Reitan, a rifleman with the Third Infantry Division in World War II, has written a vivid story of four teenagers (one of them an American) who join the Resistance in France during World War II. The American becomes an underage rifleman with the Third Infantry Division and participates in the battles experienced by the author. Set in the grim reality of wartime France, this dark-edged novel presents interesting characters, fast-moving action, true-to-life instances of ground combat, and a touch of bittersweet romance.