This moving World War II first-person memoir portrays the horror and tragedy of Hitler’s forces, while revealing the intense and personal challenges of a Jewish soldier serving for the Reich.

Rauch, who was 1/4 Jewish was drafted into the German army when he was 19. Because of his mixed blood, he was excluded from officer training. Trained as a telegraph operator, he spent the war on the Russian front in constant danger until he was finally captured towards the end of the war. The book includes translations of letters he wrote to his mother during this period, along with the rest of his story. ( )

RGG: Despite the title, the author's Jewishness has little to do with his wartime experience. This is a very graphic and detailed description of the horrificness of war from the combatant's perspective. A solid read for those interested in the experience of war. A bit dense. Reading Interest: 14-YA.

This is the true story of a 19-year-old kid who finds himself on the front lines in Russia, despite being “tainted” by Jewish blood. This is a fascinating account of WW II from one who was there, made even more remarkable by the letters included that he sent home to his mother while fighting. My favorite part was when he and his friend looked at a map, seeing the size of the French empire, the British empire, the US and Russia as compared to the size of Germany, and the friend asked, “Has Hitler seen this map?” I love history through real life stories. ( )