Soldiers and Slaves

Soldiers and Slaves follows the fate of 550 American POWs who were captured and transported to eastern Germany in the winter of 1944-1945. The prisoners, many of them targeted for their perceived Jewish heritage, found themselves sent to the concentration camp at Berga alongside Holocaust victims. Based on extensive research and survivor accounts, Roger Cohen reconstructs the day-to-day experiences of these American servicemen who endured brutal conditions typically reserved for Nazi persecution of civilians. The narrative tracks their journey from capture through imprisonment, documenting their struggle for survival in the closing months of World War II. Through interviews, military records, and historical documents, Cohen pieces together this overlooked chapter of World War II history. The book includes firsthand testimonies from survivors who lived to tell their story. The work stands as both a military history and a broader examination of how the lines between soldier and civilian, captor and victim became distorted in the final desperate phase of Nazi Germany. It raises questions about identity, survival, and the nature of human resilience under extreme circumstances.

Readers found Cohen's research thorough and appreciated his focus on both Jewish GIs and other American soldiers held at Berga concentration camp. Many noted the book reveals an overlooked piece of WWII history. Readers highlighted: - Detailed firsthand accounts from survivors - Clear explanation of how American POWs ended up in a Nazi labor camp - Discussion of anti-Semitism within the US military Main criticisms: - Narrative jumps between different timelines and characters - Some sections feel repetitive - A few readers wanted more analysis of the broader historical context Ratings across platforms: Goodreads: 4.0/5 (182 ratings) Amazon: 4.4/5 (47 ratings) Sample review: "Cohen tells this story with sensitivity but doesn't shy away from documenting both the cruelty of the Nazi guards and the prejudices that existed among American troops." - Goodreads reviewer Several readers noted the book pairs well with Mitchell Bard's "Forgotten Victims" on the same topic.

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🔹 The Berga concentration camp, where these events took place, was one of Nazi Germany's smallest camps but had one of the highest mortality rates, with nearly 20% of the American POWs perishing there. 🔹 Roger Cohen's interest in this story was partly personal - his own Jewish family fled Nazi Germany in 1933, making his investigation of Berga particularly poignant. 🔹 The American POWs at Berga were forced to dig tunnels for an underground synthetic fuel factory, working in brutal conditions that claimed the lives of over 70 soldiers in just three months. 🔹 Many of the American soldiers were selected for Berga based on having "Jewish-sounding" last names or "Jewish features," even though only about 20% of them were actually Jewish. 🔹 The story remained largely untold for decades because many survivors were made to sign non-disclosure agreements by the U.S. military after their liberation, fearing the impact the story might have on post-war relations with Germany.