The Young Lions by Irwin Shaw 1989 Book

The Young Lions gained fame almost the moment it was written and continues to enjoy well-deserved popularity today. The Washington Post named it the fourth best American novel about World War II, and the British Guardian included it in the 1000 books everyone should read. Three soldiers. Three boys thrown by history to opposite sides of the trenches of a big and terrible war. Naive German Christian Diestl, who believed in Hitler's fairy tales about the great destiny of Germany. The jittery American Jew Noah Ackerman, forever tormented by his own inner demons. And the brilliant bohemian intellectual Californian Michael Whitacre. Three boys. Three destinies. And one huge war for all, which will one day bring them together.