This is an account by an ordinary man caught up in war. The author is a natural storyteller, and the account of his life prewar, including involvement with a Jewish girlfriend, is as moving as the stories of a young man in danger as he crossed France to face the invading Americans. He wasn't a Nazi, just someone who was called up to fight for his country, like so many others.His feelings about being captured and imprisoned are a story in themselves.He doesn't over-dramatize things, just tells us (eloquently) what happened. This is a must to read.