The Patriotic War, as well as the most difficult time for the country in the mid-1940s, will long remain in the memories of those who witnessed those terrible events. Following the cinema, which annually creates films about the war, literature is not far behind. Its only negative is that books on battles are less interesting than movies. Military literature, a general list of books to read, and a detailed study of the most striking examples are the topic of our article today.
Young patriots of the country
Nadezhda Nadezhdina did not think of becoming a writer. And even more so, issuing prose works for children, she did not assume that someday she would have to write about the war. The schoolgirl, the heroine of her novel “Partisanka Lara”, leaves her native village, but cannot return - the Germans occupied the occupation. Together with her friends, she went to the brigade headquarters, but she was not taken because of her young age. And so I wanted to go to the front and most importantly - save my family! Without the approval of outsiders, the girl decides to become a partisan. Dressed in rags, she merges with nature, penetrates the village, watches the Germans, noting certain details: the time of arrival of the train with the load, the scheme for building the sentries, the amount of weapons ... Did Lara manage to free her relatives? The story of how many little children can do for their homeland is a masterpiece that military literature boasts. The general list of all books in this direction is not complete without the 1988 novel “Partisan Lara”.
Give the prisoners a word
A native of Lithuania, Maria Rolnikaite, ended up in a concentration camp in 1941. She personally observed all the horrors of captive imprisonment, and a few years later she wrote a book about it. Maria to this day remains almost the only writer who talks about the heroism and difficult fate of the Jewish people, especially in the cruel years of the war.
Military fiction is represented by the book “Alone with the Memory”. In it, unlike her other works, Maria pays little attention to autobiographical facts. In addition to describing the events taking place on the battlefield, “Alone with the Memory” tells of the difficult choice that had to be made. Sometimes, in order to survive, you must kill. What are tormented residents of occupied cities capable of preserving their own lives?
we are from the future
No, this novel has nothing to do with a film about a war with that name. But, definitely, to draw parallels with the general idea of the narrative is not difficult. The past remains in the memories. But what if history itself makes contemporaries feel all the “charms” of war? Several main characters find themselves in 1942. The thick of the bloody events makes them make their choice - they can stay or return, preserving the present and past or forever changing the course of events ... The interesting novel by Alexey Ivakin “We will die yesterday” deservedly falls into the list of military literature. According to readers, on its pages the author reliably moved to the front, showed the fullness of the tragedy.
Living memories
The main character of the work of Eduard Verkin has long retired. We have lived on behind our years. Sitting at the head of a large family, surrounded by the aroma of barbecue and his beloved grandchildren, he suddenly looks for the remnants of events when the winter of 1942 was in the yard. Fulfilling the next request of his relatives, he recalls the dirt and impassable snowdrifts, captured Germans, pomegranates and stewed meat, a warm fire and a soft cover. And also - the number of fascists whom he interrupted. Together with Dima, Sanych was side by side, who, like him, believed that reaching the end was his main duty ...
“Cloud Regiment” in 2012 is not the first work of Verkin, who writes on historical topics. Warm readership and payback of circulation indicate a vivid novel that modern military literature can be proud of.
Remember. Do not forget
And again raising the topic of concentration camps, the literary critic Tatyana de Rosnei reflects on who and why allowed in the distant 1942 to destroy his compatriots. Thousands of Jews languish in anticipation of the Auschwitz camp. But they still do not know about imminent death. Little Sarah dreams of quickly returning to Paris, the city that separated her from her 4-year-old brother, who was locked in a closet to save her. After passing the camp, Sarah will come to restored France, but it will be too late ...
“Key Sarah”, released in 2007, immediately captivated the critics. And he gathered a million-strong army of admirers of Tatyana’s talent around the world. The novel occupies a leading position among the best sellers. Three years later he was filmed. The main role was played by actress Kristin Scott Thomas.
What components can be distinguished when speaking of works like this? All of them bear the imprint of tragedy, pain, despair, carried by the participants of those terrible events over many years. Of course, the attitude of the current generation, which is still ready to honor the memory, is captivating. It is especially pleasant that this is rich in modern fiction of military literature.
The general list of books that make up the classics of military subjects can be supplemented by a number of the following works:
- “On the Western Front without Change”, “Spark of Life” (Erich Maria Remarque);
- “Babi Yar” (Anatoly Kuznetsov);
- “Tomorrow was the war”, “And the dawns here are quiet ...” (Boris Vasiliev);
- “Darkness at noon” (Yuri Slepukhin);
- “Silence of Heaven”, “Road to Eternity” (Weisswald Helmut);
- “Operation Faust” (Evgeny Fedorovsky);
- “Penal battalions are breaking through” (Yuri Pogrebov).
Encyclopedia for generations
Who said that only fiction can be the basis of a book? The documentary style is the most common area in which military literature is rich. Prose fades into the background, giving way to archival information that underlies this chronicle, which has been in preparation for over twenty years. “1443 days and nights ...” literally by days recreate the first raids of the Nazis, who surrounded the country from several fronts. The authors processed thousands of memoirs of soldiers, historians, extracts from official documents. We did not forget about letters from the front, filled with drama and honor. This book is intended for a wide audience, remaining a significant scientific work on the Great War.
Rich military literature
The general list along with the examples mentioned above is diluted with technical literature. Those who want to touch history not only in fiction should recommend a diverse series of books and periodicals. All of them are dedicated to the Patriotic War, but are of interest in scientific content.
Military technical literature will tell about the weapons of the Soviet Union from 1941-1945, aircraft carriers and anti-submarine ships that participated in the battles. A separate topic is devoted to military weapons - the reader is presented with a full range of tank guns, anti-aircraft installations, missiles. Particularly curious people will be able to learn in more detail how the soldiers' uniforms were determined and what they consisted of, what basic equipment and camouflage were used, as well as which orders and insignia were developed as awards to the World War II.