Barry Basden

During the first 30% of this book I was quite annoyed by the author. Having read several better known WWII memoirs he seemed to be a comparative dud to me, cowardly, unqualified, and of weak moral resolve. I was especially disgusted by his eagerness to organize prostitutes for his men. During his campaign of N. Africa, I was unimpressed by his leadership and bravery. As an author I was unimpressed by his lack of basic historical detail such as dates. At times, I even lost track of which campaign I was reading about. So why 4 stars?As the book progressed, I realized that this was the most behind the scenes look of what life was like for an infantryman in the eastern campaign of WWII that I had ever read. The book is filled with no-nonsense descriptions of gore, death, and fear from a man hardened by two years of combat. I found myself entrenched in each of his minor battles and growing increasingly familiar with weapons, infantry tactics, and the life of an infantry officer. This book is so good because it wreaks of honesty and humanity. Its important to remember that every action was heroic, that American soldiers, even our heros, are not necessarily saints. It is the true story not of heros who are men... but of men who become heros. The book reminded me that the war was fought by the ordinary, the average, and the less than intelligent. That men drafted into the chaos of war make many blunders for which men die unnecessarily.Though the author may posses nothing more than average writing ability, his stream-of-consciousness journal-like account of 1942-1944 is worth reading. I'd recommend this quick read to those who have read about half a dozen books on WWII.… (meer)