Escaping Madness: Eyewitness Accounts from World War II

Summary

This fascinating collection of personal narratives challenges the view that all Germans knew of the crimes perpetrated by the Third Reich and were complicit. The five accounts recall the lives of individuals born in the 1920s who resisted joining the SS, were horrified by atrocities, or otherwise remained true to their principals. Spanning their early life during the rise of the Nazi Party, through their adolescence in the war, to the early post-war years, they offer a compelling perspective on the diverse experiences and beliefs of Germans of the wartime generation.

From Wehrmacht infantrymen to a Luftwaffe officer and a young woman on the home front, the accounts range from the relative comfort of German-occupied territories to the harrowing front lines against the Soviets. Standout stories include Heinz Polke's haunting description of the Warsaw Ghetto Rising, and three accounts of the often-overlooked aspect of being a prisoner of war in the USSR, providing valuable insights into the post-war German experience.

Skillfully compiled by journalist Klaus Förg and with additional commentary by historian Roger Moorhouse, this is a powerful and worthy addition to World War II literature.