Storm of Steel

by Ernst Junger
Storm of Steel cover
Good Books rating 4.0
Biography and Memoir
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  • ID: 7249
  • Added: 2025-12-13
  • Updated: 2025-12-13
  • ISBN: 9780141906911
  • Publisher: Penguin UK
  • Published: 2016-01-26
  • Formats: 1
  • Reviews: 3

Ernst Jünger's Storm of Steel offers a vivid and unflinching account of his experiences as a soldier on the front lines of World War I. Through his stark and poetic prose, Jünger depicts the brutal reality of trench warfare, the camaraderie among soldiers, and the surreal fascination of combat. /n/nPublished in 1920, Storm of Steel is considered one of the greatest books to emerge from the war, providing a unique insight into the horrors and complexities of industrialized violence. Jünger's work has been praised for its powerful depiction of battle and its enduring relevance in understanding the nature of war.

Reviews
Jordan M. Poss' Blog · Jordan M. Poss · 2022-12-03
complex 3.75

The book's tone is striking and immediately engaging, but it can sometimes feel detached from the broader historical context. The reviewer appreciates the book's honesty and lyricism, but also notes its savagery.

Jordan M. Poss finds the book's tone to be striking and immediately engaging, noting that it takes hold of the reader right from the start. They appreciate the book's honesty and lyricism, but also note its savagery. However, they also feel that the book's focus on the individual experience of war can sometimes overshadow the broader historical context. They also mention that the book's tone can sometimes feel detached, which can make it difficult to fully connect with the characters and their experiences.

Quick quotes

    The most striking thing about Storm of Steel is its tone. I say striking because it takes hold of the reader immediately and strongly affects them.

    The book's honesty and lyricism are balanced by its savagery, making for a complex and challenging read.

    The book's focus on the individual experience of war can sometimes overshadow the broader historical context.

The Pillarist · 2020-11-11
powerful 4.00

The book's prose is concise and leaves little to the imagination, capturing the brutality of the Great War. It offers a vivid and unflinching account of combat and its psychological impact.

The reviewer highlights the book's unflinching portrayal of war, noting that Jünger's prose is both concise and evocative. They appreciate the vivid descriptions of combat and the psychological toll it takes on soldiers. The reviewer also mentions that the book's tone is striking and immediately engaging, making it a compelling read for those interested in the realities of war. However, they also note that the book's focus on the individual experience of war can sometimes overshadow the broader historical context.

Quick quotes

    The book depicts the Great War in all of its calamity and brutality, leaving very little to the imagination.

    Jünger's prose is concise and to the point, capturing the essence of the war experience.

    The most striking thing about Storm of Steel is its tone, which takes hold of the reader immediately and strongly affects them.

Joy V. Spicer's Blog · Joy V. Spicer · 2014-06-22
unforgettable 4.25

The book provides a very honest account of what it was like to fight in the First World War, and what that experience does to a person. It's a powerful and unforgettable read.

Joy V. Spicer praises the book for its honesty and its unflinching portrayal of war. They note that the book provides a very honest account of what it was like to fight in the First World War, and what that experience does to a person. They also mention that the book is a powerful and unforgettable read, one that stays with the reader long after they've finished it. However, they also note that the book's focus on the individual experience of war can sometimes make it difficult to fully appreciate the broader historical context.

Quick quotes

    It gives a very honest account of what it was like to fight in a war like the First World War, and what that experience does to a person.

    It's a powerful and unforgettable read, one that stays with the reader long after they've finished it.

    The book's focus on the individual experience of war can sometimes make it difficult to fully appreciate the broader historical context.

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