Like many Germans, Berlin schoolboy Erwin Bartmann fell under the spell of the Zeitgeist cultivated by the Nazis. Convinced he was growing up in the best country in the world, he dreamt of joining the Leibstandarte, Hitler's elite Waffen SS unit. From the war on the southern sector of the Eastern Front to a bomb-shattered Berlin populated largely by old men and demoralized lonely women, this candid eyewitness account offers a unique and sometimes surprising perspective on the life of a young Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler volunteer.

Introduction : A Diary of Indoctrination -- The Apprentice -- The Applicant -- Auf Wiedersehen Lichterfelde -- A Lesson in Practical Telephony -- Onward to Taganrog -- Close Calls -- A Steppe too far -- Retreat to the Mius-Sambek Line -- Happy Birthday, Merry Christmas -- Spring Smiles on Sambek -- The Beauties of Paris -- Transfer to Normandy -- Little Diversions for the Young Men of the Leibstandarte -- Return to Russia -- Friendly Fire -- On a Summer's Day -- Sewing Machines and T-34s -- Prokhorovka -- The Scarecrow of Prokhorovka -- A New Life in Berlin -- New Year Celebrations, 1944 -- Snobbery and Rebellion -- First Love and Final Gatherings -- Fond Farewells -- The Last Redoubt -- The Tale of the Three Generals -- The Junghans-Hengstmann Mystery -- Sardines, Murder and Rape -- Sanctuary in Jerichow -- The Wrong Side of the Styx -- Captivity -- Epilogue -- Notes.