• Fur Volk and Fuhrer

  • The Memoir of a Veteran of the 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler
  • By: Erwin Bartmann, Derik Hammond
  • Narrated by: James Foster
  • Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (837 ratings)

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Fur Volk and Fuhrer

By: Erwin Bartmann,Derik Hammond
Narrated by: James Foster
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Publisher's summary

Like many Germans, Berlin schoolboy Erwin Bartmann fell under the spell of the Zeitgeist cultivated by the Nazis. Convinced he was growing up in the best country in the world, he dreamt of joining the Leibstandarte, Hitler's elite Waffen SS unit. Tall, blond, blue-eyed, and just 17-years-old, Erwin fulfilled his dream on Mayday 1941, when he gave up his apprenticeship at the Glaser bakery in Memeler Strasse and walked into the Lichterfelde barracks in Berlin as a raw, volunteer recruit.

On arrival at the Eastern Front in late summer 1941, Erwin was assigned to a frontline communications squad and soon discovered that survival was a matter of luck - or the protection of a guardian angel. Good fortune finally deserted Erwin on 11 July 1943 when shrapnel sizzled through his lung during the epic Battle of Kursk-Prokhorovka. Following a period of recovery, and promotion to Unterscharführer, Erwin took up a post as machine-gun instructor with the Ausbildung und Ersatz Bataillon.

From the war on the southern sector of the Eastern Front to a bomb-shattered Berlin populated largely by old men and demoralized lonely women, this candid eyewitness account offers a unique and sometimes surprising perspective on the life of a young Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler volunteer.

©2013 Estate of Erwin Bartmann/Derik Hammond (P)2017 Tantor
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

Critic reviews

"This is a valuable memoir, providing both a good account of the nature of the fighting in the East, and the changing attitudes of the author, both towards the Nazi regime and the chances of final victory." ( History of War)

What listeners say about Fur Volk and Fuhrer

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

High rating with a major proviso

Giving the story 5 stars is a bit misleading. While I found it interesting to hear about training for and participating in the war I was shocked to learn how little understanding he had, even in his old age, of the reasons Germany went to war in the first place. He says it was to prevent Bolshevism world wide with no awareness or perhaps refusal to see Hitler's war-mongering. Even his telling of the suffering of German soldiers makes it sound like no one suffered as much and there was certainly no acknowledgement of concentration camps and their purpose. Oh, and he helped a Jewish neighbor once so I guess he did his bit. The only reason I finished it was because I thought perhaps there would be some coming to terms with his contribution to Europe's destruction but that was too much to hope for. I don't care if he was only 9 when Hitler came to power. He had 50+ years to understand and he never did.

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16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Insight into Waffen SS

Interesting autobiographical look into the life of a loyal Waffen SS soldier who fought to the end of the war in the Liebstandarte. Gives a unique look from the perspective of a soldier uninvolved in anything around the einsatzgruppen or murder squads. The majority of the Waffen SS were men who just wanted to be a part of Germany's elite fighting formations. This book tells the story of one of those men and I absolutely inhaled it. Great listen, check it out.

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12 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Wow what a ride

These guys had a life not many will experience. Hell on the eastern front with sex strewn about. No doubt there are many men now forgotten whose stories we would die for.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Remember: this is a memoir.

This is a pretty disappointing listen. Sure they were cold, hungry, and sometimes ran out of ammunition.

But there's no mention of shooting prisoners and the other things the SS is infamous for.

I suppose I shouldn't expect a confession to war crimes. But any work that fails to mention SS atrocities, is dishonest.

I suggest you keep shopping. And, if you haven't read "The Forgotten Soldier" or "Soldat," I'll recommend both. "The Forgotten Soldier is, by far, one of the top five WWII memoirs; right along side "With the Old Breed" by Sledge.

I hate to be harsh. But this was a bit disappointing.

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8 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Sehr gut.

Slightly naive, but honest. The end of the war chapters were the best. It is worth a read.

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    2 out of 5 stars
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Book was much less battle related than I expected.

I likely went in with the wrong expectations. I can't argue with the facts about what happened to the guy but compared to other wwII books, this guy either saw or wrote about very little action. It seemed like he spent the majority of the war in Berlin recovering from minor wounds. Most of the book seemed to be about all the women he got while the rest of the German men were off doing the fighting. Tigers in the Mud and Panzer Ace we're non-stop action compared to this book.

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7 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Great story

A great story from a honorable veteran of the Waffen SS. The men of the Waffen SS in my opinion were the finest, bravest, toughest soldiers of WW2. While other branches of the SS were despicable people, they had very little in common with the brave SOLDIERS of the various Waffen SS Divisions. They asked no quarter and fought as such. Fighting and dying for a lost cause is a hardship that is incomprehensible for most who want to judge them, but never walked a mile in their shoes. God bless them all as they slowly die off and just fade away.

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7 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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I admire this man's loyalty

I loved this book. I have never before read an SS man's reminiscences, so free of political or self-serving rhetoric.

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5 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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The Ost Front

Where does Fur Volk and Fuhrer rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Close to the top in books about the Second World War.The best and most honest book about the Russian Front.

What other book might you compare Fur Volk and Fuhrer to and why?

It is the best book on the Russian front I've seen .The Forgotten Solider is another good book about the Russian.

Have you listened to any of James Foster’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is the best of his books I have listened to.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The honesty of this book .

Any additional comments?

For those who like personal accounts of the common solider this a book for you

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

This is a Nazi Apologist

The author throws out Jewish tropes and completely ignores the war crimes of his unit, even seemingly defending Piper.

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4 people found this helpful