Powerful And Horrifying

The Constant Soldier by William Ryan is a powerful yet horrifying account of life on the outskirts of Auschwitz 1944- 1945.

The action is seen mainly through the eyes of a reluctant German soldier, who is not a Nazi. He suffered on the eastern front, returned home and now works in his own way to help aid five women prisoners. As a war hero, he is trusted. As a German soldier, he is viewed with suspicion. The reader sees his true nature as a brave soldier who is trying to right the wrongs.

At the time of the book, the Germans were in retreat from the east and the Russians were advancing. The Nazis fail to see defeat as an option, still believing in Hitler. The German army is in tatters, recruiting boys as young as twelve and old men.