, Kaisergruber's story has the advantage of being completely verifiable by documents and serious historical narratives already published, such as Eddy de Bruyne's For Rex and for Belgium and Kenneth Estes' European Anabasis…"

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Amicalement
Armand

By comparison, Kaisergruber's story has the advantage of being completely verifiable by documents and serious historical narratives already published, such as … Kenneth Estes' European Anabasis…"

I am … pleased … impressed … I'm not even sure what word to choose … maybe surprised … to see Estes' "European Anabasis" mentioned in this way. I wonder how many military history buffs, or even hard core WW2 history buffs as are sometimes found here on TMP, have read or even heard of it.

It was originally written for Columbia University as a sort of text -- a history that expanded from Estes' own post-graduate work to provide a sort of repository for information on all of the foreign volunteer formations of the SS.

I have one of the early copies, and Ken Estes was kind enough to provide me with a login to the Columbia online course support materials that supplemented the printed book. I see that it is now in more general circulation, but even if more easily available I expect it really isn't the kind of book that is generally referenced when you are trying to plug your product on Amazon.

I guess it speaks well to the credibility of "We will not Go to Tuapse" to suggest that the events described first-hand in that book can be found and verified in the "European Anabasis".

Still, I find it … curious …

-Mark
(aka: Mk 1)

Thanks!.

Amicalement
Armand

It is well written, but definitely shades the ugly side of civilian casualties, Jewish killings, etc., by an individual who presents his war time experiences in the best light possible in what appears to be a form of diary. I'd recommend it, but be warned.

Thanks also.

Amicalement
Armand