macgoy wrote:Hi, I think the Hassel's book are just entertaining.
But for what concerns Hassel himself, check the following site :
http://members.lycos.co.uk/haaest/Mains ... 0table.htm
He seems to be just a fraud.
When you read a number of 'apparentlys' and 'seems' and 'maybes' -- this about an author who's convictions are debateable -- you're opening a different kettle of fish. Do I hear the 'gullible' alarm working overtime?!Polynikes wrote:Apparantly Scen Hassel's books are the recollections of various soldiers who fought in WWII.
Hassel listened to the stories and wrote a series of books - rarely with any kind of date information and seemingly jumbled up anecdotes.
I loved them as a boy. My favourites were Liquidate Paris and Monte Cassino.
As with all books like this - the heroes got to fight in every campaign conducted by the Wehrmacht.
Cheers from Rich
You stumble upon a bird-nest of goodies when Googling 'Sven Hassel'. I've been reading here what is tantamount to regurgitations of colourful fairytales and white lies -- to say the least -- about Hassel you can fish from cyberspace.
"He was a bike thief during the war . . . dressed up in SS-uniforms" "His wife owned a brothel" "He didn't write the books"
And those who swallow these jokes are no different to the other end of the spectrum who claim, "I saw a captioned photo of Sven Hassel in a German rmy uniform from googling. It's authentic I KNOW it has to be!!!"
The content of the books is debateable and laughable at times I admit. But swallowing whatever info you read about him as gospel -- most likely so-called libel by what Hassel calls "that lunatic extreme rightist" Erik Haaest -- is just as naive.
I've got SS-General and Legion of the Damned. Both are the new Cassell editions. Slices of it, are clearly fictionalised. And whatever you may think of him -- just consider -- he's a bloody fine storyteller!
Cheers,
Jeremy