A veteran of World War I, Erich Maria Remarque found himself in a unique position to render the experience of war, both its internal and external ravages, in an intimate and realistic way. Responding directly to the then-nameless trauma many veterans and soldiers experienced in their lives, Remarque's novel is often hailed as pacifist work, though it often defies classification as a result of its undeniable loyalty to simple storytelling. This compelling...