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About Legion of the Damned

Sven Hassel's iconic anti-war novel about the Russian Front. 'An extraordinary book, which has captured the attention of all of Europe' NEW YORK TIMES 'An incredible picture of totalitarianism, of stupefying injustice . . . Hassel is a first-rate storyteller' WASHINGTON POST Convicted of deserting the German army, Sven Hassel is sent to a penal regiment on the Russian Front. He and his comrades are regarded as expendable, cannon fodder in the battle against the implacable Red Army. Outnumbered and outgunned, they fight their way across the frozen steppe... This iconic anti-war novel is a testament to the atrocities suffered by the lone soldier in the fight for survival. Sven Hassel's unflinching narrative is based on his own experiences in the German Army. He began writing his first novel, LEGION OF THE DAMNED, in a prisoner of war camp at the end of the Second World War. Readers love this novel: 'Powerful and provocative' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Excellent . . . as good as when I first read it over 40 years ago. There is no glorification of war here' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'This account should be given to all war-mongers to read in the hope they would see the futility of war' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'This is one of the best anti-war/ anti-nazi books I have read' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Compulsively readable' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'The characters are strong, and real, The story is told in [such] a way that you are frequently caught by surprise, as when watching a well-crafted movie. I wish I didn't wait so long to begin reading Sven Hassel' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