The loser - Peter Ustinov

Hans Winterschild, well trained for death but unable to cope with life, is the perfect Nazi. At twenty-four he has seen action in Poland and gained a chest full of decorations, and a nervous tick. But when posted to the Italian front, Hans meets a prostitute who reveals to him, for the first time, his own humanity. Very soon the terrifying Nazi officer becomes an object of pity. This is a comic masterpiece moving across a map of Europe at war and embracing an hilarious cast of cosmopolitan characters. Ustinov writes with a profound understanding of human nature, underscoring his comedy with a bittersweet tinge of tragedy.