As a Russian journalist during WWII, Grossman spent over a thousand days on the front lines, and this novel reflects the depth of his knowledge and experience. Written after Stalin's death, the book focuses on the irony of fighting an invader while having to deal with an equally unjust totalitarian regime at home. The clash of dictators comes to a head at the battle of Stalingrad, and the complexities of morality and human nature spin together in a manner characteristic of the classic Russian novel.
