With the German guns

More about the book

World War I has seen a resurgence of interest, yet first-hand accounts from German soldiers remain scarce. The English edition of this work has been out of print for years, making it a coveted item among collectors. Despite being positioned further from the front lines, the life of an artilleryman was perilous due to accurate counter-battery fire from reconnaissance aircraft and specialized artillery spotters. Herbert Sulzbach, born in 1894, joined the German Army in 1914 and served in a horse artillery unit during the war's early mobile phase before enduring the long stalemate in trenches. His diaries reflect a wide range of experiences, as he visited various fronts and returned home on leave, while his rise through the ranks culminated in a commission by the war's end. Sulzbach's accounts are enriched with humor and satire, characteristic of German literature since the Thirty Years War, and he documented key events, keeping readers informed of the broader context. Awarded the Iron Cross twice, he survived the war unscathed. Originally published in 1935, the book quickly gained popularity in German and other translations. However, due to his Jewish ancestry, Sulzbach fled Germany in 1937, settling in England, where he contributed to the British war effort and later established an Anglo-German friendship organization with former POWs.