The Road Back. Illustrated

The Road Back by Erich Maria Remarque, translated by Arthur Wheen, is a powerful and deeply moving sequel to All Quiet on the Western Front, continuing the story of a generation forever changed by the First World War.

The novel follows Ernst Birkholz and his fellow soldiers as they return home after years in the trenches, expecting peace and normality but finding instead a world that feels foreign and indifferent. Cut off from their former lives and misunderstood by civilians, the veterans struggle with disillusionment, grief, and the invisible wounds of war. Friendships fray, hopes falter, and the promises that once inspired them prove hollow.

With stark realism and quiet compassion, Remarque explores the psychological aftermath of combat—the loneliness, alienation, and loss of purpose that haunt those who survive. His prose, rendered into clear and faithful English by Arthur Wheen, captures both the bitterness and fragile humanity of men trying to rebuild their lives in a society eager to forget the past.

Both intimate and universal, The Road Back is a poignant meditation on trauma, memory, and resilience. A classic of twentieth-century literature, it remains an essential and unforgettable portrait of life after war.