Books on Sturmgruppen

[Ruy Horta]

Although I have an advantage through my native tongue dutch, I actually prefer to read in German when it concerns the German armed forces. Comparing the original with the translations always illustrates that something is lost in the translation.

Sometimes it is just a matter of style or small errors, but more important, almost always the feel is lost, especially when it concerns biographies or (early) unit or campaign histories. These are rich with jargon and military slang, all lost when translated.

Although I have a fair share of English translations, I prefer to collect the original, even if it means that I have to read Fraktur. Again, something that takes a little to get used to, but once you have adjusted it reads (almost) as easily as normal latin script. However reading late 19th century (Moltke, Schlieffen etc) and (post) WW1 literature in Fraktur just adds to the experience.

Some people tend to regard reading the original German to be superfluous, I regard it to be essential.

Now if only I could read Russian and Japanese... now that would leave me with no time to eat, drink, (not to mention "explicit",) sleep and er... work.