All Quiet on the Western Front review:5 stars (should be required reading before enlisting) - I first read this book in 7th grade and didn't like it, probably because I had to read it and take a 5 question quiz on every stupid chapter (never a way for a 12 year old to learn the spirit of a book).

2 years ago I made a new years resolution. I went back and read every book I was required to read in grammar school, high school, and college. ( I definately recommend this- it beats giving up alcohol)

"All Quiet on the Western Front" was clearly the best and most insightful of the books. It is a harrowing picture of how a generation of German Youth in the early 20th century, their thinking distorted by blind patriotism, were destroyed physically and spiritually by an ultimately unnecessary war (World War 1- "The Great War")

This book should be read by every kid in who, blinded by the same naive idealism, would volunteer to fight in a misguided patriotic war (whether they be American or not).

War should never be entered into thoughtlessly. It should only be done as a total and complete last resort. The young deserve better. This book brings that fact home better than any other ever written.4 stars (Through Their Eyes) - Based on the experiences of the author in the German army during the First World War, "All Quiet on the Western Front" is unique and has endured as a classic tale of men fighting in the trenches. Its uniqueness comes from the fact that it tells the story from a German perspective, and from the viewpoint of looking out over No Man's Land, not from some command post miles behind the lines.

The story basically follows a group of schoolmates who enlist in the German army, influenced by the patriotic exhortations of their teacher. The reality of their situation soon sinks in and they find themselves in a war that is incomprehensible in its mindless use of human life to achieve nothing, and the requirements for ever younger boys to go and fight.

The parallels to the Anzac and British experiences are poignant, such as Paul Baumer and his mates joining up with patriotic dreams of honour and adventure. The average German soldier was not the barbarian invader that British propaganda made him out to be. He had much in common with any French, Anzac, or British soldier.

Another element that is portrayed well, particularly in Paul, is the soldier's struggle to maintain some level of humanity in the face of such inhumanity. Powerful moments are when Paul shares a shellhole with a dying French soldier who Paul has stabbed. Paul's realisation that the French soldier was a human being, a person, and someone with a family was a powerfully emotive moment.

"All Quiet on the Western Front" is not a happy book, nor does it make any comments about the necessity of war or otherwise. What it does present in graphic ways is the cost of war in terms of immediate loss of life, and also in wider terms in the struggle to avoid some loss of humanity on the part of those unfortunate enough to have to fight.

This is a great book and a deserved classic, and one that should be read by anyone seeking to understand war.5 stars (All Quiet on the Western Front) - The greatest war novel All Quiet on the Western Front takes place during the late World War I (1917- 1918). It was taking place on the German and French front. The main character is Paul Baumer who enrolls with his companions in the German army of World War I. He is a young German soldier who is fighting in the war. He is the protagonist and the narrator of this novel. He is a kind, compassionate and sensitive man, but the brutal and bloody war teaches him to isolate himself from his feelings.

The main point of this war novel is based on how Paul Baumer and his war friends have innocently entered a bloody and terrible war, and each of them hoping for survival. After one by one each of Paul friends die, he wonders about his own life. He thinks if he will survive, and also thinks what it will be like without the war. His friends and him are dishonored by their own knowledge that they have been mentally scared beyond recovery. Paul overcame this by encountering hand-to-hand combat. Paul's sorrow at killing Duval hardens the novel's total elimination of the war and the separatist's government.

My opinion of this war novel written by Erich Maria Remarque is a sad and well-written book that leads the reader on a tough and horrible expedition through the examination of war and sadness. I felt that I was a German soldier living a terrifying life trying to survive and end the war. This book brought me into a world during World War I. I had never felt this sad ever. I really enjoyed this book and really felt what it was like during this time. I recommend this book to any person who loves to read about war novels or people who wants to experience different people's lives.

All Quiet on the Western Front Features:
Author: Erich Maria Remarque
Fiction / Classics

All Quiet on the Western Front is the Paperback version. The full version can be purchased by clicking on the "CLICK HERE TO ORDER" button below for around 6.99USD.