The Constant Soldier

by William Ryan

1944. Paul Brandt, a soldier in the German army, returns wounded and ashamed from the bloody chaos of the Eastern Front to find his village changed and in the dark shadow of an SS rest hut—a luxurious retreat for officers recuperating from their injuries and for those who manage the nearby concentration camps of Auschwitz. The hut is run with the help of a small group of female prisoners from the camps who, against all odds, have survived the war so far. When, by chance, Brandt glimpses one of these prisoners, he realizes he must find a way to access the hut. For inside is the woman to whom his fate has been tied since their arrest five years earlier, and now he must do all he can to protect her.

As the Russian offensive moves closer and partisans press from the surrounding woodlands, the days of this rest hut and its SS inhabitants are numbered. And while hope for Brandt and the female prisoners grows tantalizingly close, the danger is greater than ever. In a forest to the east, a young female Soviet tank driver awaits her orders to advance...

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, World War II, Historical, War, Germany, Military Fiction

Audible Audio

First published August 25, 2016

About the author

William Ryan is the Irish author of six novels, including the Moscow Noir series, The Constant Soldier and, as W.C. Ryan, The Winter Guest and A House of Ghosts. They have been shortlisted for numerous awards, including the Irish Fiction Award, the Theakstons Crime Novel of the Year, the Endeavour Historical Gold Crown and the Crime Writer Association’s Gold, Steel, Historical and New Blood Daggers. His latest novel, The Winter Guest, set in the Irish War of Independence, has been described as ‘a gem of a novel’.

William lives in London and is a licensed mudlarker and keen cyclist. Not both at the same time.

Reviews

[Liz Barnsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well. In that rather random way that I write reviews by just thinking out loud I’m a little lost for words on The Constant Soldier (hang in there that’ll last all of five minutes I’m not a quiet person) To be fair the gorgeous Sophie Goodfellow did warn me by using the shorthand method of just sending me the book without checking the current status of my reading frenzy first, she only does that when she knows and has never been wrong.

I loved it. I did shed actual tears several times, felt it to my core and eeked out the reading of it so I wouldnt have to leave it behind me, now I’m feeling slightly bereft. I’m probably going to watch tv for the rest of the day because I wouldn’t envy whoever I read next. They’ve got something to live up to.

William Ryan writes with a simple, elegant and utterly poetic style that just immerses you totally into the reading experience of it. Character study, setting, plot, everything working on every level, that is the bottom line. If that wasnt enough he’s telling a fictional story here with its basis very firmly in fact and taking you back to a time of war, a world in turmoil, men and women living on the edge of reason and he makes it all so real and in the moment and so completely present that you could almost imagine it was happening around you right now. That is not technical writing skill that is creative genuis right there. I’m not sure if this is new for this writer but I’m about to find out as I just bought the entire back catalogue. YES its one of those (sorry everyone who blames me for their extreme book buying)

The story itself is emotive, thought provoking and completely engaging first page to last, I suffered huge amounts of book trauma (the good kind) a fair bit of fingernail biting and all the rest. The plot is taut and authentic, the descriptive prose practically flawless – if you are an emotionally charged reader like me you are just going to devour this and if you are of the more practical head screwed on variety the very least that will happen is you will appreciate the skill. Although I dare anyone to come away from The Constant Soldier without at least one pure emotional sense running through them, whatever that may be. Me I’m slightly dazed but not at all confused about what is coming next and that is me driving everyone I know completely nuts about this book. Sorry (not sorry)

Reminding me in sense although they are both unique, of another darned book trauma causing writer I have recently been shouting about everywhere, I’m hoping to put the two of them together for a feature on release (hence this early review) so watch this space. I may need to bake a cake first (just say yes guys, you don’t want the cake trust me)

If you want a more considered, focused review that takes apart the plot and tells you all about it in that way or tells you about all the characters and things that happen you’ll have to wait for the next reviewer (although there are parts of the novel I’d like to quote verbatim just so I can go LOOK LOOK especially with relation to the father/son relationship in the story here, so so gut wrenching at times) – because for me this was about the heart of it, I knew that after the first couple of pages, it was going to be a book for my soul. So for that reason I give it a Highly Recommended tag as if that was even close to being enough. It may not be officially out until August but don’t worry I’m not going to let you forget.

[Karren Sandercock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five years have passed since Paul Brandt made a mistake as a university student in Vienna, he was given two choices, and he either joined the German army or go to prison. Paul was severely injured on the Eastern Front and he’s returning home to his father’s farm in Reichsgua of Upper Silesia and the village has changed since he’s been gone.

A luxurious retreat has been set up for recuperating officers and those who manage the concentration camps nearby and one is called Auschwitz. The hut is run by Obersturmfuhrer Neumann, a few German soldiers and Ukrainian guards and they have a small group of women prisoners, who cook, do the officers washing and sewing. One of the women looks familiar and Paul’s sure she was arrested five years ago with him. Brandt is asked to help train the locals to boost the defences of the valley, bridge and dam and the only males left are boys under the age of thirteen, the mayor and old men.

In the forest to the east, the Soviets are waiting for the signal to advance, one of these is a young Russian woman Polya Kolank, she once built tanks in a factory, including her own, and she now drives one. The woodlands are also full of Soviet infantry, partisans, escaped allied soldiers and they are all ready to start and will be followed by the tanks.

