A book difficult to chew.
This book was written in German in 1920 and translated to English in 1929. Perhaps something was lost in translation, or in time. The language in the book is difficult sometimes, but the content is fascinating. Despite the difficulty, I marvel at a soldier’s experience in world wor I.
Ernst Jünger is a miracle
Throughout the book, Ernst went through numerous battles, witnessed many tragic falls of his comrades, and suffered many injuries. But he miraculously survived all of them, went on with his life, and lived to be 102 years old. What a miracle!
What’s wrong with fighting spirits?
I don’t know why this book is considered controversial. Maybe it’s because the author shared his war experience in the perspective of a professional soldier and a patriot to his country. I would rather think the gallantry and fighting spirit is universal and timeless. Any group of people that last long enough in history have processed such quality, otherwise they wouldn’t have survived.