This was an interesting read. The author during a spiritual retreat has a vision of a SS German officer and a name. The author believes this vision is a memory is from a past life and sets out to research the man, his life and his family. I found it really interesting how the author started with just a name and place and uncovered a lot of information. The author offers a lot of World War II background and conditions in Germany. Whether or not if you believe in past lives the book is still an interesting history book.

When I Was Someone Else by Stéphane Allix is unlike any other book I’ve read I think. But, I’m highly intrigued by World War II history and stories and reincarnation also interests me.

The book is a deep dive based on a dream the author has during a retreat in Peru. During the dream (vision), he encounters a young Nazi and it felt like a very intense vision so much so that he started wondering if he had possibly been a Nazi in a past life.

That’s what leads Allix on the search for answers eventually leading him to finding the individual he had envisioned — a German soldier who died in WWII.

This book will make you consider the possibilities of visions, reincarnation, and spiritual planes.

There were a lot of details that I had a hard time keeping straight or focused, but overall I enjoyed this read of something I possibly wouldn’t have even considered before.

Interesting and vaguely terrifying all in one book. I am one who believes in paranormal and other life experiences, but this one I couldn’t even imagine. Based on a true story this book is well written and worth the read.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by NetGalley.

Wow. That was an incredible story. I love hearing about past life experiences and the writing in this book made it that much more entertaining and mesmerizing.

This is the fascinating true story of a French journalist, who whilst on a spiritual retreat to Peru, channels a vision of a young SS soldier who is violently killed. This is the tale of how the journalist traces the soldier’s history, searching out remaining members of his family and retraces the soldiers final days in Russia, even locating the soldier’s final resting place. Whilst I personally felt the book was way too long, and overly detailed, the basic story is very interesting and sensitively told. In places the translation seems a little clumsy too, making the book generally seem overly verbose. If you have ever wondered about possible past lives or communication between the living and the dead you will find this a very intruiging read.

Being interested in military history as well as spiritualism meant the story of this book had a real appeal to me. For the author to experience a spiritual connection to a deceased German SS officer was very intriguing and then the subsequent investigation to confirm what he had learnt.
Whilst I found the story of the book fascinating I did find the writing style to be rather long winded, often feeling like waffle and little substance. I believe the book would have been improved by condensing the text and removing some of the text that didn't really add any value.
I did enjoy this book but I do feel it could have been better.

Oh dear - this distinguished French journalist has a past life experience and travels to both Germany and Russia to follow the path of one Alexander Hermann,
Hermann was an SS officer whose unit were probably in the forefront of the massacres of innocent civilians. Even if you don't buy the paranormal stuff, the research into Hermann's short and violent life are interesting and well-written. Hermann died, along with many of his SS comrades in Russia and the battles there are convincingly described.