We Germans, Starritt - B+

                   This novel is written as a letter from an aging Eastern Front artilleryman, Oberkanonier Meissner, to his British grandson. The barbarism of war was amplified in the east where neither side offered any quarter to the opposition. It was a "thing of hatred and annihilation." Meissner witnessed years of extreme atrocities by both sides. The common lot for soldiers was starvation and considerable effort went into foraging, including killing civilians, and near the end, rear-echelon German guards, for food. By 1945, Meissner's squad was heading west and hoping to be met by Americans. They wound up surrendering in Austria to Czech partisans and were handed over to the Soviets. Back east, they went to a camp near the Black Sea. Years of fighting followed by three years of captivity led to a fatalistic acceptance by the author of all that came his way. Throughout, the thoughts of Meissner are interspersed with points of clarification or elucidation by the grandson. This is a superb telling of a difficult story that sheds light on the daily trials and tribulations of front-line soldiers and addresses the profound issues of responsibility and guilt by Germans. The author is a grandson of a former Soldaten.