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This collector’s edition must be read & understood.

A powerful story of a young man conscripted into Hitler’s army and a family left behind a sympathetic view of life from the other side.

The Allied bombers screamed in from the sea, spilling hundreds of shells onto the troops below. As the air filled with exploding shrapnel, one young German soldier flung himself into a ditch and prayed that his ordeal would soon be over. Wolfram Aichele was nine years old when Hitler came to power: his formative years were spent in the shadow of the Third Reich. He and his parents – free-thinking artists – were to have first-hand experience of living under one of the most brutal regimes in history. Wolfram: The Boy Who Went to War overturns all the clichés about life under Hitler. It is a powerful story of warfare and human survival and a reminder that civilians on all sides suffered the consequences of Hitler’s war. It is also an eloquent testimony to the fact that even in times of exceptional darkness there remains a brilliant spark of humanity that can never be totally extinguished.

Reviews:

‘a remarkable narrative of [Wolfram] Aichele’s life during the Nazi regime, written by his son-in-law Giles Milton.’ (Irish Times)

Engrossing . . . Milton’s book celebrates the heroism of individuals who put lives before ideologies (Independent)

‘as a portrait of how these civilised individuals were able to survive, this is invaluable.’ (Daily Express)

‘Besides being moving and readable, Milton’s social history provides a sympathetic counterbalance to the idea that all wartime Germans were “Hitler’s willing executioners”.’ (Mail on Sunday)

‘a delight to read.’ (www.thebookbag.co.uk)

‘Milton’s book is no apology for the Third Reich – rather it is the very human, horrifying story of an ordinary German boy and his family of free-thinking artists, none of whom supported Hitler’s politics and all of whom suffered great hardships.’ (Saga)

‘Giles Milton looks deeper into family history with Wolfram, the story of his father-in-law’s childhood under the Third Reich.’ (Hobart Mercury)

‘Milton’s writing, too, is first-rate. Engaging, poignant and vivid, he wrings just the right amount of pathos from his story, and shifts seamlessly between the varying “voices” of his narrative. . . . a very valid and interesting book’ (BBC History Magazine)

‘idiosyncratic and utterly fascinating’ (Mail on Sunday)

‘. . . the story of the Aichele family reveals an undercurrent of passive resistance that existed among ordinary Germans. . . . In considering what Germans went through during the war, Milton’s book shows that our understanding should not be so clear cut. . . . Milton’s close analysis of the experiences of Germans demonstrates that they too could be victims of the war.’ (Spectator)

‘a truly remarkable story . . . a tour de force.’ (Miranda Seymour)

‘a compelling account of 20th-century darkness.’ (Sun Herald)

‘Giles Milton is one of our most engaging writers of non-fiction. In Wolfram, he writes with deceptive simplicity, matching his effortless style with a fascinating subject to create a page-turning and thought-provoking book.’ (Victoria Hislop)

‘Instead he [Milton] renders a service to his father-in-law’s generation by reminding readers about the sheer physical, mental and spiritual effect it took to stay true to oneself in a vicious regime.’ (Saturday Times)

‘A powerful study . . . Based on Wolfram’s recollections, with Milton providing the scene painting and historical background, this is a valuable record of what it was like to be sucked into war, and a vivid vocation of the fear and bewilderment of living in the Third Reich.’ (Guardian)

Giles Milton is a bestselling writer and journalist and the author of six previous works of non-fiction, two novels and children’s books.