Though initially recorded by British intelligence with the intention of gaining information that might be useful for the Allied war effort, the matters discussed in these conversations ultimately proved to be limited in that regard. But they would supply a unique and profoundly important window into the mentality of the soldiers in the Wehrmacht, the Luftwaffe, the German navy, and the military in general, almost all of whom had insisted on their own honorable behavior during the war. It is a myth these transcripts unequivocally debunk.

What the soldiers discussed -- The soldiers' world -- Fighting, killing, and dying -- Frame of reference: annihilation -- Sex -- Technology -- Faith in victory -- Ideology -- Success -- Frame of reference: war -- How national socialist was the Wehrmacht's war? -- War as work -- Appendix: The surveillance protocols.