| STORMTROOPER ON THE EASTERN FRONT: Fighting with Hitler's Latvian SS |  | Author: Mintauts Blosfelds
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Category: Book
List Price: $32.95
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as of 3/17/2010 20:58 EDT details
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Rating:  3 reviews
Sales Rank: 424,719
Media: Hardcover
Edition: illustrated edition
Pages: 224
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 9.3 x 6.1 x 1.3
ISBN: 1844157202
Dewey Decimal Number: 940.54217092
EAN: 9781844157204
ASIN: 1844157202
Publication Date: June 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Product Description
Following the conquest of his native Latvia by the Nazis, the author was given the stark choice: service in the SS or forced labor in a slave camp. So he 'volunteered' to fight for the Nazis. He describes his training and how he became an instructor before being sent into Russia. He nearly perished during the terrible winter of 1943-44 being wounded and finding himself with his friend lying dead on top of him. As the tide turned and the Russians advanced remorselessly through. He was wounded twice more and awarded the Iron Cross for bravery.With German resistance collapsing, the author had to flee for his life - capture by the Russians meant almost certain death. He surrendered to the Americans but describes the neglect he suffered at their hands. Unable to return to Latvia now occupied by the Russians, he became a Displaced Person eventually settling in the UK.
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| Customer Reviews:
 Excellent book April 10, 2009
D. Schafer (Oregon, United States)
13 out of 14 found this review helpful
I found this to be a very readable and interesting book about a Latvian's war time experiences as a `volunteer' in the Germanic Waffen-SS. Having experienced Soviet conquest and rule, most Latvians welcomed the German invasion of 1941. When the Germans initiated conscription, many nationalists saw it not only as a chance to fight the hated Russians but as an opportunity to gain national sovereignty from a hopefully grateful 3rd Reich. Given the choice to serve with Order Police Units, war labor service, as auxiliaries with the Wehrmacht or in the Latvian Legion, draftee Blosfelds and many of his age group signed up for the Legion which was part of the Waffen-SS. This book follows his experiences from the initial German invasion, his conscription, his training, his service on the Eastern Front, the long retreat back through the Baltics and Germany, surrender to the Western Allies and life as a POW. Although actual eye-ball to eye-ball combat makes up a small part of the story, Blosfelds was a good observer and I found this book to be a fascinating look at the life of a foreign national in the service of Germany. I am happy to add it to my WWII collection.
A side note: as to whether Blosfelds was in the Waffen-SS or not (as stated by another reviewer) is splitting Politically Correct hairs. Yes, the Latvians wanted their own armed force under their command and were successful to a point. But they still wore Waffen-SS uniforms, were under SS control and were ultimately in 2 divisions (15th & 19th) entitled "Waffen-Grenadier Division der SS". All foreign national groups who fought on the German side were eventually put under Waffen-SS control and people shouldn't make more out of it than the administrative device it was. The majority of these people were not fighting for the `greater Reich', but against bolshevism and for their own nationalistic goals. A good and highly detailed book to read about the Latvian experience is the out of print "Latvian Legion" by Arthur Silgailis which is available on Amazon as a used book.
 Stormtrooper on the Eastern Front August 25, 2009
dean soltis
5 out of 7 found this review helpful
I really hate to say anything bad about a former war vetern's personal account on his wartime experiences, but I must. I must say that I had high hopes of reading a great wartime book, espically about a foreign legionare in the Waffen SS. There are not many foreigners that want to write about their experiences serving with the Waffen SS.
Now first off, I must say it's not all bad. But the title of the book is miss leading. The title should have been- Wounded Trooper on the Eastern Front. There wasnt much- "Stormtrooping" going on. If you took out all of the pages dedicated to the authors wounds/hospital visits and his total obsession of detailling everything they ate, you'd have a 20 page book. I think the total "action" pages could be summoned up on 5 pages. So if your thinking of buying this book to read about his wartime "stormtrooping", your going to be very, very disappointed.
Like I said, if you want to read something different and like to read about food gathering and train rides to and from different hospitals, then this is the book for you. If you can purchase this book at a second hand book shop for a couple of bucks- then that's what I'd do.
Misleading Title December 26, 2008
Janis E Klavins (Waterdown, Ontario, Canada)
3 out of 13 found this review helpful
Dr. M.K. Baltais in her research work "The Latvian Legion - Selected Documents" has stated that the eminent historian on SS, Bernd Wegner of the Universitat der Bundeswehr in Hamburg Germany, has expressed astonishment that anyone could still claim that Latvian Legionaires were SS. Yet inspite of undeniable evidence to the contrary, Pen and Sword Books Ltd. has published a book titled "Stormtrooper of the Eastern Front - Fighting With Hitler's Latvian SS. The Publishers should note that Latvian Legionairs were not SS. It would be correct to write Latvian Legionairs, officially Waffen Grenadiers on the Eastern Front fighting under Hitler's SS, because Latvian Legionairs were not SS.
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