All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Remarque

This is the story of several German boys as they progress through the Great War of 1914-18. Most of the characters come from the same class and join the army after being convinced by their teacher that it is noble and patriotic to fight in the trenches. It is made up of a collection of anecdotes, each of which reveals a little more about the boys' outlook on the war and life. The protagonist of the book is Paul Baumer, a 19-year old student. However, much of the story is told from the collective viewpoint of all the boys. As time goes on, though, this stops, for the different characters start to die. Eventually, in the last paragraph of the book, Paul is killed as well. Although there are a few mentions of such events as the Somme and the introduction of tanks, the book shows that the common soldier knew little of the positions of the opposing forces or even who had the upper hand in any given situation.
One of the best pieces of writing in the story is when Paul is sent out on a raid into enemy territory, and is cut off from his unit. He is forced to hide in a shell hole by heavy machine-gun fire, and spends several days separated from his friends. The author expertly describes the difference between normal, rational fear, and the cold dread that Baumer experiences whilst alone. A French soldier then stumbles into Paul's hole and he is forced to kill him. With impressive insight, the author then explores the morality of war, and how killing is so much easier if you think of the victim as a faceless enemy.
All Quiet on the Western Front is not a story about heroism and bravery; rather it introduces the reader to the realities of war. None of the characters die valiantly, and all are simply swept up in the tide of war. As the book progresses, the reader realises that none of the individual soldiers, or even the entire company, matter,and that they are simply trying to survive the war with their sanity intact, rather than make a difference to its outcome. the "enemy" are hardly mentioned, and the men bear no real animosity to their opponents. In fact, Baumer often implies that the war itself is what they are fighting against. Therefore, I believe that the story should be read by anyone studying the First World War, as it provides a real insight into the life of a soldier.