Brandt knows the end of the war is close, despite the propaganda saying the Germans are still winning, he wants to save his family, himself and the female prisoners.

A tense and extremely powerful story following the life of a young German soldier returning home from the Eastern Front and he lost one of his arms, badly burnt his face and upper body. Brandt has seen the brutality of war and but what’s happening near the in the Austrian village where he was born is inhumane and murder, while the SS soldiers are staying at the hut eating, drinking, listening to music and having a great time.

I received a digital copy of The Constant Soldier by William Ryan from Edelweiss and Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review. Wow, Mr. Ryan can certainly write a historical thriller, he’s the master at Second World War storytelling and I was hooked from the first page.

The narrative is told from the points of view of Paul Brandt and Polya Kolank a Soviet female tank driver. Full of raw action, a story about a brutal war, persecution, murder, catastrophe and fear of the unknown, no one knows if they would survive the winter of 1944, the Soviet invasion and five stars from me.

[Sharon Bolton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A small village in Germany-occupied Poland in 1944. Paul Brandt, a German soldier, is traveling home from the Eastern Front. He’s considered to be a hero, but he has a badly burned face and he’s missing an arm.

His home village has changed, dominated now by what’s being called a ‘rest hut’ but is actually a luxurious villa serving the Nazi officers who work at a nearby concentration camp. Brandt’s family are outraged when he takes a job there, but as the story unfolds we learn that he has secrets of his own, and good reason for doing so. One of the slaves at the hut is a woman whom he knows.

Meanwhile, the Russians are coming! The Russian front comes ever closer and everyone knows what will happen when they arrive. And then there’s the wild card in the novel: the female Russian tank driver who is on her way too.

This is not always an easy book to read - novels about the Second World War rarely are – and at times it becomes quite harrowing. Ryan doesn’t dwell on the human cruelty, but our knowledge that it’s all happening, not very far away from this village, make for a poignant and difficult read.

Nor is it predictable, or clichéd in its treatment of the subject matter. The German officers show the sadism we might expect, but at the same time we see their fear of the future, and of the imminent Russian advance.

Ultimately, The Constant Soldier is a novel about a good man, trying to do the right thing in a world where even the most basic ideas of good and evil have been twisted into something barely recognizable. It’s also about how ordinary people can be driven to do terrible things and how they face up to the consequences.

Ryan has won and been shortlisted for lots of awards and it’s easy to see why. The Constant Solider is beautifully written but also very simply written. One of the hardest tasks facing any writer is to take powerful emotions and convey them using simple language. Without dwelling on the dreadful atrocities, but with a subtle and deft touch, Ryan manages to convey the full horror of one of the worst periods in human history.

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well-written, entertaining, WWII historical fiction novel, which is told from the point of view of a Russian female tank operator and a wounded German SS officer. It is fast paced and intense, with vividly described settings, and depicts the horrors and tragedies of war, but also the strength, resilience and hope of its characters. I listened to the audio book, and the narrator, Mr. Seth Podowitz, has a captivating voice and does an excellent job voicing the characters.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Constant Soldier is not my usual genre, but I am SO GLAD that I got to read this novel. It is so compelling, and gripping and more emotive than I was expecting. Definitely one that will stay with me for quite some time.

William Ryan has done an excellent job with The Constant Soldier. His characters are so well written and they draw you into the perfectly plotted narrative wholly and completely. I finished it a couple of weeks ago, but it is still weighing on my mind.

Paul Brandt is an excellent character. Inherently good, but in bad situations, it’s hard not to feel for him as he returns home from the war battered and broken. What follows is a heartbreaking and often gruesome tale, but so haunting that it will leave you bereft when you close the last page.

I cannot do a book like this justice in a review, it’s impossible for me. There are no words for how The Constant Soldier made me feel, all I know is I couldn’t see for tears when I came to the end. It was an emotionally-charged read for me.

I can’t recommend The Constant Soldier highly enough. Just read it. It’s simply brilliant!

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Constant Soldier is a beautifully written novel that captured my heart. I enjoy historical fiction, especially WWll, but this is told from the point of view that I have never heard before. From an SS soldier. His name is Paul Brandt and he is returning home wounded from fighting the Russians on the eastern front. He is, however, unsettled by what the German army has been doing to the jews and camp prisoners. So, when he sees his former love as a prisoner who is working at a “retreat camp” that caters to tired officers,he volunteers to work there.

There are some very raw, heartbreaking scenes that were hard to read. It was sickening to learn how men who were once against the monstrosities would end up participating to save their own lives. Brandt is courageous, though, and stays true to his conscience. He is being challenged in different ways while he is trying to save others. The other SS soldiers are suspicious of him while his own family is ashamed of him. The Germans are also hurrying to flee from incoming Russian military.

It is a very suspenseful story and I could not wait to see what would happen.

At the end of the book the author explains what compelled him to write the book and gives sources so you can read them too. I am looking forward to reading William Ryan’s other books.

Many thanks to Skyhorse publishing and NetGalley for the chance to read this book.

[Milatra · Rating 5 out of 5]

1944, Auschwitz, the time of the approaching end... Time to analyze everything he has done or not done... Time to understand who he is and what role he plays in this life... Time to change everything that he can change or remain who he is...


A stunning story with deep reflections on the essence of people in the form of the SS. Yes, namely people in SS uniform and those who can hardly be called “human beings”. They are different, with different values ​​in life, with different outlooks on life, but they all have one thing in common - Auschwitz.


