Sven Hassel

[Fred]

So who read his war novels? Legion of the Damned, Wheels of Terror, March Battalion etc. There's a fan website at http://www.svenhassel.info/. An alternative version of his life-story from a Danish journalist claims he was a fraud. Whatever, he still sold more than 52 million books.

I read them all when I was around 13/14. Can't remember many of the stories but mainly the characters, Tiny, Legionaire etc. Were the books really as anti-war as the author claimed? Why were they so popular?

[mart]

Wikipedia is always a good starting point but its open to anyone to contribute so beware.


Mart

[Fred]

Thanks, I checked that already. No-one else own up to reading him?

[Ned]

Me. I've read all of his books and still have them after owning them for ages and reading them a couple of times each.

It's been years since I dipped into these, so I might just do so again...

[stripeysydney]

I read them all, when I was a kid, but get this, the author whose real name I can't remember; lives in york....and he's not Danish, definately a Brit.

[Fred]

Charles Whiting aka Leo Kessler? Yup, aged 78 and working on his 372nd novel (no kidding). Apparently strongly disliked by Hassel as an imitation, also no claims whatsoever on an anti-war message. "Kessler" is also more than happy to use the SS runes as a marketing ploy. Clearly knows his readers!

[fevrd]

I read his one about Stalingrad. I have come across few war books which put the experience over as vividly as that.

[Fred]

SS General by Hassel?

[mark cremona]

read every single one, still got the original paperbacks looking at me right now, cant believe this post ! what stories, couldnt care less if they were true or not, they certainly felt like it, every now and then I still pick one up for a read and whenever i find a secondhand one I buy em.

as an alternative anyone know 'Devils Guard' written by an SS officer who's brigade surrendered to the French at the end of WW2 and were sent to Indochina to fight the Viet Minh...fucking mind blowing...and when you can find one on Ebay expect to pay STUPID money, but its worth every penny, if you like that sort of thing...


good call Dave...

[Von Boy]

STALINGRAD - now thats what I call hell on earth.

I visited Volgograd a few years back.

That was a battle to end all battles......

It makes me simile when I watch the likes of FOX news and hear of the suffering of US troops in Iraq...............( i include all soldiers these days when I say I don't think they know the're born !)

RUSSA:
As one German General said " its like an elephant attacking an ant hill........it will kill thousands, but in the end the ants will win"