Bill and Willi both had a happy childhood, a sweetheart, and dreams while tumultuous world events swirled around them. They left these behind to become warriors willing to fulfill their duty to protect their homes and countries. In the early days of World War II, Bill volunteers for the newly formed paratroops certain he'll find the enemy in Europe, even though America is still neutral; Willi finds himself in the German Fallschirmjaeger. Bill discovers unexpected things in himself, the power of propaganda, who is friend--and who is foe; and ultimately, what is truly of value. (So does Willi.) What happens when the upheaval in Europe causes these Parallel Lives to collide? Author Mike Crane provides a fast-paced overview of WWII in Europe demonstrating that not all Americans offered justice, not all Germans were Nazis, and in the modern world, we can still learn lessons from ancient philosophy.