8 Comments
Nov 8Liked by Jeffrey S. Kaye

This column reminded me of growing up in the 1970s, when the novels of Sven Hassel were widely available on spinner racks in local convenience stores. Though (in comparison to Sholokhov's)those books were and are of dubious artistic merit, their depiction of German grunts on the Eastern Front were eye-openers for 12-year old me, an avid reader and WWII buff.

I'd love to read this novel, but as you mention...it is basically impossible to find in English.

Expand full comment
author

Thanks very much for your comment! As for the availability of Sholokhov's book, I think I obtained mine via a private bookseller on abebooks.com. I'd check in there from time to time and you might luck out (as I did) and be able to obtain a copy.

Expand full comment
Nov 4Liked by Jeffrey S. Kaye

The full movie is on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOxKScK1KOU

Expand full comment
author

Thank you!

Expand full comment
Nov 3Liked by Jeffrey S. Kaye

I have this book in Finnish edition, found it on flea market few year back

Expand full comment
founding
Nov 3Liked by Jeffrey S. Kaye

Jeff, I just spent six weeks building the Netanyahu Kookooee and burning it in effigy. I had to aestheticize the imagery, some through beauty, some as grotesque, in order to make it communicate as a monumental scale sculpture and as an anti-war protest. From your recounting of his novel Sholokov faced the same dilemma.

Expand full comment
author

Wish I could have been there to see that!

Expand full comment

Stalin, btw, was an excellent, conscientious editor and, according to Field Marshal Alanbrooke, had 'a first class military mined'.

Expand full comment