Although World War II ended almost 65 years ago, it remains a popular topic for discussion. It has been remembered by people who lived through it, as well as politicians and historians. It has been taught in our schools and is discussed with much bitterness by those whose families were changed forever by it. Many books, both fiction and non-fiction, have been written about WWII.

To the winning Allies in the West, the war represented the most important event of the 20th century. Now emerges a first time author, Charles McCain, who has written a dazzling novel of the war — but from the perspective of a young German naval lieutenant, Max Brekendorf.

Max is stationed on a “pocket” battleship, honoring a German World War I ship: the Graf Spee. His ship’s assignment is to patrol the South Atlantic, destroying as many Allied freighters as possible. These ships are Britain’s lifeline for supplies.

Then tragedy strikes as the Graf Spee is trapped off the coast of neutral Argentina by a convoy of British ships. Max’s captain, Langsdorff, realizing that the ship will be caught and sunk if it tries to get back to the Atlantic, takes drastic action. He evacuates his men and then sinks his ship. Max and his best friend, Dieter, are eventually able to return to Europe through passage on a neutral ship. They are then assigned to a less-glamorous ship stationed in the Far East.

Again after some success, that ship is also scuttled. But this time when they attempt to destroy their ship, Dieter is caught in an explosion and perishes.

Max returns to Germany, where he is now assigned to a U-boat training — the pride of the German naval fleet. He is promoted and given his first command. Although U-boats are deadly to the Allied shipping lanes, they also present their own dangers, and many a U-boat is lost in battle — especially as the Americans bring new and dangerous techniques to the battle. The war is turning out to be a longer battle than Hitler had promised. Russia is proving stubborn on the Eastern Front and now that the Americans have joined the battle in the West, the tides of war are turning. Max was never a Nazi and never belonged to the Nazi Youth Movement, but just a German kid who always dreamed of going to sea. He left his beloved fiancé, Mareth, back in Germany and fears that he will never see her again. He only hopes that he can be a survivor.

Charles McCain has written a fascinating and brilliant first novel. His research is detailed and accurate. You can feel the motion of the ocean as Max battles his enemy and yet harbors doubts if the course he is on is the correct one. The handwriting is on the wall, as Germany begins to retreat on all fronts. Will Max survive the war? Will Germany regain the upper hand? Come along for a terrific journey — a great story from a perspective that few of us could imagine.

Because of budget constraints, this book has not yet been purchased by the Wake County Library system. It can however be purchased at your local book store. Don’t miss this winner of a first novel, “An Honorable German.”