anti-war literature at its best, 25 Jun 2008
Great novel. The journey from childhood to manhood is supposed to be full of joy and mystery, but this novel shows, doesn't tell, of what that journey is like during a world war. This book was banned by the Nazis when they came to power in 1933. If you read this novel, you'll understand why it was banned in Nazi Germany.

Read this before you die!, 08 Jun 2008
I bought an original 1929 copy on ebay and this is one hell of a book. If anyone has any idea that war is glorious you will be jarred severely by the this story. The true horror of the ordinary man fighting to keep alive is documented with crystal clear vision.

I initially found the style of writing a little off putting, but I have to say I rarely get sucked into a story as thoroughly as this one, I even have had nightmares about it's content!

In a similar way that Das Boot shared the human side of the 'enemy', AQOTWF does the same.....at the end of everything we are all very similar, whether English, French or German. We all worry and care about our loved ones.


AQOTWF was one of the books the Nazi's burnt in the 30's. That is sufficient reason to read it.

I can't say you will enjoy it, but I'm sure it will give you a valuable insight into the hellish lives the brave soldiers of all nations who suffered so much. God rest their souls.

If you are buying this book get a hold of Birdsong, it follows a similar thread.

Fantastic, 06 Mar 2008
I am one of these people who always wanted to read a great classic and enjoy it.

Unfortunately what usually happens is that I never finish a book of this type because it is too much like hard work and I go back to something less challenging.

Not so with this book. It grabbed me immediately and I lapped up every page. The author succeeded in bringing across difficult emotional subjects in an effortless way and I would thoroughly recommend it to everyone.

Exposes well the despair and hopelessness of trench warfare, 02 Dec 2007
Very tragic and horrific account of the lives of a group of German ex-classmate soldiers in the trenches of WWI. The novel brings across well the hopelessness and futility of it all, especially at the very end of the story. Most of the time the story could be about the experiences of any group of WWI soldiers from any country as there are relatively few specifically German reference points apart from the characters' names. The writing is in the present tense, which I usually find annoying and did so to some extent here, but it does bring across the drama of the action very vividly. The language is very simple and the book was a quick read despite its nearly 300 pages.

The last enemy ..., 13 Nov 2006
Erich Marie Remarque was a truly great writer of his generation. Imagine how fresh this novel was when first published - imagine reading it in the original German language. Notwithstanding the many decades that have passed it remains a masterpiece. I first read 'All Quiet' in the 1960's.
I promise you, it changed my life forever. Few books in my nearly six decades of reading have done that.

anti-war literature at its best, 25 Jun 2008
Great novel. The journey from childhood to manhood is supposed to be full of joy and mystery, but this novel shows, doesn't tell, of what that journey is like during a world war. This book was banned by the Nazis when they came to power in 1933. If you read this novel, you'll understand why it was banned in Nazi Germany.

Read this before you die!, 08 Jun 2008
I bought an original 1929 copy on ebay and this is one hell of a book. If anyone has any idea that war is glorious you will be jarred severely by the this story. The true horror of the ordinary man fighting to keep alive is documented with crystal clear vision.

I initially found the style of writing a little off putting, but I have to say I rarely get sucked into a story as thoroughly as this one, I even have had nightmares about it's content!

In a similar way that Das Boot shared the human side of the 'enemy', AQOTWF does the same.....at the end of everything we are all very similar, whether English, French or German. We all worry and care about our loved ones.


AQOTWF was one of the books the Nazi's burnt in the 30's. That is sufficient reason to read it.

I can't say you will enjoy it, but I'm sure it will give you a valuable insight into the hellish lives the brave soldiers of all nations who suffered so much. God rest their souls.

If you are buying this book get a hold of Birdsong, it follows a similar thread.

Fantastic, 06 Mar 2008
I am one of these people who always wanted to read a great classic and enjoy it.

Unfortunately what usually happens is that I never finish a book of this type because it is too much like hard work and I go back to something less challenging.

Not so with this book. It grabbed me immediately and I lapped up every page. The author succeeded in bringing across difficult emotional subjects in an effortless way and I would thoroughly recommend it to everyone.

Exposes well the despair and hopelessness of trench warfare, 02 Dec 2007
Very tragic and horrific account of the lives of a group of German ex-classmate soldiers in the trenches of WWI. The novel brings across well the hopelessness and futility of it all, especially at the very end of the story. Most of the time the story could be about the experiences of any group of WWI soldiers from any country as there are relatively few specifically German reference points apart from the characters' names. The writing is in the present tense, which I usually find annoying and did so to some extent here, but it does bring across the drama of the action very vividly. The language is very simple and the book was a quick read despite its nearly 300 pages.

The last enemy ..., 13 Nov 2006
Erich Marie Remarque was a truly great writer of his generation. Imagine how fresh this novel was when first published - imagine reading it in the original German language. Notwithstanding the many decades that have passed it remains a masterpiece. I first read 'All Quiet' in the 1960's.
I promise you, it changed my life forever. Few books in my nearly six decades of reading have done that.

anti-war literature at its best, 25 Jun 2008
Great novel. The journey from childhood to manhood is supposed to be full of joy and mystery, but this novel shows, doesn't tell, of what that journey is like during a world war. This book was banned by the Nazis when they came to power in 1933. If you read this novel, you'll understand why it was banned in Nazi Germany.

Read this before you die!, 08 Jun 2008
I bought an original 1929 copy on ebay and this is one hell of a book. If anyone has any idea that war is glorious you will be jarred severely by the this story. The true horror of the ordinary man fighting to keep alive is documented with crystal clear vision.

I initially found the style of writing a little off putting, but I have to say I rarely get sucked into a story as thoroughly as this one, I even have had nightmares about it's content!

In a similar way that Das Boot shared the human side of the 'enemy', AQOTWF does the same.....at the end of everything we are all very similar, whether English, French or German. We all worry and care about our loved ones.


AQOTWF was one of the books the Nazi's burnt in the 30's. That is sufficient reason to read it.

I can't say you will enjoy it, but I'm sure it will give you a valuable insight into the hellish lives the brave soldiers of all nations who suffered so much. God rest their souls.

If you are buying this book get a hold of Birdsong, it follows a similar thread.

Fantastic, 06 Mar 2008
I am one of these people who always wanted to read a great classic and enjoy it.

Unfortunately what usually happens is that I never finish a book of this type because it is too much like hard work and I go back to something less challenging.

Not so with this book. It grabbed me immediately and I lapped up every page. The author succeeded in bringing across difficult emotional subjects in an effortless way and I would thoroughly recommend it to everyone.

Exposes well the despair and hopelessness of trench warfare, 02 Dec 2007
Very tragic and horrific account of the lives of a group of German ex-classmate soldiers in the trenches of WWI. The novel brings across well the hopelessness and futility of it all, especially at the very end of the story. Most of the time the story could be about the experiences of any group of WWI soldiers from any country as there are relatively few specifically German reference points apart from the characters' names. The writing is in the present tense, which I usually find annoying and did so to some extent here, but it does bring across the drama of the action very vividly. The language is very simple and the book was a quick read despite its nearly 300 pages.

The last enemy ..., 13 Nov 2006
Erich Marie Remarque was a truly great writer of his generation. Imagine how fresh this novel was when first published - imagine reading it in the original German language. Notwithstanding the many decades that have passed it remains a masterpiece. I first read 'All Quiet' in the 1960's.
I promise you, it changed my life forever. Few books in my nearly six decades of reading have done that.

anti-war literature at its best, 25 Jun 2008
Great novel. The journey from childhood to manhood is supposed to be full of joy and mystery, but this novel shows, doesn't tell, of what that journey is like during a world war. This book was banned by the Nazis when they came to power in 1933. If you read this novel, you'll understand why it was banned in Nazi Germany.

Read this before you die!, 08 Jun 2008
I bought an original 1929 copy on ebay and this is one hell of a book. If anyone has any idea that war is glorious you will be jarred severely by the this story. The true horror of the ordinary man fighting to keep alive is documented with crystal clear vision.

I initially found the style of writing a little off putting, but I have to say I rarely get sucked into a story as thoroughly as this one, I even have had nightmares about it's content!

In a similar way that Das Boot shared the human side of the 'enemy', AQOTWF does the same.....at the end of everything we are all very similar, whether English, French or German. We all worry and care about our loved ones.


AQOTWF was one of the books the Nazi's burnt in the 30's. That is sufficient reason to read it.

