Book excerpt: Based on a true story: Towards the end of World War II, when Hitler in desperation pulls in young and old to fight a losing war, 16 year old Karl together with his older brother Hans is ripped from his Mother's house in the middle of the night to join the SS to fight a losing war. Milman Parry's delivered this famous lecture "The Historical Method in Literary Criticism " in 1934, the year before he died, to the Harvard Board of Overseers. He warned about the consequences of propaganda that exploits race-and class for political purposes. Karl's journey during the last year of WWII, described in this book, gives a glimpse of the historical consequences of such manipulative propaganda. Mainly, we owe it to mankind and it is our responsibility, to not let history repeat itself.