by Giles Milton

Thomas Dunne Books, $25.99, 335 pages

World War II is one of the few wars that most people view as black and white. “They” were the bad guys. “We” were the good guys. Author Giles Milton brings out the shades of gray so often overlooked in Nazi Germany with The Boy Who Went to War. Told through the memories of the children, it is the story of two families walking the tightrope of passively resisting Nazi policy but also ensuring their families’ safety—surprisingly, concentration camps were also home to German citizens.

The Boy Who Went to War is an eye-opener that shares an often overlooked viewpoint: that of non-Jewish, non-Nazi , non-military German citizens. These people were artists! This new look at life in Nazi Germany will keep you turning pages, especially as family members waver in their resistance for various reasons. At times it is difficult to keep the many family members straight and occasionally the action slows (as all life does) such as when Wolfram is hospitalized as a soldier. But overall this is a book a WWII history buff will enjoy for the new perspective it offers.

Jodi M. Webb