I can't say you will enjoy it, but I'm sure it will give you a valuable insight into the hellish lives the brave soldiers of all nations who suffered so much. God rest their souls.

If you are buying this book get a hold of Birdsong, it follows a similar thread.

Fantastic, 06 Mar 2008
I am one of these people who always wanted to read a great classic and enjoy it.

Unfortunately what usually happens is that I never finish a book of this type because it is too much like hard work and I go back to something less challenging.

Not so with this book. It grabbed me immediately and I lapped up every page. The author succeeded in bringing across difficult emotional subjects in an effortless way and I would thoroughly recommend it to everyone.

Exposes well the despair and hopelessness of trench warfare, 02 Dec 2007
Very tragic and horrific account of the lives of a group of German ex-classmate soldiers in the trenches of WWI. The novel brings across well the hopelessness and futility of it all, especially at the very end of the story. Most of the time the story could be about the experiences of any group of WWI soldiers from any country as there are relatively few specifically German reference points apart from the characters' names. The writing is in the present tense, which I usually find annoying and did so to some extent here, but it does bring across the drama of the action very vividly. The language is very simple and the book was a quick read despite its nearly 300 pages.

The last enemy ..., 13 Nov 2006
Erich Marie Remarque was a truly great writer of his generation. Imagine how fresh this novel was when first published - imagine reading it in the original German language. Notwithstanding the many decades that have passed it remains a masterpiece. I first read 'All Quiet' in the 1960's.
I promise you, it changed my life forever. Few books in my nearly six decades of reading have done that.

anti-war literature at its best, 25 Jun 2008
Great novel. The journey from childhood to manhood is supposed to be full of joy and mystery, but this novel shows, doesn't tell, of what that journey is like during a world war. This book was banned by the Nazis when they came to power in 1933. If you read this novel, you'll understand why it was banned in Nazi Germany.

Read this before you die!, 08 Jun 2008
I bought an original 1929 copy on ebay and this is one hell of a book. If anyone has any idea that war is glorious you will be jarred severely by the this story. The true horror of the ordinary man fighting to keep alive is documented with crystal clear vision.

I initially found the style of writing a little off putting, but I have to say I rarely get sucked into a story as thoroughly as this one, I even have had nightmares about it's content!

In a similar way that Das Boot shared the human side of the 'enemy', AQOTWF does the same.....at the end of everything we are all very similar, whether English, French or German. We all worry and care about our loved ones.


AQOTWF was one of the books the Nazi's burnt in the 30's. That is sufficient reason to read it.

I can't say you will enjoy it, but I'm sure it will give you a valuable insight into the hellish lives the brave soldiers of all nations who suffered so much. God rest their souls.

If you are buying this book get a hold of Birdsong, it follows a similar thread.

Fantastic, 06 Mar 2008
I am one of these people who always wanted to read a great classic and enjoy it.

Unfortunately what usually happens is that I never finish a book of this type because it is too much like hard work and I go back to something less challenging.

Not so with this book. It grabbed me immediately and I lapped up every page. The author succeeded in bringing across difficult emotional subjects in an effortless way and I would thoroughly recommend it to everyone.

Exposes well the despair and hopelessness of trench warfare, 02 Dec 2007
Very tragic and horrific account of the lives of a group of German ex-classmate soldiers in the trenches of WWI. The novel brings across well the hopelessness and futility of it all, especially at the very end of the story. Most of the time the story could be about the experiences of any group of WWI soldiers from any country as there are relatively few specifically German reference points apart from the characters' names. The writing is in the present tense, which I usually find annoying and did so to some extent here, but it does bring across the drama of the action very vividly. The language is very simple and the book was a quick read despite its nearly 300 pages.

The last enemy ..., 13 Nov 2006
Erich Marie Remarque was a truly great writer of his generation. Imagine how fresh this novel was when first published - imagine reading it in the original German language. Notwithstanding the many decades that have passed it remains a masterpiece. I first read 'All Quiet' in the 1960's.
I promise you, it changed my life forever. Few books in my nearly six decades of reading have done that.

WW1, 05 Nov 2008
If any book deserves to be re-read at least once a year then this is it. It's an amazingly eloquent account of a young German soldier's life in the trenches of WW1. To hear his vivid descriptions of the hardships that these young men faced, and of the harrowing sights they saw and dealt with, is to be humbled by his words. The book is written in a manner so that it's not immediately obvious which country the soldier is from and I feel that is exactly the way the author wanted it to come across. No acts of bravado or self-pitying sentiments are expressed, but just a desire on the parts of all of the brave young men to overcome the hell they are in and to try and survive until peace is declared.

This is a harrowing read at times, but beautifully written and not a word is wasted. I'll always have a copy on my shelves and will re-read it each November as I honour soldiers past and present on Remembrance Day.



A powerful and timeless classic., 15 Jan 2008
One of the greatest novels on war ever written. A masterpiece of the 20th century.

A must read book about the futility of war, 26 Feb 2006
Described as the classic anti-war novel, All Quiet on the Western Front is a devastatingly emotional read about German soldiers fighting in the Great War.

Told through the eyes of 19-year-old soldier Paul Baumer, it details his experiences fighting in the Flanders' trenches.

Over time Baumer undergoes a complete transformation from naive young schoolboy to hard-bitten soldier. He survives the harsh reality of frontline combat, sees many of his friends get mortally wounded or killed, and suffers serious injuries of his own. Eventually he begins to wonder what he will do when the war is over, because it feels like war is all he has ever known.

The beauty of this book is that this is essentially a first person account of life on the frontline based on Remarque's own wartime experiences. There are no heroics. No homage to the glories of war. Instead we read about the soldiers' all abiding desire to avoid death, to cling on to life for however long it is possible to do so, amid the muddy, bloody, corpse-strewn battlefields of the Western Front.

Similarly, the story has little historical detail and no political insight. If you did not know that Baumer was German, you could easily mistake the soldiers as being British or French or Australian. This subtle message is perhaps Remarque's greatest gift: All Quiet on the Western Front shows that all men are equal when it comes to war.

Despite being written in 1929, its message still resonates today.

I found this book to be an incredibly sad, lump-in-the-throat read but one that is powerful and life-changing. If you haven't read it, then you must.

You are there, 25 Oct 2005
Erich Maria Remarque did a great job with his story. Being first person in view gave you the feeling that you were there. To add 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 had a tendency to trust and respect their elders unquestionably.

Being of the Vietnam era I could however 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. We had a dog that was named Followme, which was one of the few that did not end up in a pot. I even could 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 doing the same job with people that are indifferent or not supportive?

Anyway even with the graphic description of the actual battle 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 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."

anti-war literature at its best, 25 Jun 2008
Great novel. The journey from childhood to manhood is supposed to be full of joy and mystery, but this novel shows, doesn't tell, of what that journey is like during a world war. This book was banned by the Nazis when they came to power in 1933. If you read this novel, you'll understand why it was banned in Nazi Germany.

Read this before you die!, 08 Jun 2008
I bought an original 1929 copy on ebay and this is one hell of a book. If anyone has any idea that war is glorious you will be jarred severely by the this story. The true horror of the ordinary man fighting to keep alive is documented with crystal clear vision.

I initially found the style of writing a little off putting, but I have to say I rarely get sucked into a story as thoroughly as this one, I even have had nightmares about it's content!

In a similar way that Das Boot shared the human side of the 'enemy', AQOTWF does the same.....at the end of everything we are all very similar, whether English, French or German. We all worry and care about our loved ones.


AQOTWF was one of the books the Nazi's burnt in the 30's. That is sufficient reason to read it.

I can't say you will enjoy it, but I'm sure it will give you a valuable insight into the hellish lives the brave soldiers of all nations who suffered so much. God rest their souls.

If you are buying this book get a hold of Birdsong, it follows a similar thread.

Fantastic, 06 Mar 2008
I am one of these people who always wanted to read a great classic and enjoy it.

Unfortunately what usually happens is that I never finish a book of this type because it is too much like hard work and I go back to something less challenging.

Not so with this book. It grabbed me immediately and I lapped up every page. The author succeeded in bringing across difficult emotional subjects in an effortless way and I would thoroughly recommend it to everyone.