As for me, this book is a real treasure, giving the opportunity to see and feel the mood of the SS officers during the approaching capture of the camp by the Soviets, their expectations and fears, their decisions and actions, their humanity and inhumanity.


Definitely a 5-star read for those booklovers who appreciate amazing stories about World War ll. Highly recommended!

[Raven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Already established as a crime writer of some repute with the Captain Korolev series set in the shadow of Stalinist Russia, William Ryan has now produced a fiction novel with huge gravitas, The Constant Soldier. Using as a starting point, the photographs taken by Karl Höcker, the adjutant to the final camp commandant at Auschwitz, Richard Baer, depicting the “social life” of the SS officers who were responsible for the mass murder at Auschwitz, Ryan has constructed a novel that is not only unerringly poignant and harrowing, but one that will stay in your thoughts for some time after reading…

This is one of those of those books that somehow proves difficult to review, quite simply because the ham-fisted meanderings of an amateur reviewer can in no way do full justice to the essential emotional strength and intelligence of this novel. What struck me the most about the book was Ryan’s ability to load the most simple of images with such a powerful emotional resonance from the steam rising from a bowl of freshly cooked potatoes on a family table while a miasma of emotional turbulence plays out around it, to the simple naturalistic images of the serenity of the landscape surrounding the SS encampment, and the ever present shadow of the Auschwitz death camp within its radius. The horrific images of human cruelty that we know are being played out at some remove from us as readers, are made all the more tangible amongst this natural serenity. The claustrophobic intensity of the SS camp and the dark deeds that occur within also acts as a harsh counterpoint, with its pollution of moral decency and the subjugation of those outside the existing regime, particularly in relation to the treatment of the women prisoners. There is the overriding chill of evil permeating the book, but at times dispelled by Ryan’s main protagonist Paul Brandt, and the humanity that he has retained in a world where humanity is largely absent.

Brandt is a mesmerising character, physically and mentally wounded by his experiences within the Nazi regime, and now finding himself working in the dark, sadistic atmosphere of the SS encampment. Deeply affected by his war experience, he attains the role of the moral ‘everyman’ in the novel, working at the behest of those he despises, and charged with an emotional impetus to liberate one of the female prisoners, whose story is so closely entwined with his own. Through his eyes and experience, we consistently witness the sadism ingrained in the SS officers around him, but also the moments of weakness and fear they experience as the war grinds towards its end, and the impending arrival of Soviet troops. The balance that Ryan ingrains in Brandt’s character of certitude and doubt is exceptionally well-handled, and poses a larger question as to why men such as he would seek to endanger his own survival, and use his staunch moral imperative to help others. In tandem with such a compelling central protagonist, Ryan has also confidently created a strong surrounding cast of characters from Brandt’s taskmasters at the camp, to his touching interaction with the headstrong Agneta, and the righting of a wrong he believes he has committed using his relationship with her as a conduit for this. There is also an interesting co-existing narrative focussing on the approach of the Soviet forces seen through the eyes of Polya Kolanka, a young woman who co-operates one of the approaching Soviet tanks. This alternative viewpoint of the events of the war co-exists beautifully with the central narrative, and her tale is as equally grim as Brandt’s but serves to a larger purpose to reinforce the theme of the futility of war, and the harsh reality of those caught up within it.

As Sebastian Faulks’ Birdsong has defined the First World War narrative, so The Constant Soldier achieves this for World War II, with its understated but hugely powerful emotional and moral examination of one of the darkest periods of world history. It is harrowing and emotionally charged, but I would defy any reader not to be utterly moved by the story that plays out before them, such is the intensity and deceptively simple brilliance of Ryan’s writing. Highly recommended.

[Susan Hampson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a tense and very powerful story following the life of a young German soldier returning home from the Russian front after a fierce battle has taken one of his arms and badly burnt his face. The Austrian village where he was born is unrecognisable  from the place he left, governed by Poland and now occupied by the SS.
Five years have past since Paul Brandt made an unfortunate choice as a college student, after taking part in a political stand at university, either join the army or serve time in prison. Little did he know that war was just round the corner when he took the first option. There was no way now, with just one arm, that he could return to the front line but not all enemies wear a different uniform and now his village lives in fear of the unpredictable and brutal SS Officers.
The Retreat sounds a perfect place to get away from harsh everyday working conditions, a place of luxury and access to the best cuisine and women. There is just a couple of real problems here. The regular residents of The Retreat are the SS Officers that run the Concentration Camp only a stones throw away from the village that is struggling with surviving the harsh winter of 1944 and the women are some of the prisoners that have survived by luck more than need. They can be replaced anytime, no interview required or wage. Paul Brandt glances a familiar face of a woman in there, one from his past 5 years ago and manages to get a supervisors job, to the disgust of his family.  But he has to figure a way out to protect her.
This is an epic story of the reality of the ordinary German soldier, but that would be a lie. Others may see him as ordinary but he is far from it. The story takes a dramatic change as the Russian army make advances towards the village. The SS need to bury the evidence of their deeds.
Just the name SS Officers puts fear into me and William Ryan just enforced it further. This is such a very emotional book, heart breaking in every possible way. William Ryan, by writing about the views of a German Soldier, opens up a new dimension with this story. Not one about the people in the concentration camps but of the village and how the SS Officers behave off duty. I forgot who was on who’s side everyone were just people. Some tyrants and others victims. So very touching and haunting. It left me with a real feeling of helplessness and totally stunned. A very memorable book, highly recommended.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thought provoking historical drama following German soldier Paul Brantz as he recovers from a traumatic injury sustained on the frontlines. Now, he has been summoned to work as a steward at a rest hut for members of the SS.

