Der lange Weg

East Prussia in the year 1812. Martin Millbacher, the son of a farmer by the Memel River, is seduced by the splendor of the army of the "Twenty-Language" and joins Westphalian gunners to fight for Napoleon. He hopes for adventure and rich spoils, but his journey to Moscow and back holds other surprises in store for him. He finds himself in the battles of Smolensk and Borodino, witnesses the inferno of Moscow, and ultimately experiences the mass deaths at the Berezina, just like in Lithuanian Vilnius. Arno Surminski powerfully narrates the fate of the young East Prussian amidst the turmoil of Napoleon's campaign in Russia. His novel is a vivid history, not from the perspective of generals and monarchs, but from the viewpoint of ordinary soldiers. It is not a glorious account for the rulers responsible for the wars.