god said no the commissars boots
the book begins before world war ii and ends after however the majority of the story takes place during the war period . drafted into hitlers escort battalion as a medic walter sets off on a most arduous adventure that takes him from his hometown of berlin to leningrad stalingrad paris vienna and other european hot spots . brutal reality on the battlefield and russias dehumanizing winters serve stark contrast to friendships between enemies and passionate encounters . internal conflict between religious beliefs and sheer survival as well as a never ending quest for reunification with his brother in america are forces that shape his young life . the book is autobiographical but written in the form of a novel .