This book wasn’t what I was expecting but I could appreciate how well written it was. The cover implied a romance, of which there was none. The author is clearly well educated on wartime history as much of the book focuses on conflict and artillery. The characters are vividly described and the environment comes to life in the writing, something which not all historical fiction writers achieve.

The authors notes towards the end are interesting as they explain his inspiration in his work. A recommended read for lovers of World War Two history.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t read a great deal of books in this genre but having seen so many positive reviews from blogging buddies, I knew I had to read it for myself.

Brandt was someone I felt a lot of empathy for. He has served his time in the army and is lucky to still be alive. Sadly returning home has him feeling helpless until he is offered a job managing the concentration camps.

You really get the sense of how hard it is for people returning from the war trying to adjust to life back in familiar surroundings. Mainly because so many things have changed since they were away.

Brandt is quite a sensitive soul. Working in the camps opens his eyes to many atrocities that he is helpless to do anything about. He feels even more helpless when he sees a familiar face but he makes it his mission to do something about it.

You get to see so many different points of view in this book. From the women kept in the camps to the horrible brutes who happily deal out horrific punishments to undeserving victims. Through Brandt we are witness to it all and it makes for some heart wrenching reading.

The Constant Soldier is a powerful and emotive read. It’s a story that will grab you by the head and heart. Even though fiction, it still reminds us of a time in history that we should have sadly learned from.

Definitely one to add to your reading pile.

My thanks to the author and publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Upon finishing this book in the early hours I found I had not only a lump in my throat, but I was speechless at the intensity of the narrative. This is not a book you can easily set aside and forget about (hence why I was reading until after 2.30 a.m.!) The story remains with me even now and I’ve no doubt it will remain with me for some while to come –and I don’t say this lightly, it’s one of the finest books I have ever read.

Every striking scene, every imminent threat, every laboured dialogue exchange felt as though I were a fly on the wall observing the commands from the hierarchy worm their way downward the ranks only to become an act of obedience from the subordinates, regardless of the grotesque consequences.

How the handful of prisoners lived with the onslaught of fear and a routine so punishing – well, I don’t think I will ever comprehend. Ironically, even though this expendable workforce is exhausted, physically and mentally, it’s all to help the German officers recuperate in a rest hut to which The Constant Solider has been assigned.

Work detail is torturous, particularly for a one-armed, reluctant solider with burns covering most of his body. Not only does he have witness the ‘customary’ ill-treatment of the women prisoners as they carry out infinite housekeeping tasks to ensure a pleasant stay for the guests’, he recognised one of the spectral, emaciated frames inhabiting the raggedy prison clothes from his life before he was consigned to the army.

The Constant Soldier, Paul Brandt, is an especially distinctive character and represents the good / evil divide in the midst of war. The reasons why he came to serve in the army and then accept a position at the hut in spite of his extensive injuries are skilfully and sensitively depicted. It’s his expressions differ from the usual offerings. For instance, when his face expresses any kind of emotion a smile could easily be misconstrued a grimace as the skin on his face pulls taught emphasising his prior wounds.

By taking ordinary words and using them to extraordinary effect, each sentence embodies courage, commitment, misery, atonement, regret and sacrifice. This haunting novel shows how circumstances conspire against the intended course of your life and how humanity still lingers in remote quarters, while offering reflection from allies, prisoners and oppressors who have become tangled in Hitler’s wicked and tyrannical ambition.

Feel the partisans’ breath on your neck, the boot of an SS guard, and the rattle of the window panes as an underestimated opponent grows near – then feel the impression The Constant Soldier will leave on you.   HIGHLY (& ABSOLUTELY) RECOMMENDED.

Rating: This is one of those awkward situations where a book has once again broken my rating system. Quite frankly it exceeds 5/5 – seriously, just read it immediately!

(HUGE thanks to the publisher and the author for arranging a review copy of this title for which it is my pleasure to offer an unbiased review.)

[Mairead Hearne (swirlandthread.com) · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘He knew he was lucky. The rest of the battalion had been surrounded near Korsun. Some of them must have got out – some always did. But he heard nothing from anyone. Perhaps they had just been swallowed up by the winter snow. Perhaps he was the last of them.’

The Constant Soldier is a novel that has been on my horizon for quite some time. Originally published in August 2016, I was delighted to be reading a copy of the latest edition, published in June 2017.

The basis of this novel is rooted in some very special images discovered in a photo album that was originally belonging to Karl-Friedrich Hoecker, a member of the SS during WW2.

An historical novel, William Ryan has written a book that will stay with you long after you finish……..here’s why…

Paul Brandt returns home from the front as a result of horrific injuries received in battle. A political activist before war broke out, Paul’s entry to the German army was not a choice that he made himself. His hand was forced due to his beliefs. It is with quite a shock that Paul arrives back to his village to find the, now infamous, rest hut used by the SS staff from Auschwitz , in very close proximity to his family home.

