German Boy: A Child in War

This is an eloquently told, often nearly heartbreaking story of what a young German boy endured as a refugee in the closing days and the years following WWII. Wolfgang Samuel tells his story with grace and heart. He dedicates the book to his mother, a major character in his story who, to keep her family alive, sacrificed nearly everything, even to the point of prostituting herself so her children could eat. As Samuel put it -

"People were hungry and would do whatever was necessary to put food on the table for their children ... We were the people who had nothing and lived from hand to mouth. We were the human debris of that evil war. We had no reserves of food, clothing or anything else that sustained life. We were desperate people, show more easy to exploit."

In a passage startlingly reminiscent of Gone with the Wind, the classic novel of the US Civil War and its aftermath, Samuel tells of how for many years immediately after the war, his mother had no new clothes. "The nicest looking dress she had owned ... she had made herself from curtains which hung in our barracks apartment ..."

And this is not just a book about being refugees and the awful conditions after the war; it's also a universal coming-of-age story, about a boy grappling with the physical changes of puberty and having no one to talk with about what's happening to him. It's about a boy left to take care of himself at the tender age of 14. It's also an homage to his grandparents, who helped sustain him through these worst of times. In other words, there's an awful lot of stuff in here that so many people will relate to, regardless of their own backgrounds.

I know I'm several years late in discovering this book, but I plan to recommend it highly to everyone, particularly history buffs and humanists interested what the human spirit can endure and still rebound. Because after his eventual emigration to the U.S. in 1950 at age 15 (where German Boy ends), Samuel went on to complete college and made a distinguished career for himself in the US Air Force for 30 years. The next book to go into my Amazon cart will be the sequel to this memoir, called Coming to Colorado. This guy can write! And I want to know the rest of his story. But start here, folks. READ THIS BOOK! - Tim Bazzett, author of Soldier Boy show less

A few months ago we went to visit Bacharach, a small town in Germany. While there, we met Herr Jung, a retired schoolmaster in his 70's. He took us on a tour of his town and told us stories of what it was like being a boy in Germany during WWII that moved us to tears. Then he recommended this book. How could I not read it?

This is a story of WWII, told from the point of view of a nine year old boy, Wolfgang, starting in January 1945 in the small German town of Sagan (now the Polish town of Żagań). The war is coming to an end in Germany and the Russians are moving in. He and his mother and younger sister must escape the Russians, the cold, rape, and starvation over and over again for six long years. For Wolfgang, the battle of his life show more didn't start until the war ended. The most amazing thing about this story is that it's all true. People really lived through times like this, and continue to do so all over the world.

My biggest issue with the book was that it was too long. It could've used some editing. Yes, he's hungry. Again. And cold. It grew slightly tiresome at times. But only slightly. The other thought that I couldn't get out of the back of my mind was that he wrote this at least 40 years after the fact, how could he remember everything in so much detail? He stated in his preface that when he started to write, it all just came back to him, but I had trouble getting over a bit of doubt.

Over all a very amazing story and I recommend it to everyone. show less

An incredible and often forgotten and ignored story of human suffering, sacrifice, kindness and survival from the perspective of the losing side of war. A sobering and candid account of the ravages and results of war on the innocent. So many passages and excerpts in the book touched me deeply, especially "Personal humiliation had become our daily norm, and most of us didn't even recognize it for what is was anymore."

The author has given us an incredible personal tale of tragedy and triumph. I highly recommend this book and enjoyed it thoroughly.

This book was one of the best books I've read in a while. Having a personal connection to war-torn Germany during WWII, my expectations were high. This book delivered. I was immersed into the life of Wolfgang Samuel as a small child dealing with bomb shelters and air raids during the war. The atrocities this little boy endured while escaping from the German and Russian Army will make you cry. No food, no clothing, no where to live, this little boy was constantly searching for the necessities that we all take for granted. Shoes made of plastic, no coat and walking miles and miles in the snow was not the worst of it. He didn't understand why his grandfather was taken away and never returned. He didn't understand why the planes would drop show more bombs and destroy their house leaving them with no where to live. He simply knew he had to take care of himself, at the tender age of 9 years old, and take care of his mother and sister as well. A true story of a hard life of a young boy trying to survive in Germany and ultimately finding his way to America, just like many other families at the time, including my husband's family. A wonderful book and a must read! show less

3442. German Boy: A Refugee's Story, by Wolfgang W. E. Samuel (read May 7, 2001) This book published last year is an unpretentious account of a boy born in 1935 and tells of his life from January 1945, in the last days of the Nazis, till about 1950. I found this artless tale consistently interesting, though I suspect the author is less anti-Nazi than anti-Communist. (He survived in part thru his mother's prostitution to get food for her kids.) I found this realistic and memorable story a very engrossing read.

Excellent biography of a boy who experienced a lot of trauma in his young years in Germany during World War II and after, when he escaped with his family from the Russian sector. I recommend this one for sure.

I loved this book. Thank you for writing it! My father's family were also Flüchtlinge at the end of WWII, fleeing from Poland. We heard stories about it but this book has brought to mind more questions to ask my father's remaining siblings. The hardships this generation has endured is outstanding!