Gunner Asch an ordinary, but decent man comes to the end of WWII and gets back to his home town. He had nothing to do with the lynching of an SS general! Nothing at all! ( )

This is the fourth, last and weakest of the Gunner Asch novels; but when read in sequence it provides a sharp counterpoint to the first novel and a satisfying answer to the question, of well.. 'What became of Gunner Asch'. The novel remains in the German garrison town of previous novels, moved forward to the 1960's. The action is set on an army and an air force base, and essentially follows the trials of reasonable people trapped in the absurdities and stupidity of military existence. It also raises questions of identity in post war Germany - remembering that this was pre-unification Germany. The raw energy and bitter humor present in earlier novels is muted, as if Kirst like Asch has semi-retired and is observing rather than participating in events. Nevertheless there are flashes of the old Asch, and Kirst, sufficient to make this a worthwhile read. Just don't read it before reading the others in the series. ( )

War