When William Ryan happened upon a collection of pictures, now known as The Hoecker Album, he discovered over 100 photographs that portrayed images of the lives and living conditions of many SS officers during their ‘break’ from the horrors of the camps. Absolutely fascinating imagery which I highly recommend you research online.

Using these images William Ryan set about writing the story of the last days of WW2, before the Russians arrived in 1945, with Paul Brandt as the main protagonist. The Constant Soldier is not an historical novel recounting the terror of Auschwitz but it is the story of the rest hut and the people who passed through it and also those who worked there.

Paul’s facial features have changed beyond recognition due to the injuries he now carries. In passing the rest hut one day he is convinced he sees a female prisoner that he knows from before the war. During his protesting days, Paul was oft times in the company of a woman, known only to him by her code name. This prisoner, though somewhat ravaged, looks very like her. Could it be her? How can he be sure?

Paul has never been comfortable as a soldier. The horrors he witnessed and the actions he took during battle have left a deeper scar within him, deeper than any physical scar and now that he is home he plans to make amends.

The rest hut is in need of a steward, a person who can coordinate the smooth running of things while the SS Officers concern themselves with just rest and relaxation. This is an opportunity that Paul cannot refuse. In taking up the position, Paul faces many risks but to him they are small. He ingratiates himself with the SS residents and soon he is an indispensable member of staff.

This is where this book deviates so completely for me from any book within this historical genre/era that I have read in the past. Paul Brandt is a German soldier with a very strong conscience. Disgusted and appalled by the acts of violence inflicted by his fellow countrymen, Paul is compelled to act. His thoughts, his beautiful relationship with his father, his faltering relationship with his sister, all make for a very emotive and emotional read. The strength of his beliefs and his tenacity to work through many difficult situations, with huge risk to his own safety, shows such courage and perseverance.

William Ryan has written a haunting novel.

In writing The Constant Soldier William Ryan has stated that he did take some artistic license in describing the luxury of the rest hut as he ‘wanted to show it as a privileged bubble in amongst the rationing and privation faced by most of the surrounding population’. The images alone that are featured in The Hoecker Album are a testament to this bubble that William Ryan alludes to. The joy and happiness, the fun expressions on the faces of the German army, both men and women, is incongruous with the distressing images we normally associate with Auschwitz.

Paul Brandt, while a fictional character, is portrayed so vividly by William Ryan.

The word constant is defined as meaning ‘continuing without pause or letup; unceasing and this is how we see Paul Brandt. He never once wavers in his belief. He never stops fighting for the truth…Paul Brandt is The Constant Soldier.

A powerful novel. A spellbinding story, depicted through the use of such eloquent language, highlighting the final days and subsequent collapse of the Nazi regime.

Highly recommend to all…

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

A powerful, emotional read, very well written.

[Kelly Furniss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every so often you read a really good book and it stays with you long after you have put it down and this is one of those for sure.
The detailed descriptions of the landscape and harsh 1944 winter set the scene so well.
The character of Paul Brandt draws you in to the story as he returns from the War a broken man.
He's dealing with a lot of pain and guilt and a chance encounter spirals him in to a mission to rescue someone as well as just maybe himself.
The story is well paced building up momentum which keeps you quickly flicking the pages.
Such a harrowing, thought provoking, emotional War story. Be prepared to travel on an emotional roller coaster and just maybe have your heart broken.
A book I would wholeheartedly recommend.

[Caz C Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Paul Brandt, to his knowledge the only survivor from his battalion, returns home from the front severely wounded, his town regards him as a hero. But Paul is wracked with guilt and will do anything to make amends, make it up to her, the woman he betrayed – he will even pretend to be a true Nazi. Will it save her?

| Introduction |

German soldier Paul Brandt was forced to go into the army due to his political activities in Vienna, before the outbreak of WW2. The only other option was prison where she went, his co-conspirator and the love of his life, a woman only known to him by her codename. Their meeting was ambushed and he could do nothing but leave her to her fate. That is the last he has seen of her. Many a time appeared her face before him at the front, his guilt nagging. Could he have saved her? Now a wounded, one-armed hero, Paul returns to his home village in Upper Silesia. But all has changed.

| Storyline |

Disfigured and dillusioned but a hero to the villagers, Paul has no choice and is dragged into the Nazi propaganda machine. He stands before young men, boys, and tells them about the glory of war and the faith in their leader. He feels hollow in motivating these youngsters to become soldiers but what can he do? If he renounces the Nazi ideology, it could well be that not only he himself but also his father and the rest of the family will face the consequences. When he walks past a fence, he notices a group of young women and he cannot believe his eyes when he thinks he recognises.. her. The one he loved and betrayed, the one he never thought he would see again. In that instant, Paul knows that he will do whatever it takes to help and rescue her. First, he must find a way into the building behind the fence.

