All Quiet on the Western Front (eBook)
‘All Quiet on the Western Front’, the masterwork by Erich Maria Remarque, is a beautiful statement on a generation of men shattered by war. It is widely regarded as the greatest war novel of all time and was publicly burned by the Nazis for being "degenerate."
Paul Bäumer and his classmates join the battle in the Western Front trenches of World War I, prodded to enroll by authoritative figures who would not risk their lives to do the same, and driven by a romantic sense of patriotism. The relentless bombardment and brutal struggle for survival quickly demoralize him.
After years of battling, Paul and the men he serves with are defined by the violence they encounter. Desperate to maintain their dignity despite becoming further and further removed from the society they are fighting for, they become men. With careful study, this graphic novel meticulously recreates the classic tale in vivid detail. The horrors of the Western Front are brought to life in a daring new way by the realistic portrayals of clothing, weapons, trenches, and death.
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About the Author
Erich Maria Remarque was a German novelist best known for All Quiet on the Western Front (1929), a landmark anti-war novel based on his experiences in World War I. The book became an international bestseller, defining a new genre of veterans’ literature and inspiring multiple film adaptations. Its strong anti-war themes led to condemnation by the Nazi regime, which banned and burned his works.
Born Erich Paul Remark in 1898, he adopted the surname Remarque to honor his French ancestry. He served on the Western Front during World War I, where he was wounded, and later pursued various jobs, including teaching, editing, and technical writing. After the massive success of All Quiet on the Western Front, he wrote several other novels addressing war and exile, such as The Road Back, Three Comrades, and Arch of Triumph. His outspoken opposition to the Nazi regime forced him into exile in Switzerland and later the United States, where he became a naturalized citizen in 1947.
Remarque’s personal life included high-profile relationships with actresses Marlene Dietrich and Paulette Goddard, the latter of whom he married in 1958. In 1943, his youngest sister, Elfriede, was executed by the Nazis for anti-regime remarks, an event that deeply affected him. He spent his later years in Switzerland, where he continued writing. His final completed novel, The Night in Lisbon (1962), was another bestseller. He died in 1970 at the age of 72, leaving behind a literary legacy that continues to shape discussions on war and its consequences.