Exposes well the despair and hopelessness of trench warfare, 02 Dec 2007
Very tragic and horrific account of the lives of a group of German ex-classmate soldiers in the trenches of WWI. The novel brings across well the hopelessness and futility of it all, especially at the very end of the story. Most of the time the story could be about the experiences of any group of WWI soldiers from any country as there are relatively few specifically German reference points apart from the characters' names. The writing is in the present tense, which I usually find annoying and did so to some extent here, but it does bring across the drama of the action very vividly. The language is very simple and the book was a quick read despite its nearly 300 pages.

The last enemy ..., 13 Nov 2006
Erich Marie Remarque was a truly great writer of his generation. Imagine how fresh this novel was when first published - imagine reading it in the original German language. Notwithstanding the many decades that have passed it remains a masterpiece. I first read 'All Quiet' in the 1960's.
I promise you, it changed my life forever. Few books in my nearly six decades of reading have done that.

anti-war literature at its best, 25 Jun 2008
Great novel. The journey from childhood to manhood is supposed to be full of joy and mystery, but this novel shows, doesn't tell, of what that journey is like during a world war. This book was banned by the Nazis when they came to power in 1933. If you read this novel, you'll understand why it was banned in Nazi Germany.

Read this before you die!, 08 Jun 2008
I bought an original 1929 copy on ebay and this is one hell of a book. If anyone has any idea that war is glorious you will be jarred severely by the this story. The true horror of the ordinary man fighting to keep alive is documented with crystal clear vision.

I initially found the style of writing a little off putting, but I have to say I rarely get sucked into a story as thoroughly as this one, I even have had nightmares about it's content!

In a similar way that Das Boot shared the human side of the 'enemy', AQOTWF does the same.....at the end of everything we are all very similar, whether English, French or German. We all worry and care about our loved ones.


AQOTWF was one of the books the Nazi's burnt in the 30's. That is sufficient reason to read it.

I can't say you will enjoy it, but I'm sure it will give you a valuable insight into the hellish lives the brave soldiers of all nations who suffered so much. God rest their souls.

If you are buying this book get a hold of Birdsong, it follows a similar thread.

Fantastic, 06 Mar 2008
I am one of these people who always wanted to read a great classic and enjoy it.

Unfortunately what usually happens is that I never finish a book of this type because it is too much like hard work and I go back to something less challenging.

Not so with this book. It grabbed me immediately and I lapped up every page. The author succeeded in bringing across difficult emotional subjects in an effortless way and I would thoroughly recommend it to everyone.

Exposes well the despair and hopelessness of trench warfare, 02 Dec 2007
Very tragic and horrific account of the lives of a group of German ex-classmate soldiers in the trenches of WWI. The novel brings across well the hopelessness and futility of it all, especially at the very end of the story. Most of the time the story could be about the experiences of any group of WWI soldiers from any country as there are relatively few specifically German reference points apart from the characters' names. The writing is in the present tense, which I usually find annoying and did so to some extent here, but it does bring across the drama of the action very vividly. The language is very simple and the book was a quick read despite its nearly 300 pages.

The last enemy ..., 13 Nov 2006
Erich Marie Remarque was a truly great writer of his generation. Imagine how fresh this novel was when first published - imagine reading it in the original German language. Notwithstanding the many decades that have passed it remains a masterpiece. I first read 'All Quiet' in the 1960's.
I promise you, it changed my life forever. Few books in my nearly six decades of reading have done that.

WW1, 05 Nov 2008
If any book deserves to be re-read at least once a year then this is it. It's an amazingly eloquent account of a young German soldier's life in the trenches of WW1. To hear his vivid descriptions of the hardships that these young men faced, and of the harrowing sights they saw and dealt with, is to be humbled by his words. The book is written in a manner so that it's not immediately obvious which country the soldier is from and I feel that is exactly the way the author wanted it to come across. No acts of bravado or self-pitying sentiments are expressed, but just a desire on the parts of all of the brave young men to overcome the hell they are in and to try and survive until peace is declared.

This is a harrowing read at times, but beautifully written and not a word is wasted. I'll always have a copy on my shelves and will re-read it each November as I honour soldiers past and present on Remembrance Day.



A powerful and timeless classic., 15 Jan 2008
One of the greatest novels on war ever written. A masterpiece of the 20th century.

A must read book about the futility of war, 26 Feb 2006
Described as the classic anti-war novel, All Quiet on the Western Front is a devastatingly emotional read about German soldiers fighting in the Great War.

Told through the eyes of 19-year-old soldier Paul Baumer, it details his experiences fighting in the Flanders' trenches.

Over time Baumer undergoes a complete transformation from naive young schoolboy to hard-bitten soldier. He survives the harsh reality of frontline combat, sees many of his friends get mortally wounded or killed, and suffers serious injuries of his own. Eventually he begins to wonder what he will do when the war is over, because it feels like war is all he has ever known.

The beauty of this book is that this is essentially a first person account of life on the frontline based on Remarque's own wartime experiences. There are no heroics. No homage to the glories of war. Instead we read about the soldiers' all abiding desire to avoid death, to cling on to life for however long it is possible to do so, amid the muddy, bloody, corpse-strewn battlefields of the Western Front.

Similarly, the story has little historical detail and no political insight. If you did not know that Baumer was German, you could easily mistake the soldiers as being British or French or Australian. This subtle message is perhaps Remarque's greatest gift: All Quiet on the Western Front shows that all men are equal when it comes to war.

Despite being written in 1929, its message still resonates today.

I found this book to be an incredibly sad, lump-in-the-throat read but one that is powerful and life-changing. If you haven't read it, then you must.

You are there, 25 Oct 2005
Erich Maria Remarque did a great job with his story. Being first person in view gave you the feeling that you were there. To add 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 had a tendency to trust and respect their elders unquestionably.

Being of the Vietnam era I could however 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. We had a dog that was named Followme, which was one of the few that did not end up in a pot. I even could 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 doing the same job with people that are indifferent or not supportive?

Anyway even with the graphic description of the actual battle 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 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."

Tender love story and mirror of the Weimar period, 31 Jan 2001
In this book, the model for Patricia Hollman is quite obviously the woman that Remarque married twice, Ilse Jutta Zambona. At the time Remarque commenced the writing of this novel in early 1932, his relationship with Jutta was in great difficulties. They had divorced two years earlier but had continued to live together sporadically. It was of course, not only the relationship between Remarque and Jutta that was changing. It was the time of the rise of National Socialism and Adolph Hitler's 'grab for power' in 1933. Remarque had been forced to flee Germany and now, in many ways he - like Germany - stood at the edge of the abyss. The relationship between Robbie Lohkamp and Patricia Hollman serves as an analogy not only for the relationship between himself and Jutta but between himself and Germany.

Patricia Hollman is the epitome of femininity and feminine strength: graceful, elegant, soft brown hair, a delicate eggshell suntan. 'She had something then about her of a deer and of a slim panther, and something too of an Amazon before the battle.' In the novel, Patricia hollman stands in complete contrast to the world of Robbie Lohkamp just as Jutta Zambona must have appeared to the young Remarque when they met in 1923.

Robbie Lohkamp's world was the world of cheerless boarding houses, jaded bars and pubs, macho drinking and male camaraderie. He worked in a small car repair workshop, Koester & Co. The owner was Koester, an old war comrade. Robbie and another war colleague, Lenz, formed the & Co.' They were the three comrades of the story. They made their living by repairing, servicing, buying, selling, panel-beating or painting cars. In short, anything remotely connected with automobiles. In flagging economic times, they lived off their wits. It was as important to recognise the right customer coming as to be a competent mechanic. They were not above a little sharp practice. But their war experiences had thrown them together. Their first loyalty was to each other.

Throughout the novel the gritty reality of Weimar Germany is constantly juxtaposed against the beautiful, fragrant, cosy, seemingly secure world of Patricia Hollman. Escape from the the barren economic climate was their motivating force. The Weimar years shade in the background to this urban landscape of 1920's Berlin and Remarque captures the economic depression of the years in deft and sensitive ways.

Many people dubbed 'Three Comrades' as a beautiful, tender love story. There was of course, the usual batch of critics who branded it as 'kitsch' and 'sentimental melodrama' merely. To be lulled into believing that the novel is merely a sentimental love story however, is to decidedly miss the point. It is really a mirror of the times. It is a profoundly pessimistic book. The tragic fate of Lenz and the lingering death of Patricia Hollman are analogous with the demise of Weimar Germany. As Remarque wrote, he realised that a darkness was descending. There was to be no turning back. It was not to be merely an night of darkness, - more like an enduring eclipse. It was to be many years before the light would shine again

An evocative masterpiece of life in the Weimar Republic, 06 Sep 1999
This is about the best book written by Remarque. His philosophy is as true today as it was then. Lokhamp is a free and easy rum drinker (today we would consider him alcoholic) whose motto is "Forget do not brood". Remarque offers hope in every day life. Hope in our own existance and beauty in living.

