I was absorbed by this book from the first chapter, particularly the first chapter, as it's so fast to get going; the danger of the war frighteningly described in the very first pages. The rush of people trying to escape the terrifying bomber planes amongst the crowds is a vivid image that plunges you straight in the middle of the action. The second chapter comes as a bit of a shock as the violence turns to a recount of the character's family history, which is all the same very interesting. I did like the following chapters as after reading the first, the reader knows the next few chapters are slowly painting a scene for the beginning, the reality of the war. I found the deviation between the family history written interesting as one chapter describes more of the harshness of the life on a soldier in battle, such as the recount of the military hospitals and the man's bravery in the field, and the next describes the character's childhood memories of entertainment and friends. I would definitely love to keep reading this...