Sniper Ace ─ From the Eastern Front to Siberia

Drafted into the Nazi Wehrmacht's 68th Infantry Division at age 19, Bruno Sutkus quickly became known as one of Germany's best snipers. German snipers were required to carry log books to record every kill, and Sutkus' log was one of the few such books to survive the war. In this autobiography, he draws on entries from the log and newspaper accounts to describe the experience of infantry warfare as seen though the eyes of a sniper. He then recounts how he was forced to join the Soviet Army after the war, and how he deserted to join Lithuanian resistance fighters. He was captured by the KGB and deported to Siberia, held on forced labor camps for decades, and was finally able to return to Germany in 1997. The story closes as he is given a hero's welcome in Lithuania and coaches the Lithuanian army on sniping skills. Many b&w historical photos, some of documents and letters, are included. The book was first published in German by Munin Verlag in 2003. It has been translated by Geoffrey Brooks. This English language edition includes a new introduction by historical novelist David L. Robbins. Annotation c2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)