A must-read novel!, 30 Dec 1998
In his best (in my opinion) novel, Remarque tells an unforgettable story of love, friendship and loyalty in the chaotic post-WWI Germany. When the whole world seems to be going mad and there is nothing anymore to live for, one man realizes that love and friends are the only two things in this world worth living for, and dying for. This book is a tale of finding something so pure in the times when it seems that all the purity of this world has been wiped out from people's lives by the war, poverty, greed, jealosy, and constant nightmares. Staying true to one's feelings, not giving in and not giving up, remaining loyal at any cost and having the spirit to go on, are the main themes of this book.

This book has changed my life., 29 Dec 1998
I read a lot, but among all the literature that I have devoured through the years, Remarque's "Three Comrades" is definetely my favorite. It is a sincere and down-to-earth tale of true love and true friendship in pre-WWII Germany, when political chaos and economic disarray often castrated men of humanity. The relationship between silky-haired Pat and Robbie, the taxi driving soul-searcher and narrator of the tale, runs its tender and turbulent course, as does the gruffly gentle, poignant and sincere friendship between Robbie, Lenz, "the last Romantic", a poet and an ex-med student, Kaster, the laconic owner of a gas station and stony-faced racecar driver, Pat, Ferdinand, a portrait artist and Kaster's car, Karl, "the spook of the highways", who is an entity to be reckoned with all on it's own. From Blumenthals to Georgie to Rosa, Remarque's tour-de-force characters resonate with the desperation of Hugo's "Les Miserables", and stand alone as silent portraits of the so-called "lost generation" of the twentieth century.

if you will read one book in your life , read this book .., 28 Jul 1998
The humanitarian aspect of Remarque finds better expression in no other book . Only a man who has breathed death could describe love so poignantly .

anti-war literature at its best, 25 Jun 2008
Great novel. The journey from childhood to manhood is supposed to be full of joy and mystery, but this novel shows, doesn't tell, of what that journey is like during a world war. This book was banned by the Nazis when they came to power in 1933. If you read this novel, you'll understand why it was banned in Nazi Germany.

Read this before you die!, 08 Jun 2008
I bought an original 1929 copy on ebay and this is one hell of a book. If anyone has any idea that war is glorious you will be jarred severely by the this story. The true horror of the ordinary man fighting to keep alive is documented with crystal clear vision.

I initially found the style of writing a little off putting, but I have to say I rarely get sucked into a story as thoroughly as this one, I even have had nightmares about it's content!

In a similar way that Das Boot shared the human side of the 'enemy', AQOTWF does the same.....at the end of everything we are all very similar, whether English, French or German. We all worry and care about our loved ones.


AQOTWF was one of the books the Nazi's burnt in the 30's. That is sufficient reason to read it.

I can't say you will enjoy it, but I'm sure it will give you a valuable insight into the hellish lives the brave soldiers of all nations who suffered so much. God rest their souls.

If you are buying this book get a hold of Birdsong, it follows a similar thread.

Fantastic, 06 Mar 2008
I am one of these people who always wanted to read a great classic and enjoy it.

Unfortunately what usually happens is that I never finish a book of this type because it is too much like hard work and I go back to something less challenging.

Not so with this book. It grabbed me immediately and I lapped up every page. The author succeeded in bringing across difficult emotional subjects in an effortless way and I would thoroughly recommend it to everyone.

Exposes well the despair and hopelessness of trench warfare, 02 Dec 2007
Very tragic and horrific account of the lives of a group of German ex-classmate soldiers in the trenches of WWI. The novel brings across well the hopelessness and futility of it all, especially at the very end of the story. Most of the time the story could be about the experiences of any group of WWI soldiers from any country as there are relatively few specifically German reference points apart from the characters' names. The writing is in the present tense, which I usually find annoying and did so to some extent here, but it does bring across the drama of the action very vividly. The language is very simple and the book was a quick read despite its nearly 300 pages.

The last enemy ..., 13 Nov 2006
Erich Marie Remarque was a truly great writer of his generation. Imagine how fresh this novel was when first published - imagine reading it in the original German language. Notwithstanding the many decades that have passed it remains a masterpiece. I first read 'All Quiet' in the 1960's.
I promise you, it changed my life forever. Few books in my nearly six decades of reading have done that.

anti-war literature at its best, 25 Jun 2008
Great novel. The journey from childhood to manhood is supposed to be full of joy and mystery, but this novel shows, doesn't tell, of what that journey is like during a world war. This book was banned by the Nazis when they came to power in 1933. If you read this novel, you'll understand why it was banned in Nazi Germany.

Read this before you die!, 08 Jun 2008
I bought an original 1929 copy on ebay and this is one hell of a book. If anyone has any idea that war is glorious you will be jarred severely by the this story. The true horror of the ordinary man fighting to keep alive is documented with crystal clear vision.

I initially found the style of writing a little off putting, but I have to say I rarely get sucked into a story as thoroughly as this one, I even have had nightmares about it's content!

In a similar way that Das Boot shared the human side of the 'enemy', AQOTWF does the same.....at the end of everything we are all very similar, whether English, French or German. We all worry and care about our loved ones.


AQOTWF was one of the books the Nazi's burnt in the 30's. That is sufficient reason to read it.

I can't say you will enjoy it, but I'm sure it will give you a valuable insight into the hellish lives the brave soldiers of all nations who suffered so much. God rest their souls.

If you are buying this book get a hold of Birdsong, it follows a similar thread.

Fantastic, 06 Mar 2008
I am one of these people who always wanted to read a great classic and enjoy it.

Unfortunately what usually happens is that I never finish a book of this type because it is too much like hard work and I go back to something less challenging.

Not so with this book. It grabbed me immediately and I lapped up every page. The author succeeded in bringing across difficult emotional subjects in an effortless way and I would thoroughly recommend it to everyone.

Exposes well the despair and hopelessness of trench warfare, 02 Dec 2007
Very tragic and horrific account of the lives of a group of German ex-classmate soldiers in the trenches of WWI. The novel brings across well the hopelessness and futility of it all, especially at the very end of the story. Most of the time the story could be about the experiences of any group of WWI soldiers from any country as there are relatively few specifically German reference points apart from the characters' names. The writing is in the present tense, which I usually find annoying and did so to some extent here, but it does bring across the drama of the action very vividly. The language is very simple and the book was a quick read despite its nearly 300 pages.

The last enemy ..., 13 Nov 2006
Erich Marie Remarque was a truly great writer of his generation. Imagine how fresh this novel was when first published - imagine reading it in the original German language. Notwithstanding the many decades that have passed it remains a masterpiece. I first read 'All Quiet' in the 1960's.
I promise you, it changed my life forever. Few books in my nearly six decades of reading have done that.

WW1, 05 Nov 2008
If any book deserves to be re-read at least once a year then this is it. It's an amazingly eloquent account of a young German soldier's life in the trenches of WW1. To hear his vivid descriptions of the hardships that these young men faced, and of the harrowing sights they saw and dealt with, is to be humbled by his words. The book is written in a manner so that it's not immediately obvious which country the soldier is from and I feel that is exactly the way the author wanted it to come across. No acts of bravado or self-pitying sentiments are expressed, but just a desire on the parts of all of the brave young men to overcome the hell they are in and to try and survive until peace is declared.

This is a harrowing read at times, but beautifully written and not a word is wasted. I'll always have a copy on my shelves and will re-read it each November as I honour soldiers past and present on Remembrance Day.



A powerful and timeless classic., 15 Jan 2008
One of the greatest novels on war ever written. A masterpiece of the 20th century.

A must read book about the futility of war, 26 Feb 2006
Described as the classic anti-war novel, All Quiet on the Western Front is a devastatingly emotional read about German soldiers fighting in the Great War.

Told through the eyes of 19-year-old soldier Paul Baumer, it details his experiences fighting in the Flanders' trenches.

Over time Baumer undergoes a complete transformation from naive young schoolboy to hard-bitten soldier. He survives the harsh reality of frontline combat, sees many of his friends get mortally wounded or killed, and suffers serious injuries of his own. Eventually he begins to wonder what he will do when the war is over, because it feels like war is all he has ever known.

