All Quiet on the Western Front

By: Remarque, Erich Maria

First published in German in 1928 and English in 1929, "All Quiet on the Western Front" is German veteran Erich Maria Remarque's semi-autobiographical World War One novel. The title of the original German is literally translated as "Nothing New in the West", but has become more commonly known by the title given by translator Arthur Wesley Wheen, "All Quiet on the Western Front". The story concerns Paul B umer, a German soldier on the Western Front during World War I. While on leave from the fighting, Paul returns home to find that while his hometown has remained unchanged, the profound influence of the war on his psyche makes him feel like a stranger who doesn't belong. Paul returns to the conflict, where he continues to deteriorate in both mind and body. Noted for its vivid and realistic portrayal of the brutality of war, "All Quiet on the Western Front" is no sentimental depiction of the glory of combat but rather a classic portrayal of how war robs young men of their humanity and hope for the future. Widely regarded as a classic of modernist literature, "All Quiet on the Western Front" remains to this day as one of the greatest war novels ever written.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1420982710
• ISBN13: 9781420982718
• Release Date: May 2025
• Publisher: Digireads.com
• Length: 132 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

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Erich Maria Remarque did an excellent job with his story. Being in a “first-person” view gave you the feeling that you were there. Adding to this, he is a very good writer. Not being in the Great War, I can only imagine the technology of the time and trust in old war movies. Also, this is a foreign culture in a foreign time. People there tended to trust and respect their elders unquestioningly. Being of the Vietnam era, I could relate to the parts about the different personalities and some of the war situations and attitudes. I could appreciate the river crossing at night and the defending of the deserted town. I even liked the cat that they befriended in the story. In Vietnam, we had a dog named “Followme”, which was one of the few that did not end up in a stewpot. I could even feel the anxiety of not fighting and just waiting for action. The only major difference is the question of do you want the people to be behind you to push you on or cheer you on, or do the same job with people who are indifferent or not supportive? Anyway, even with the graphic description of the actual battle, it is more of a description of war, not a reason to sue for peace at any cost. The story is more of a "don't let someone pull the wool over your eyes," with the talk of the glory of war. A movie with that theme is "The Americanization of Emily" (1964). Also, don't let the Authority blindly lead you into the army with the condos, as in "Private Benjamin" (1980). This is not the end but the key statement that pretty much sums it up: "He fell in October 1918, on a day that was so quiet and still on the whole front, that the army report confined itself to the single sentence: All quiet on the Western Front."