Astrid Fischer recommends Erich Maria Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front (1929).

“I am sure that many of you have already heard of Erich Maria Remarque’s anti-war novel or perhaps seen the latest film adaptation, which just won several Oscars. All Quiet on the Western Front is based on Remarque’s own experiences as a combatant during World War I and tells the story of young German soldier Paul Bäumer and his classmates, who, encouraged by their teacher, volunteer to fight in the First World War. At the front, Paul witnesses the devastating horrors of modern warfare as well as the death of many of his comrades and questions the purpose of war that set nations against each other and ends so many innocent lives merely because of the decisions made by a small group of men. The novel is a narrative of the despairs that Paul experiences, which feels very real to the reader. Needless to say, All Quiet on the Western Front is not an insider tip. But it earns its place as one of the best known anti-war books; a powerful novel about the physical and mental traumas that the First World War caused to a whole generation and that should never be forgotten.”