The beauty of this book is that this is essentially a first person account of life on the frontline based on Remarque's own wartime experiences. There are no heroics. No homage to the glories of war. Instead we read about the soldiers' all abiding desire to avoid death, to cling on to life for however long it is possible to do so, amid the muddy, bloody, corpse-strewn battlefields of the Western Front.

Similarly, the story has little historical detail and no political insight. If you did not know that Baumer was German, you could easily mistake the soldiers as being British or French or Australian. This subtle message is perhaps Remarque's greatest gift: All Quiet on the Western Front shows that all men are equal when it comes to war.

Despite being written in 1929, its message still resonates today.

I found this book to be an incredibly sad, lump-in-the-throat read but one that is powerful and life-changing. If you haven't read it, then you must.

You are there, 25 Oct 2005
Erich Maria Remarque did a great job with his story. Being first person in view gave you the feeling that you were there. To add 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 had a tendency to trust and respect their elders unquestionably.

Being of the Vietnam era I could however 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. We had a dog that was named Followme, which was one of the few that did not end up in a pot. I even could 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 doing the same job with people that are indifferent or not supportive?

Anyway even with the graphic description of the actual battle 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 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."

Tender love story and mirror of the Weimar period, 31 Jan 2001
In this book, the model for Patricia Hollman is quite obviously the woman that Remarque married twice, Ilse Jutta Zambona. At the time Remarque commenced the writing of this novel in early 1932, his relationship with Jutta was in great difficulties. They had divorced two years earlier but had continued to live together sporadically. It was of course, not only the relationship between Remarque and Jutta that was changing. It was the time of the rise of National Socialism and Adolph Hitler's 'grab for power' in 1933. Remarque had been forced to flee Germany and now, in many ways he - like Germany - stood at the edge of the abyss. The relationship between Robbie Lohkamp and Patricia Hollman serves as an analogy not only for the relationship between himself and Jutta but between himself and Germany.

Patricia Hollman is the epitome of femininity and feminine strength: graceful, elegant, soft brown hair, a delicate eggshell suntan. 'She had something then about her of a deer and of a slim panther, and something too of an Amazon before the battle.' In the novel, Patricia hollman stands in complete contrast to the world of Robbie Lohkamp just as Jutta Zambona must have appeared to the young Remarque when they met in 1923.

Robbie Lohkamp's world was the world of cheerless boarding houses, jaded bars and pubs, macho drinking and male camaraderie. He worked in a small car repair workshop, Koester & Co. The owner was Koester, an old war comrade. Robbie and another war colleague, Lenz, formed the & Co.' They were the three comrades of the story. They made their living by repairing, servicing, buying, selling, panel-beating or painting cars. In short, anything remotely connected with automobiles. In flagging economic times, they lived off their wits. It was as important to recognise the right customer coming as to be a competent mechanic. They were not above a little sharp practice. But their war experiences had thrown them together. Their first loyalty was to each other.

Throughout the novel the gritty reality of Weimar Germany is constantly juxtaposed against the beautiful, fragrant, cosy, seemingly secure world of Patricia Hollman. Escape from the the barren economic climate was their motivating force. The Weimar years shade in the background to this urban landscape of 1920's Berlin and Remarque captures the economic depression of the years in deft and sensitive ways.

Many people dubbed 'Three Comrades' as a beautiful, tender love story. There was of course, the usual batch of critics who branded it as 'kitsch' and 'sentimental melodrama' merely. To be lulled into believing that the novel is merely a sentimental love story however, is to decidedly miss the point. It is really a mirror of the times. It is a profoundly pessimistic book. The tragic fate of Lenz and the lingering death of Patricia Hollman are analogous with the demise of Weimar Germany. As Remarque wrote, he realised that a darkness was descending. There was to be no turning back. It was not to be merely an night of darkness, - more like an enduring eclipse. It was to be many years before the light would shine again

An evocative masterpiece of life in the Weimar Republic, 06 Sep 1999
This is about the best book written by Remarque. His philosophy is as true today as it was then. Lokhamp is a free and easy rum drinker (today we would consider him alcoholic) whose motto is "Forget do not brood". Remarque offers hope in every day life. Hope in our own existance and beauty in living.

A must-read novel!, 30 Dec 1998
In his best (in my opinion) novel, Remarque tells an unforgettable story of love, friendship and loyalty in the chaotic post-WWI Germany. When the whole world seems to be going mad and there is nothing anymore to live for, one man realizes that love and friends are the only two things in this world worth living for, and dying for. This book is a tale of finding something so pure in the times when it seems that all the purity of this world has been wiped out from people's lives by the war, poverty, greed, jealosy, and constant nightmares. Staying true to one's feelings, not giving in and not giving up, remaining loyal at any cost and having the spirit to go on, are the main themes of this book.

This book has changed my life., 29 Dec 1998
I read a lot, but among all the literature that I have devoured through the years, Remarque's "Three Comrades" is definetely my favorite. It is a sincere and down-to-earth tale of true love and true friendship in pre-WWII Germany, when political chaos and economic disarray often castrated men of humanity. The relationship between silky-haired Pat and Robbie, the taxi driving soul-searcher and narrator of the tale, runs its tender and turbulent course, as does the gruffly gentle, poignant and sincere friendship between Robbie, Lenz, "the last Romantic", a poet and an ex-med student, Kaster, the laconic owner of a gas station and stony-faced racecar driver, Pat, Ferdinand, a portrait artist and Kaster's car, Karl, "the spook of the highways", who is an entity to be reckoned with all on it's own. From Blumenthals to Georgie to Rosa, Remarque's tour-de-force characters resonate with the desperation of Hugo's "Les Miserables", and stand alone as silent portraits of the so-called "lost generation" of the twentieth century.

if you will read one book in your life , read this book .., 28 Jul 1998
The humanitarian aspect of Remarque finds better expression in no other book . Only a man who has breathed death could describe love so poignantly .

Terribly sad, but wonderful, 18 May 2003
Its the story of a jewish man who goes back into Nazi Germany, risking everything to fetch his wife and escape with her to Africa.
I read it ten years ago and it's still one of the best books I ever read. I still want to go to Lisbon, to catch the mood of this night.

anti-war literature at its best, 25 Jun 2008
Great novel. The journey from childhood to manhood is supposed to be full of joy and mystery, but this novel shows, doesn't tell, of what that journey is like during a world war. This book was banned by the Nazis when they came to power in 1933. If you read this novel, you'll understand why it was banned in Nazi Germany.

Read this before you die!, 08 Jun 2008
I bought an original 1929 copy on ebay and this is one hell of a book. If anyone has any idea that war is glorious you will be jarred severely by the this story. The true horror of the ordinary man fighting to keep alive is documented with crystal clear vision.

I initially found the style of writing a little off putting, but I have to say I rarely get sucked into a story as thoroughly as this one, I even have had nightmares about it's content!

In a similar way that Das Boot shared the human side of the 'enemy', AQOTWF does the same.....at the end of everything we are all very similar, whether English, French or German. We all worry and care about our loved ones.


AQOTWF was one of the books the Nazi's burnt in the 30's. That is sufficient reason to read it.

I can't say you will enjoy it, but I'm sure it will give you a valuable insight into the hellish lives the brave soldiers of all nations who suffered so much. God rest their souls.

If you are buying this book get a hold of Birdsong, it follows a similar thread.

Fantastic, 06 Mar 2008
I am one of these people who always wanted to read a great classic and enjoy it.

Unfortunately what usually happens is that I never finish a book of this type because it is too much like hard work and I go back to something less challenging.

Not so with this book. It grabbed me immediately and I lapped up every page. The author succeeded in bringing across difficult emotional subjects in an effortless way and I would thoroughly recommend it to everyone.

Exposes well the despair and hopelessness of trench warfare, 02 Dec 2007
Very tragic and horrific account of the lives of a group of German ex-classmate soldiers in the trenches of WWI. The novel brings across well the hopelessness and futility of it all, especially at the very end of the story. Most of the time the story could be about the experiences of any group of WWI soldiers from any country as there are relatively few specifically German reference points apart from the characters' names. The writing is in the present tense, which I usually find annoying and did so to some extent here, but it does bring across the drama of the action very vividly. The language is very simple and the book was a quick read despite its nearly 300 pages.

