Zuckmayer's enormous success of approximately a decade ago [was] his autobiography Als wär's ein Stück von mir. The autobiography will, without doubt, retain a distinguished place in the annals of literary history as both a vivid account of the writer's development and a moving documentary report on the turbulent first half of our century. (p. 299)

Although Zuckmayer himself occasionally expressed his preference for his prose fiction, it is undeniable that the dramas have attracted the major share of critical acclaim and popular attention. The "German Trilogy" of Der fröhliche Weinberg (1925), Der Hauptmann von Köpenick (1931), and Des Teufels General (1946) established Zuckmayer's claim to fame, one may argue, because the individual plays come to grips with important phases of twentieth-century German history. They do so not in abstract terms but by means of vibrant theater with full-blooded characters. Thus Der fröhliche Weinberg, which did away with the abstractions of the expressionistic stage, is a zestful portrayal of life during the Weimar Republic, a state whose opponents … are ridiculed rather than taken seriously. The poor cobbler Wilhelm Voigt in Der Hauptmann von Köpenick cunningly overcomes the all-powerful bureaucracy of militaristic imperial Germany—but the specter of right-wing militarism was clearly visible in the years of economic and political crisis towards the end of the Weimar Republic when the play was written. There was no salvation, however, for the "Devil's General," Harras, whose technical expertise was at the disposal of a criminal regime in the controversial play Des Teufels General.

Zuckmayer, the politically aware writer, is less in evidence in the four prose narratives of the [Zuckmayer] Lesebuch [1976]. Yet here one aspect which pervades the writer's work becomes apparent: the profound influence of World War I…. [Two of his stories] directly reflect the writer's experiences as a soldier and officer. Particularly Engele von Loewen, which was published in German as late as 1952, exhibits distinct autobiographical traits. (pp. 300-01)

Aufruf zum Leben clearly demonstrates that Zuckmayer deserves to be recognized as an essayist of considerable caliber. In view of the fact that the majority of the essays are difficult to obtain (some are not even listed in the Zuckmayer bibliography), [this] collection is very useful because it makes accessible a hitherto neglected part of Zuckmayer's work. (pp. 303-04)