My Life in the Red Army

My Life in the Red Army chronicles Polish 19-year old Fred Virski's experiences as a drafted soldier in the Russian army during World War 2. With a wry tone rarely seen in a combat memoir Virski describes the hardships the near-starvation rations the inadequate clothing and his tense interactions with officers and agents of the NKVD (secret police). He is wounded twice; earns a Medal of Valor (which he later loses for insubordination); witnesses (and survives) atrocities committed by both the Germans and the Soviets; is branded a deserter; and somehow finds time to fall in love. A testimony to the will of the human spirit in face of impossible odds My Life in the Red Army is a must read for fans of World War 2 biographies.