The last enemy ..., 13 Nov 2006
Erich Marie Remarque was a truly great writer of his generation. Imagine how fresh this novel was when first published - imagine reading it in the original German language. Notwithstanding the many decades that have passed it remains a masterpiece. I first read 'All Quiet' in the 1960's.
I promise you, it changed my life forever. Few books in my nearly six decades of reading have done that.

anti-war literature at its best, 25 Jun 2008
Great novel. The journey from childhood to manhood is supposed to be full of joy and mystery, but this novel shows, doesn't tell, of what that journey is like during a world war. This book was banned by the Nazis when they came to power in 1933. If you read this novel, you'll understand why it was banned in Nazi Germany.

Read this before you die!, 08 Jun 2008
I bought an original 1929 copy on ebay and this is one hell of a book. If anyone has any idea that war is glorious you will be jarred severely by the this story. The true horror of the ordinary man fighting to keep alive is documented with crystal clear vision.

I initially found the style of writing a little off putting, but I have to say I rarely get sucked into a story as thoroughly as this one, I even have had nightmares about it's content!

In a similar way that Das Boot shared the human side of the 'enemy', AQOTWF does the same.....at the end of everything we are all very similar, whether English, French or German. We all worry and care about our loved ones.


AQOTWF was one of the books the Nazi's burnt in the 30's. That is sufficient reason to read it.

I can't say you will enjoy it, but I'm sure it will give you a valuable insight into the hellish lives the brave soldiers of all nations who suffered so much. God rest their souls.

If you are buying this book get a hold of Birdsong, it follows a similar thread.

Fantastic, 06 Mar 2008
I am one of these people who always wanted to read a great classic and enjoy it.

Unfortunately what usually happens is that I never finish a book of this type because it is too much like hard work and I go back to something less challenging.

Not so with this book. It grabbed me immediately and I lapped up every page. The author succeeded in bringing across difficult emotional subjects in an effortless way and I would thoroughly recommend it to everyone.

Exposes well the despair and hopelessness of trench warfare, 02 Dec 2007
Very tragic and horrific account of the lives of a group of German ex-classmate soldiers in the trenches of WWI. The novel brings across well the hopelessness and futility of it all, especially at the very end of the story. Most of the time the story could be about the experiences of any group of WWI soldiers from any country as there are relatively few specifically German reference points apart from the characters' names. The writing is in the present tense, which I usually find annoying and did so to some extent here, but it does bring across the drama of the action very vividly. The language is very simple and the book was a quick read despite its nearly 300 pages.

The last enemy ..., 13 Nov 2006
Erich Marie Remarque was a truly great writer of his generation. Imagine how fresh this novel was when first published - imagine reading it in the original German language. Notwithstanding the many decades that have passed it remains a masterpiece. I first read 'All Quiet' in the 1960's.
I promise you, it changed my life forever. Few books in my nearly six decades of reading have done that.

WW1, 05 Nov 2008
If any book deserves to be re-read at least once a year then this is it. It's an amazingly eloquent account of a young German soldier's life in the trenches of WW1. To hear his vivid descriptions of the hardships that these young men faced, and of the harrowing sights they saw and dealt with, is to be humbled by his words. The book is written in a manner so that it's not immediately obvious which country the soldier is from and I feel that is exactly the way the author wanted it to come across. No acts of bravado or self-pitying sentiments are expressed, but just a desire on the parts of all of the brave young men to overcome the hell they are in and to try and survive until peace is declared.

This is a harrowing read at times, but beautifully written and not a word is wasted. I'll always have a copy on my shelves and will re-read it each November as I honour soldiers past and present on Remembrance Day.



A powerful and timeless classic., 15 Jan 2008
One of the greatest novels on war ever written. A masterpiece of the 20th century.

A must read book about the futility of war, 26 Feb 2006
Described as the classic anti-war novel, All Quiet on the Western Front is a devastatingly emotional read about German soldiers fighting in the Great War.

Told through the eyes of 19-year-old soldier Paul Baumer, it details his experiences fighting in the Flanders' trenches.

Over time Baumer undergoes a complete transformation from naive young schoolboy to hard-bitten soldier. He survives the harsh reality of frontline combat, sees many of his friends get mortally wounded or killed, and suffers serious injuries of his own. Eventually he begins to wonder what he will do when the war is over, because it feels like war is all he has ever known.

The beauty of this book is that this is essentially a first person account of life on the frontline based on Remarque's own wartime experiences. There are no heroics. No homage to the glories of war. Instead we read about the soldiers' all abiding desire to avoid death, to cling on to life for however long it is possible to do so, amid the muddy, bloody, corpse-strewn battlefields of the Western Front.

Similarly, the story has little historical detail and no political insight. If you did not know that Baumer was German, you could easily mistake the soldiers as being British or French or Australian. This subtle message is perhaps Remarque's greatest gift: All Quiet on the Western Front shows that all men are equal when it comes to war.

Despite being written in 1929, its message still resonates today.

I found this book to be an incredibly sad, lump-in-the-throat read but one that is powerful and life-changing. If you haven't read it, then you must.

You are there, 25 Oct 2005
Erich Maria Remarque did a great job with his story. Being first person in view gave you the feeling that you were there. To add 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 had a tendency to trust and respect their elders unquestionably.

Being of the Vietnam era I could however 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. We had a dog that was named Followme, which was one of the few that did not end up in a pot. I even could 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 doing the same job with people that are indifferent or not supportive?

Anyway even with the graphic description of the actual battle 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 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."

Tender love story and mirror of the Weimar period, 31 Jan 2001
In this book, the model for Patricia Hollman is quite obviously the woman that Remarque married twice, Ilse Jutta Zambona. At the time Remarque commenced the writing of this novel in early 1932, his relationship with Jutta was in great difficulties. They had divorced two years earlier but had continued to live together sporadically. It was of course, not only the relationship between Remarque and Jutta that was changing. It was the time of the rise of National Socialism and Adolph Hitler's 'grab for power' in 1933. Remarque had been forced to flee Germany and now, in many ways he - like Germany - stood at the edge of the abyss. The relationship between Robbie Lohkamp and Patricia Hollman serves as an analogy not only for the relationship between himself and Jutta but between himself and Germany.

Patricia Hollman is the epitome of femininity and feminine strength: graceful, elegant, soft brown hair, a delicate eggshell suntan. 'She had something then about her of a deer and of a slim panther, and something too of an Amazon before the battle.' In the novel, Patricia hollman stands in complete contrast to the world of Robbie Lohkamp just as Jutta Zambona must have appeared to the young Remarque when they met in 1923.

Robbie Lohkamp's world was the world of cheerless boarding houses, jaded bars and pubs, macho drinking and male camaraderie. He worked in a small car repair workshop, Koester & Co. The owner was Koester, an old war comrade. Robbie and another war colleague, Lenz, formed the & Co.' They were the three comrades of the story. They made their living by repairing, servicing, buying, selling, panel-beating or painting cars. In short, anything remotely connected with automobiles. In flagging economic times, they lived off their wits. It was as important to recognise the right customer coming as to be a competent mechanic. They were not above a little sharp practice. But their war experiences had thrown them together. Their first loyalty was to each other.

Throughout the novel the gritty reality of Weimar Germany is constantly juxtaposed against the beautiful, fragrant, cosy, seemingly secure world of Patricia Hollman. Escape from the the barren economic climate was their motivating force. The Weimar years shade in the background to this urban landscape of 1920's Berlin and Remarque captures the economic depression of the years in deft and sensitive ways.

Many people dubbed 'Three Comrades' as a beautiful, tender love story. There was of course, the usual batch of critics who branded it as 'kitsch' and 'sentimental melodrama' merely. To be lulled into believing that the novel is merely a sentimental love story however, is to decidedly miss the point. It is really a mirror of the times. It is a profoundly pessimistic book. The tragic fate of Lenz and the lingering death of Patricia Hollman are analogous with the demise of Weimar Germany. As Remarque wrote, he realised that a darkness was descending. There was to be no turning back. It was not to be merely an night of darkness, - more like an enduring eclipse. It was to be many years before the light would shine again

An evocative masterpiece of life in the Weimar Republic, 06 Sep 1999
This is about the best book written by Remarque. His philosophy is as true today as it was then. Lokhamp is a free and easy rum drinker (today we would consider him alcoholic) whose motto is "Forget do not brood". Remarque offers hope in every day life. Hope in our own existance and beauty in living.