The building is a rest hut for SS officers to provide them with luxury and entertainment on their breaks from their daily responsibilities of running the concentration camp just outside the village. Paul has no trouble being employed there – his reputation as a war hero precedes him. Little does he know what is going on but soon he will. His priority is to find her and protect her and the other women who are there to work in the officers’ retreat and who are at the mercy of the brutal SSers. The women live in constant fear, their lives worth nothing to the cruel SSers but their days might be numbered soon… The year is 1944, the Russians are coming close but there are more dangers lurking in the woods. Paul comes to realise the precarity of the circumstances as chaos arises and the Russian underground movement (Polya Kolanka) closes in on the village and the Nazis staying there.

| My Thoughts |

The Constant Soldier is set in the historical context of WWII and tells us about the atrocities of war and those in it from different perspectives. Not by showing us the concentration camps and their inexplicable horrors but by digging deep into the lives of those working there, of those who were part of the war machine. The infamous rest hut, where the SS officers could recuperate and what happened there… Harrowing. Paul Brandt is a man who struggles with his conscience, who has to live with the decisions he made. He is a character you have to empathise with – the way he struggles to keep sane, to keep human and to do right to others. But there are more characters, the woman he wants to save, his sister, the resistance group … all skilfully portrayed, true-to-life characters who struggle to keep sane and do what they feel is right under these difficult circumstances.

To have access to photos from an SS officer during WW2 and to create, based upon the images, this haunting and thought-provoking novel – I have got to hand it to William Ryan, brilliant. A well-written novel that will stay with you long after you closed the book, the insights into the ordinary people finding themselves in less than ordinary circumstances, the consequences of actions – the pointlessness of war and the innocent victims it brings along, every time again. The fact that the novel is based on true events, the vivid descriptions and the insights into the Russian involvement (the chapters written from the perspective of Polya Kolanka) all combined make this a powerful novel and an emotive read.

Read the review on my website: https://www.bitsaboutbooks.net/consta...

[David Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm grateful to the publisher for an advance copy of this book to review

It is early 1944. A soldier rides away from battle through a fairytale landscape of glittering ice, snow-boughed trees and frozen rivers. he is injured and will have to spend many weeks and months recuperating before being discharged home, used, broken and racked with guilt. But the war hasn't finished with him, and even on that journey back from the Front, he passes another train - 'a long line of snow-roofed cattle trucks'. There are no windows, only high, barred slits. 'From some of them - not all - thin, blood streaked hands ingnored the wire to reach out, as if looking for something their owners couldn't see.'

In 1944, on the Eastern front, the Third Reich is entering its final days, reaping the fruits of murder. Brand is coming home to face his past, make what peace he can with it and try to save something. meantime, Polya is also coming, part of the all conquering Red Army, driving her T-34 tank on the long road to Berlin.

In an afterword, Ryan explains how this story was inspired by a real place - an SS rest hut in German-occupied Poland, where murderers and torturers came to forget their work and relax. The book includes two photographs from an album kept by one of the officers looking after the hut during those last days: incongruous pictures of Christmas trees and hunting parties. This contrast between everyday life - if one can use the term - and apocalyptic events taking place over the hills, where the Russians approach, or down the road in the camp, where human beings are butchered, underlies the story, beginning as a mere convenience for the hut's orderlies and guests - the ignoring of inconvenient and evil truths - and growing into a grand collective delusion as the enemy approach and the end comes near - but none dare admit it.

That battle rages in all the characters (except Polya, perhaps) - Brandt, who was forced into the army to escape 'political trouble' and bears a double guilt, for what he did then and for the fact that his lover fell into the hands of the Gestapo due to him; for Neumann, in charge of the hut, who has been excused 'active involvement' in the camp after a trauma which literally haunts him; Jager, the hardened Waffen SS man who has no hope left and sees through everything. Only, perhaps, the more stupid remain comfortable.

I was in two minds about this pervasive guilt and sense of mis-ease. At one level, it might be reassuring to think that many Germans - and those who joined in the terrible crimes of the Second World War - knew, at some level, that what was happening was utterly wrong. I want to believe in their humanity, that they would be troubled by what was happening, what they were complicit in. That seems like a sign of hope, a small flower in a bleak desert. But no - I think what the book demonstrates is the terrible power of events, of going along with things. Those mental reservations, that unease, doesn't save a single wretch from death. Still less the realisation that it's all going up in flames and time to turn to turn coat and denounce what's been going on. (A couple of soldiers discuss the inevitable future war between the West and Russia and how they will be needed in it).

In this moral cesspit, Brandt, tainted and loathing himself, tries to rescue those he can. His determination to atone plunges us into an action-filled and morally ambiguous story, one that powers along like those Russian tanks sweeping westwards. Against the huge forces in motion it seems as though nothing he does can have any significance, yet he, and some of the others, do what they can. There is the woman he lost all those years ago and her fellow prisoners. There are the boys and old men of the village, press-ganged into Hitler's last ditch Dad's Army, the Volkssturm. There's his sister and the rest of his family. (The village will not be safe when the Russians come: but even before that, it's not safe - partisans prowl the woods and fanatical Nazis like the Mayor prowl the streets. And it hasn't been safe for many for years: "The Glintzmanns have moved away"). The political prisoner, Agneta, knows that the body of her Jewish friend Lena should be washed but only has tears to do it with. The two women who are 'Bible students' refuse to condone the killing even when a single word would free them at any time. does what he can.

One can't escape guilt - even Polya suffers guilt as her tank crushes a refugee wagon and kills a mother and her children - and there is no redemption or absolution here but one can try to save something from the wreckage, perhaps, make things a bit less bad. But it's deeds that count not inner guilt, unspoken repugnance nor even - as with a couple of characters - self-destruction (either by suicide or throwing oneself at the approaching Russians).

It's a sobering and at times desperately sad book, a story of love, loss, revenge, guilt and endurance - perhaps above all, of endurance. A magnificent read and a real reminder of the times Europe and its people have been through and the need to be on our guard against their repetition.

[Deanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one took me awhile to read. Unfortunately, life got in the way and I was forced to put it down. This story was very well done and I'm so glad I picked it up. I enjoy books with incredible characters and a well thought out plot and storyline:)

[Lisa Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first Willian Ryan novel and I wasn't sure what to expect. Now, I'm finished reading and I've had to take a few days to reflect back over the story, before being able to write a review. In short, the book is simply stunning. Beautifully written, with a wonderful sense of location, I was swept away within a few chapters. Paul Brandt, our constant soldier, is a well-written character and Ryan encapsulates the internal battles that Brandt suffers perfectly.
I have never read a book set in World War Two that takes on the perspective of the German military, and this was something I found both brave and intriguing. Ryan's depiction of officers struggling with their beliefs versus what human nature tells them is right is emotional and, at times, downright heartbreaking.
A beautifully set, beautifully written novel, one that is definitely being left strategically placed on Mr H's pillow.

[Thebooktrail · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has to be read for the sheer brilliance of the backstory and its portrayal. A real gem of a read but one which will make you cry and feel traumatized for days after you read it.

William Ryan is the master builder in every sense of the word. Every brick, every word builds a picture of sheer brutality, bloody history but a heartbreaking story of the human spirit.

Not out until August but be prepared. This is worth the wait. Stockpile tissues, batteries for your torch and something to eat as life will stand still until you finish it.

[Tina Woodbury · Rating 4 out of 5]

For all of my reviews: www.readingbetweenthepagesblog.wordpr...

In 1944 Paul Brant returns home injured after serving on the front lines. His village has changed quite a bit and his own father admitted that he would not have recognized his own son if he didn’t know he was returning home. While on one of his daily walks he stumbles upon a hut (a place for officers to rest and the injured to recover) and sees a woman working the fields that looks eerily familiar to him. He starts to obsess over how he can get closer to this woman to see if she is who he thinks she is. As luck would have it, he is offered a job at the hut as a steward. It is an opportunity he cannot turn down and the perfect opportunity to take a closer look.

I love this era and read it often. I was drawn to this book because it is told from the perspective of Paul Brandt, a German soldier. This is very unusual and I was very intrigued how this story would unfold. His was not the only perspective, but did make up the majority of the book.

The author William Ryan did a fantastic job of ramping up the intensity of this book as the story moved along. Most of the story takes place at the hut and the war was literally closing in around them. They could not stay there forever and I wondered who would get out and how.

One of the many storylines is about Polya Kolanka, a female tank driver. I was utterly fascinated with her story and in awe of her strength and fearlessness in a male-dominated position. As fascinating as she is I was left a bit disappointed with her storyline and had hoped she would have been integrated into the story a bit more.

The following quote stuck with me throughout the book and I feel that it captures the essence of the story quite nicely:

“So answer me this question,” he continued. “If you want to prevent evil, should you watch from afar and do nothing or take steps to confront it directly?”

[booksofallkinds · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE CONSTANT SOLDIER by William Ryan is a raw, powerful, harrowing historical fiction novel that will break you in every possible way while simultaneously filling you with the strength and unwavering hope of the human spirit.

Set during the Second World War, we see Paul Brandt, an injured soldier return to his hometown, disfigured and changed in so many ways. Determined to do good in a world that has become so twisted by evil, it is only when he spots a female prisoner that looks familiar in the local SS rest hut, that he understands what he needs to do. As the war continues to rage and move ever closer to his village, Brandt will wage a war of his own within the walls of the camp in his quest to right a wrong, to make a difference. But in such an unpredictable place at such an unpredictable time, danger is constantly shrouding them all, preparing to drown them in despair.

I cried often during this story which is sadly rooted in fact. The pure horror and evil from this time in history are artfully placed in every word and every page, and it left me feeling uncomfortable and upset many times, which is exactly as it should be.
But this novel also shows the importance of hope, survival, and love even when it doesn't seem possible. That one simple act of good standing up to evil can really make a difference, even if it is only for an instant or only to a few people.
The writing is fluidly poetic and compelling, and the characters are so in-depth and detailed that you can almost picture them when you close your eyes.

THE CONSTANT SOLDIER by William Ryan is a masterpiece of epic proportions and an important book that should be read by all, and I can certainly see it crossing over to the silver screen perfectly.

*I voluntarily reviewed this book from the author

[Lark37 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! Not often do we get inside the mind of an SS officer who was reluctantly pushed into soldiering for the Reich even though he didn't believe in the cause. Paul Brandt is that soldier who was so badly injured that he was sent back to his home-a small village in Germany near the Russian border. There he discovers a hut where prisoners are kept including one with whom he has had a prior relationship. This is so finely written yet harrowing that it was difficult for me to read for long periods of time. I would get so wrapped up in the story and my tears would be streaming that it would be hard to shake off and get to work. That's truly fine writing! I bought this after reading a glowing recommendation on Goodreads by one of my favorite authors, Sharon Bolton. Bought it for my husband for Christmas as he loves reading about or stories set during WWII. He left it on bookshelf after he finished, and although its not my typical mystery novel, I felt compelled to read it, and I'm very glad I did. It really made me think about those in Germany who didn't like Hitler and objected to what he was doing but were helpless to stop it. I highly recommend this one!

