Paul Baumer enlisted with his classmates in the German army of World War I. Youthful, enthusiastic, they become soldiers. But despite what they have learned, they break into pieces under the first bombardment in the trenches. And as horrible war plods on year after year, Paul holds fast to a single vow: to fight against the principles of hate that meaninglessly pits young men of the same generation but different uniforms against each other--if only he can come out of the war alive."The world has a great writer in Erich Maria Remarque. He is a craftsman of unquestionably first trank, a man who can bend language to his will. Whether he writes of men or of inanimate nature, his touch is sensitive, firm, and sure."THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW

这是一本自传体小说。第一次世界大战中，主人公博伊默尔及其同学们在“爱国主义”口号的煽动下应征入伍，在前线绞肉机一般的阵地战中厮杀。在血淋淋的现实面前，他们的理想与信念崩塌了，对生活的热情崩塌了，对世界的认识崩塌了。他们的眼中只有鲜血、残肢、碎肉、脑浆和毒气。活生生的同学和战友一个个阵亡，战场成为一个个无名士兵的坟茔。战争的恐怖与残酷，士兵对和平的渴望，展现给读者的是人类无泪的悲哀。最后，就在和平即将到来之前的一个宁静的秋日，主人公在前线阵亡。对战争的忠实还原及反思，使《西线无战事》成为20世纪世界文学的不朽名篇。

一九二八年雷马克在《福斯报》上发表了《西线无战事》，翌年单行本出版。该书使他一举成名，蜚声世界文坛，同时也使他遭受到法西斯的迫害。雷马克是“人们读得最多、受赞扬最多和受攻击最多的当代作家”。这个评价已经普遍得到各国文学批评家的认同。雷马克的这部著作使世界文学宝库变得更加丰富充实，他已经成了二十世纪享有世界声誉的大作家之一，他的名字和著作将会继续流传下去。