A must-read novel!, 30 Dec 1998
In his best (in my opinion) novel, Remarque tells an unforgettable story of love, friendship and loyalty in the chaotic post-WWI Germany. When the whole world seems to be going mad and there is nothing anymore to live for, one man realizes that love and friends are the only two things in this world worth living for, and dying for. This book is a tale of finding something so pure in the times when it seems that all the purity of this world has been wiped out from people's lives by the war, poverty, greed, jealosy, and constant nightmares. Staying true to one's feelings, not giving in and not giving up, remaining loyal at any cost and having the spirit to go on, are the main themes of this book.

This book has changed my life., 29 Dec 1998
I read a lot, but among all the literature that I have devoured through the years, Remarque's "Three Comrades" is definetely my favorite. It is a sincere and down-to-earth tale of true love and true friendship in pre-WWII Germany, when political chaos and economic disarray often castrated men of humanity. The relationship between silky-haired Pat and Robbie, the taxi driving soul-searcher and narrator of the tale, runs its tender and turbulent course, as does the gruffly gentle, poignant and sincere friendship between Robbie, Lenz, "the last Romantic", a poet and an ex-med student, Kaster, the laconic owner of a gas station and stony-faced racecar driver, Pat, Ferdinand, a portrait artist and Kaster's car, Karl, "the spook of the highways", who is an entity to be reckoned with all on it's own. From Blumenthals to Georgie to Rosa, Remarque's tour-de-force characters resonate with the desperation of Hugo's "Les Miserables", and stand alone as silent portraits of the so-called "lost generation" of the twentieth century.

if you will read one book in your life , read this book .., 28 Jul 1998
The humanitarian aspect of Remarque finds better expression in no other book . Only a man who has breathed death could describe love so poignantly .

Terribly sad, but wonderful, 18 May 2003
Its the story of a jewish man who goes back into Nazi Germany, risking everything to fetch his wife and escape with her to Africa.
I read it ten years ago and it's still one of the best books I ever read. I still want to go to Lisbon, to catch the mood of this night.

anti-war literature at its best, 25 Jun 2008
Great novel. The journey from childhood to manhood is supposed to be full of joy and mystery, but this novel shows, doesn't tell, of what that journey is like during a world war. This book was banned by the Nazis when they came to power in 1933. If you read this novel, you'll understand why it was banned in Nazi Germany.

Read this before you die!, 08 Jun 2008
I bought an original 1929 copy on ebay and this is one hell of a book. If anyone has any idea that war is glorious you will be jarred severely by the this story. The true horror of the ordinary man fighting to keep alive is documented with crystal clear vision.

I initially found the style of writing a little off putting, but I have to say I rarely get sucked into a story as thoroughly as this one, I even have had nightmares about it's content!

In a similar way that Das Boot shared the human side of the 'enemy', AQOTWF does the same.....at the end of everything we are all very similar, whether English, French or German. We all worry and care about our loved ones.


AQOTWF was one of the books the Nazi's burnt in the 30's. That is sufficient reason to read it.

I can't say you will enjoy it, but I'm sure it will give you a valuable insight into the hellish lives the brave soldiers of all nations who suffered so much. God rest their souls.

If you are buying this book get a hold of Birdsong, it follows a similar thread.

Fantastic, 06 Mar 2008
I am one of these people who always wanted to read a great classic and enjoy it.

Unfortunately what usually happens is that I never finish a book of this type because it is too much like hard work and I go back to something less challenging.

Not so with this book. It grabbed me immediately and I lapped up every page. The author succeeded in bringing across difficult emotional subjects in an effortless way and I would thoroughly recommend it to everyone.

Exposes well the despair and hopelessness of trench warfare, 02 Dec 2007
Very tragic and horrific account of the lives of a group of German ex-classmate soldiers in the trenches of WWI. The novel brings across well the hopelessness and futility of it all, especially at the very end of the story. Most of the time the story could be about the experiences of any group of WWI soldiers from any country as there are relatively few specifically German reference points apart from the characters' names. The writing is in the present tense, which I usually find annoying and did so to some extent here, but it does bring across the drama of the action very vividly. The language is very simple and the book was a quick read despite its nearly 300 pages.

The last enemy ..., 13 Nov 2006
Erich Marie Remarque was a truly great writer of his generation. Imagine how fresh this novel was when first published - imagine reading it in the original German language. Notwithstanding the many decades that have passed it remains a masterpiece. I first read 'All Quiet' in the 1960's.
I promise you, it changed my life forever. Few books in my nearly six decades of reading have done that.

anti-war literature at its best, 25 Jun 2008
Great novel. The journey from childhood to manhood is supposed to be full of joy and mystery, but this novel shows, doesn't tell, of what that journey is like during a world war. This book was banned by the Nazis when they came to power in 1933. If you read this novel, you'll understand why it was banned in Nazi Germany.

Read this before you die!, 08 Jun 2008
I bought an original 1929 copy on ebay and this is one hell of a book. If anyone has any idea that war is glorious you will be jarred severely by the this story. The true horror of the ordinary man fighting to keep alive is documented with crystal clear vision.

I initially found the style of writing a little off putting, but I have to say I rarely get sucked into a story as thoroughly as this one, I even have had nightmares about it's content!

In a similar way that Das Boot shared the human side of the 'enemy', AQOTWF does the same.....at the end of everything we are all very similar, whether English, French or German. We all worry and care about our loved ones.


AQOTWF was one of the books the Nazi's burnt in the 30's. That is sufficient reason to read it.

I can't say you will enjoy it, but I'm sure it will give you a valuable insight into the hellish lives the brave soldiers of all nations who suffered so much. God rest their souls.

If you are buying this book get a hold of Birdsong, it follows a similar thread.

Fantastic, 06 Mar 2008
I am one of these people who always wanted to read a great classic and enjoy it.

Unfortunately what usually happens is that I never finish a book of this type because it is too much like hard work and I go back to something less challenging.

Not so with this book. It grabbed me immediately and I lapped up every page. The author succeeded in bringing across difficult emotional subjects in an effortless way and I would thoroughly recommend it to everyone.

Exposes well the despair and hopelessness of trench warfare, 02 Dec 2007
Very tragic and horrific account of the lives of a group of German ex-classmate soldiers in the trenches of WWI. The novel brings across well the hopelessness and futility of it all, especially at the very end of the story. Most of the time the story could be about the experiences of any group of WWI soldiers from any country as there are relatively few specifically German reference points apart from the characters' names. The writing is in the present tense, which I usually find annoying and did so to some extent here, but it does bring across the drama of the action very vividly. The language is very simple and the book was a quick read despite its nearly 300 pages.

The last enemy ..., 13 Nov 2006
Erich Marie Remarque was a truly great writer of his generation. Imagine how fresh this novel was when first published - imagine reading it in the original German language. Notwithstanding the many decades that have passed it remains a masterpiece. I first read 'All Quiet' in the 1960's.
I promise you, it changed my life forever. Few books in my nearly six decades of reading have done that.

anti-war literature at its best, 25 Jun 2008
Great novel. The journey from childhood to manhood is supposed to be full of joy and mystery, but this novel shows, doesn't tell, of what that journey is like during a world war. This book was banned by the Nazis when they came to power in 1933. If you read this novel, you'll understand why it was banned in Nazi Germany.

Read this before you die!, 08 Jun 2008
I bought an original 1929 copy on ebay and this is one hell of a book. If anyone has any idea that war is glorious you will be jarred severely by the this story. The true horror of the ordinary man fighting to keep alive is documented with crystal clear vision.

I initially found the style of writing a little off putting, but I have to say I rarely get sucked into a story as thoroughly as this one, I even have had nightmares about it's content!

In a similar way that Das Boot shared the human side of the 'enemy', AQOTWF does the same.....at the end of everything we are all very similar, whether English, French or German. We all worry and care about our loved ones.


AQOTWF was one of the books the Nazi's burnt in the 30's. That is sufficient reason to read it.

I can't say you will enjoy it, but I'm sure it will give you a valuable insight into the hellish lives the brave soldiers of all nations who suffered so much. God rest their souls.

If you are buying this book get a hold of Birdsong, it follows a similar thread.

Fantastic, 06 Mar 2008
I am one of these people who always wanted to read a great classic and enjoy it.

Unfortunately what usually happens is that I never finish a book of this type because it is too much like hard work and I go back to something less challenging.

