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Description of  Until the Eyes Shut: Memories of a Machine Gunner on the Eastern Front, 1943-45 [Audiobook]

Author: Andreas Hartinger Narrator: Tim H. Dixon The veteran tells his grandson about his World War II experiences, without pathos but with gripping, brutal honesty. The rulers' mistakes are paid for with the blood of the people. This is shown in history both recent and ancient, time and time again. It was no different for an Austrian mountain farmer's son who was thrown into the carnage of the Eastern Front. He was in the prime of his youth, and the German Reich was already close to losing the war. In ripe-old age, he remembers those dark hours that have haunted him throughout his life. Manning his machine gun in merciless struggles with a superior enemy or fighting for survival in brutal close combat, reduced to basest instincts. He also remembers the rock-solid comradeship with his mountain troop, the unexpected gestures of humanity, and an insane destructiveness at a time when the world was out of joint. This ruthless, honest, and touching real-life account of a simple frontline soldier serves as a reminder to stand up for peace at all times, and to despise war. Until the eyes shut...