Picked up the book on th weekend, 'Black March' by Peter Neumann, apparently a biography of an SS -Mann in Wiking. Also named 'Other Men's Graves' in an earlier reprint.
So far seems to follow a 'devil's guard' type story....not as sensational as those nasty Sven Hassel books, but seems to be fairly accurate so far. Anyone read this or recommend/disparage it?
Regards
Vinland
Black March/Other Men's Graves
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Drew Maynard
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Hallo Vinland,
You may find these other threads to be of interest:
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... ch+neumann
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... ch+neumann
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... ch+neumann
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... ch+neumann
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... ch+neumann
http://www.feldgrau.net/phpBB2/viewtopi ... ch+neumann
http://www.feldgrau.net/phpBB2/viewtopi ... ch+neumann
Regards,
Durand
You may find these other threads to be of interest:
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... ch+neumann
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... ch+neumann
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... ch+neumann
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... ch+neumann
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... ch+neumann
http://www.feldgrau.net/phpBB2/viewtopi ... ch+neumann
http://www.feldgrau.net/phpBB2/viewtopi ... ch+neumann
Regards,
Durand
-
Drew Maynard
- Member
- Posts: 2618
- Joined: 07 Dec 2002, 03:10
- Location: Vinland, Canada
- Contact:
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hundredyards
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- Posts: 2
- Joined: 14 Oct 2009, 08:49
Re: Black March/Other Men's Graves
I just finished "The Black March" and instantly had to find out if this could really be a true story. It seems over the top in some ways, but then again war stories are often pretty unbelievable. People usually die before telling their insane/unbelievable story. I kept thinking to myself, "...and this guy lived?" So I have to know, the historian in me has to know, if this guy really did live and how much of it is true.
Questions:
Why no afterwords? He very briefly concludes in a few sentances that he was shot, taken prisoner, and then put to work for who knows how long. He never says where he was sent to work or how he got back. Why omit this? It seems like a neccesary part of the whole story...how one gets home. Just a question.
If the account is true why didn't anyone find the author and just ask him? I can understand why no one would have found him. If I were him I wound not want people to know my name or where I live. He admits to being a willing instrument of genocide. He makes few bones about it. Granted he is often shocked by the carnage, he never fails to follow orders to massacre and often thinks of it himself. Odd thing is It's hard to hate the guy...he's totally indoctrinated in hate and murder. If anything you pity him. So, if I was a real guy with this story coming back from siberia after years and years of slave labor, I too would want my story told but would not want any one to ever find out it was me. Perhapse even after death.
So who got paid for this book? If we want to find out who wrote it then lets follow the money. My copy is authored by a Peter Neumann. Someone on this site said that that name doesn't jive with SS records. I dont remember who said it or how to look that up(I'm new to this 'nazi history on the internet' game), but it would make sense to assume its not a real name. I looked for a couple hours and found nothing. What I did find was that the name Claude Darville was also attached to the book. Also, that the book is alternately titled "SS" and "Other men's graves", and listed by the library of congress as autobiography(that, also from someone on this site), and rumor has it that it was never published in german(is that true?). Claude Darville was actually a sudonim for Claude Rank, a french author. I'd like to read some of his stuff and see if there's any similarities in style or just ask him if he wrote it. Did he get paid for "The Black March"? Is that even accessable information. it can go deeper too: Could Claude Rank have been told this acount by the realguy, ghost write it, submit it as "anonomous and true" and then pas on the royalties under-the-table back to the real guy. Seems far fetched right, but think about it. That's how I would have done it...stay anonomous, get paid. Why else would Claude Rank's suedonin Claude Darville use another suedonim Peter Neumann. I'm deffinately out of my leage here when it comes to how non-fiction books are published and who decides what is and is not fiction.
There is not enough evidence to point either way, truth or fiction. This really gets my goat! If I cant trust a non-fiction personal account than I simply wont read it. I can understand when some things are changed to protect identities. This could be the case for some events in this book also, I wouldn't doubt it, to protect the family who could actually be in contact with him. But, ultimately, non-fiction is my thing and sorry this is was so long.
Charlie Thayer
Questions:
Why no afterwords? He very briefly concludes in a few sentances that he was shot, taken prisoner, and then put to work for who knows how long. He never says where he was sent to work or how he got back. Why omit this? It seems like a neccesary part of the whole story...how one gets home. Just a question.
If the account is true why didn't anyone find the author and just ask him? I can understand why no one would have found him. If I were him I wound not want people to know my name or where I live. He admits to being a willing instrument of genocide. He makes few bones about it. Granted he is often shocked by the carnage, he never fails to follow orders to massacre and often thinks of it himself. Odd thing is It's hard to hate the guy...he's totally indoctrinated in hate and murder. If anything you pity him. So, if I was a real guy with this story coming back from siberia after years and years of slave labor, I too would want my story told but would not want any one to ever find out it was me. Perhapse even after death.
So who got paid for this book? If we want to find out who wrote it then lets follow the money. My copy is authored by a Peter Neumann. Someone on this site said that that name doesn't jive with SS records. I dont remember who said it or how to look that up(I'm new to this 'nazi history on the internet' game), but it would make sense to assume its not a real name. I looked for a couple hours and found nothing. What I did find was that the name Claude Darville was also attached to the book. Also, that the book is alternately titled "SS" and "Other men's graves", and listed by the library of congress as autobiography(that, also from someone on this site), and rumor has it that it was never published in german(is that true?). Claude Darville was actually a sudonim for Claude Rank, a french author. I'd like to read some of his stuff and see if there's any similarities in style or just ask him if he wrote it. Did he get paid for "The Black March"? Is that even accessable information. it can go deeper too: Could Claude Rank have been told this acount by the realguy, ghost write it, submit it as "anonomous and true" and then pas on the royalties under-the-table back to the real guy. Seems far fetched right, but think about it. That's how I would have done it...stay anonomous, get paid. Why else would Claude Rank's suedonin Claude Darville use another suedonim Peter Neumann. I'm deffinately out of my leage here when it comes to how non-fiction books are published and who decides what is and is not fiction.
There is not enough evidence to point either way, truth or fiction. This really gets my goat! If I cant trust a non-fiction personal account than I simply wont read it. I can understand when some things are changed to protect identities. This could be the case for some events in this book also, I wouldn't doubt it, to protect the family who could actually be in contact with him. But, ultimately, non-fiction is my thing and sorry this is was so long.
Charlie Thayer