Not so with this book. It grabbed me immediately and I lapped up every page. The author succeeded in bringing across difficult emotional subjects in an effortless way and I would thoroughly recommend it to everyone.

Exposes well the despair and hopelessness of trench warfare, 02 Dec 2007
Very tragic and horrific account of the lives of a group of German ex-classmate soldiers in the trenches of WWI. The novel brings across well the hopelessness and futility of it all, especially at the very end of the story. Most of the time the story could be about the experiences of any group of WWI soldiers from any country as there are relatively few specifically German reference points apart from the characters' names. The writing is in the present tense, which I usually find annoying and did so to some extent here, but it does bring across the drama of the action very vividly. The language is very simple and the book was a quick read despite its nearly 300 pages.

The last enemy ..., 13 Nov 2006
Erich Marie Remarque was a truly great writer of his generation. Imagine how fresh this novel was when first published - imagine reading it in the original German language. Notwithstanding the many decades that have passed it remains a masterpiece. I first read 'All Quiet' in the 1960's.
I promise you, it changed my life forever. Few books in my nearly six decades of reading have done that.

WW1, 05 Nov 2008
If any book deserves to be re-read at least once a year then this is it. It's an amazingly eloquent account of a young German soldier's life in the trenches of WW1. To hear his vivid descriptions of the hardships that these young men faced, and of the harrowing sights they saw and dealt with, is to be humbled by his words. The book is written in a manner so that it's not immediately obvious which country the soldier is from and I feel that is exactly the way the author wanted it to come across. No acts of bravado or self-pitying sentiments are expressed, but just a desire on the parts of all of the brave young men to overcome the hell they are in and to try and survive until peace is declared.

This is a harrowing read at times, but beautifully written and not a word is wasted. I'll always have a copy on my shelves and will re-read it each November as I honour soldiers past and present on Remembrance Day.



A powerful and timeless classic., 15 Jan 2008
One of the greatest novels on war ever written. A masterpiece of the 20th century.

A must read book about the futility of war, 26 Feb 2006
Described as the classic anti-war novel, All Quiet on the Western Front is a devastatingly emotional read about German soldiers fighting in the Great War.

Told through the eyes of 19-year-old soldier Paul Baumer, it details his experiences fighting in the Flanders' trenches.

Over time Baumer undergoes a complete transformation from naive young schoolboy to hard-bitten soldier. He survives the harsh reality of frontline combat, sees many of his friends get mortally wounded or killed, and suffers serious injuries of his own. Eventually he begins to wonder what he will do when the war is over, because it feels like war is all he has ever known.

The beauty of this book is that this is essentially a first person account of life on the frontline based on Remarque's own wartime experiences. There are no heroics. No homage to the glories of war. Instead we read about the soldiers' all abiding desire to avoid death, to cling on to life for however long it is possible to do so, amid the muddy, bloody, corpse-strewn battlefields of the Western Front.

Similarly, the story has little historical detail and no political insight. If you did not know that Baumer was German, you could easily mistake the soldiers as being British or French or Australian. This subtle message is perhaps Remarque's greatest gift: All Quiet on the Western Front shows that all men are equal when it comes to war.

Despite being written in 1929, its message still resonates today.

I found this book to be an incredibly sad, lump-in-the-throat read but one that is powerful and life-changing. If you haven't read it, then you must.

You are there, 25 Oct 2005
Erich Maria Remarque did a great job with his story. Being first person in view gave you the feeling that you were there. To add 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 had a tendency to trust and respect their elders unquestionably.

Being of the Vietnam era I could however 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. We had a dog that was named Followme, which was one of the few that did not end up in a pot. I even could 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 doing the same job with people that are indifferent or not supportive?

Anyway even with the graphic description of the actual battle 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 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."

Tender love story and mirror of the Weimar period, 31 Jan 2001
In this book, the model for Patricia Hollman is quite obviously the woman that Remarque married twice, Ilse Jutta Zambona. At the time Remarque commenced the writing of this novel in early 1932, his relationship with Jutta was in great difficulties. They had divorced two years earlier but had continued to live together sporadically. It was of course, not only the relationship between Remarque and Jutta that was changing. It was the time of the rise of National Socialism and Adolph Hitler's 'grab for power' in 1933. Remarque had been forced to flee Germany and now, in many ways he - like Germany - stood at the edge of the abyss. The relationship between Robbie Lohkamp and Patricia Hollman serves as an analogy not only for the relationship between himself and Jutta but between himself and Germany.

Patricia Hollman is the epitome of femininity and feminine strength: graceful, elegant, soft brown hair, a delicate eggshell suntan. 'She had something then about her of a deer and of a slim panther, and something too of an Amazon before the battle.' In the novel, Patricia hollman stands in complete contrast to the world of Robbie Lohkamp just as Jutta Zambona must have appeared to the young Remarque when they met in 1923.

Robbie Lohkamp's world was the world of cheerless boarding houses, jaded bars and pubs, macho drinking and male camaraderie. He worked in a small car repair workshop, Koester & Co. The owner was Koester, an old war comrade. Robbie and another war colleague, Lenz, formed the & Co.' They were the three comrades of the story. They made their living by repairing, servicing, buying, selling, panel-beating or painting cars. In short, anything remotely connected with automobiles. In flagging economic times, they lived off their wits. It was as important to recognise the right customer coming as to be a competent mechanic. They were not above a little sharp practice. But their war experiences had thrown them together. Their first loyalty was to each other.

Throughout the novel the gritty reality of Weimar Germany is constantly juxtaposed against the beautiful, fragrant, cosy, seemingly secure world of Patricia Hollman. Escape from the the barren economic climate was their motivating force. The Weimar years shade in the background to this urban landscape of 1920's Berlin and Remarque captures the economic depression of the years in deft and sensitive ways.

Many people dubbed 'Three Comrades' as a beautiful, tender love story. There was of course, the usual batch of critics who branded it as 'kitsch' and 'sentimental melodrama' merely. To be lulled into believing that the novel is merely a sentimental love story however, is to decidedly miss the point. It is really a mirror of the times. It is a profoundly pessimistic book. The tragic fate of Lenz and the lingering death of Patricia Hollman are analogous with the demise of Weimar Germany. As Remarque wrote, he realised that a darkness was descending. There was to be no turning back. It was not to be merely an night of darkness, - more like an enduring eclipse. It was to be many years before the light would shine again

An evocative masterpiece of life in the Weimar Republic, 06 Sep 1999
This is about the best book written by Remarque. His philosophy is as true today as it was then. Lokhamp is a free and easy rum drinker (today we would consider him alcoholic) whose motto is "Forget do not brood". Remarque offers hope in every day life. Hope in our own existance and beauty in living.

A must-read novel!, 30 Dec 1998
In his best (in my opinion) novel, Remarque tells an unforgettable story of love, friendship and loyalty in the chaotic post-WWI Germany. When the whole world seems to be going mad and there is nothing anymore to live for, one man realizes that love and friends are the only two things in this world worth living for, and dying for. This book is a tale of finding something so pure in the times when it seems that all the purity of this world has been wiped out from people's lives by the war, poverty, greed, jealosy, and constant nightmares. Staying true to one's feelings, not giving in and not giving up, remaining loyal at any cost and having the spirit to go on, are the main themes of this book.

This book has changed my life., 29 Dec 1998
I read a lot, but among all the literature that I have devoured through the years, Remarque's "Three Comrades" is definetely my favorite. It is a sincere and down-to-earth tale of true love and true friendship in pre-WWII Germany, when political chaos and economic disarray often castrated men of humanity. The relationship between silky-haired Pat and Robbie, the taxi driving soul-searcher and narrator of the tale, runs its tender and turbulent course, as does the gruffly gentle, poignant and sincere friendship between Robbie, Lenz, "the last Romantic", a poet and an ex-med student, Kaster, the laconic owner of a gas station and stony-faced racecar driver, Pat, Ferdinand, a portrait artist and Kaster's car, Karl, "the spook of the highways", who is an entity to be reckoned with all on it's own. From Blumenthals to Georgie to Rosa, Remarque's tour-de-force characters resonate with the desperation of Hugo's "Les Miserables", and stand alone as silent portraits of the so-called "lost generation" of the twentieth century.

if you will read one book in your life , read this book .., 28 Jul 1998
The humanitarian aspect of Remarque finds better expression in no other book . Only a man who has breathed death could describe love so poignantly .

Terribly sad, but wo