Krisztina (USA: NY) (2008/01/27): I didn't read the whole book, but from what I did read, I noticed how it gave interesting insight on the soldiers' side of war, like why they joined and how they survived through it. These soldiers didn't know what was going on and the extent of the violence until they're actually fighting in the trenches. It's the bloody story of how young boys turn into hardened, emotionally scarred men. Goes to show that war is hell. Ryan (USA: HI) (2009/08/02): This book captures some of the core truths of war that don't change from conflict to conflict. Though written to describe the experience of a German soldier in the trenches of World War I, it carries themes (if not actual plot lines) that could be transposed to soldiers in any war. All Quiet on the Western Front doesn't aggrandize war, nor strictly demonize it. It simply tells the story of the soldiers.
While I don't know if it lives up to the cover banner, "THE GREATEST WAR NOVEL OF ALL TIME," it certainly is at the top of any list of real war novels.