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paul Brandt is a soldier in the German army who returns home in 1944 having been badly wounded and disfigured. He joined the army after being arrested and given the choice of joining up or facing prison. His village seems a very different place and nearby he finds that a 'rest hut' has been built for the SS soldiers who work in concentration camps. The hut is staffed by women prisoners and when walking past one day, Brandt recognises one of them as the women he was with when he was arrested and the reason for that arrest. Recognising that the end of the war is approaching, Brandt determines that he will help the women make it through to the end of the conflict safely.

This was an exceptionally well-written book which is both moving and compelling. It is unusual in that it focuses on a German soldier and one who clearly had a conscience. It is easy just to think of all the German soldiers as cruel and heartless but of course, many were just young boys who didn't want to be fighting but didn't have much option. The author shows that not just Brandt but also many other German soldiers who tried to follow their conscience as much as they could. Brandt wasn't portrayed as whiter than white, he certainly had his faults, but his basic goodness was clear and his desire to atone for some of his actions in war through helping the women was evident.

Yet the author doesn't shy away from showing the completely inhumanity shown by some of the German officers to their prisoners and indeed fellow soldiers. It was disturbing to read of the heedless cruelty dealt out by some officers and to know that this would be just a glimpse of some of the atrocities carried out by the Nazis. On the other hand, the humanity shown by people who were at their lowest and seemingly least able to offer help was very moving.

The Constant Soldier tells a very different story of the Second World War. At times it seems bleak, that there can be no hope for Brandt and the women he is trying to protect. At other times, it shines a light on the best of the human spirit. The Constant Soldier is a beautifully crafted novel, emotive and thought-provoking, which captures perfectly the bravery and endurance of its central character in a gripping and atmospheric narrative.

[Paul Mc · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book absorbed me from the start. The characters, storyline and setting are very believable. Set in the last days if the war, as the Russians approach Germany from the east, it deals with a wounded German soldier returned to his home village from the front. Recommended.

[LenaRibka]

DNF at 40%

I put it aside one day and never found a way back.

[Steven Z. · Rating 4 out of 5]

William Ryan burst on the literary scene in 2010 with debut novel, THE HOLY THIEF, the first of his Captain Alexi Korolev trilogy that takes place during the 1930s Stalinist regime in the Soviet Union. His second and third volumes in the trifecta, THE BLOODY MEADOW and THE TWELFTH DEPARTMENT set Ryan apart from other historical crime writers as he continued to navigate the justice system under Stalin. THE CONSTANT SOLDIER is a departure for Ryan as it is a standalone novel that begins with his protagonist, Paul Brandt, a Wehrmacht soldier, wounded on the eastern front experiencing flashbacks on a hospital train bound for Hamburg. Brandt slips into unconsciousness taking him back to his relationship with his mother, and a young woman named Judith who has disappeared, for which he blames himself.

Ryan easily catches the attention of the reader with an absorbing story of a man who suffered severe injuries and wondered what he could do with the rest of his life. The time period is late 1944 and early 1945 in the Upper Silesia part of Poland that had been under Nazi occupation since 1939. However, as the novel unfolds Russian troops and tanks are making their way west endangering any Germans in their path. Brandt returns home to the family farm and notices an emaciated young woman who is being held prisoner at an SS “Rest Hut” near the farm. He is convinced that the woman is Judith, whose real name is Agneta Gruber who Brandt last saw her before the war broke out when they were arrested for anti-Nazi activity in Vienna. Given the choice of death in prison or the army, Brandt enlisted in the Wehrmacht, but retained a guilt that he had abandoned Agneta years before.

The physically debilitated Brandt, against the wishes of his family decides to accept a job at the Rest Hut as it’s steward as a means of trying to rescue Agneta and four other woman as the SS had begun murdering their prisoners. Ryan creates the backstory of the relationship between Brandt and Agneta and Brandt’s obsession with saving her and assuaging his guilt. The remorse Brandt feels goes beyond his relationship with a woman he still loves to righting the many wrongs he committed on the eastern front as a soldier.

Once Ryan introduces the suicide of an SS officer named Schmidt the novel begins to branch out from the single track of Brandt’s hopes for saving the woman to the Holocaust. It seems his commander Obersturmfuhrer Friedrich Neumann orders Brandt to destroy Schmidt’s diary and other possessions which delineates what the SS has done on the eastern front murdering Jews. Ryan manages the Holocaust with subtlety as he does not become involved in descriptions of mass murder, but he provides a number of hints concerning the horrors that have occurred. For example, Neumann’s comment that he did not want to remain in Kiev and sought his transfer to Upper Silesia. He like everyone knew what was occurring as he stated, “he hadn’t planned to become a murderer, he didn’t think. It just turned out that way.”

Ryan does an excellent job juxtaposing a comparison of Brandt’s and Neumann’s beliefs and attitude toward the war, what they witnessed, and been involved in. Both men develop doubts and disgust at themselves as they pondered their future. They realize the Russians are not far away when Ryan introduces a third track to the novel through the character of Polya Kolanka, a female T-34 tank driver, one of the few in the Russian military. We follow her quest to reach Germany and her experiences as the Soviet Union is about to overrun the Germans.

As Ryan’s plot evolves Brandt must navigate between a number of interesting characters. There is Mayor Weber, a drunk with power who distrusts Brandt and has no compunction about killing. Second in importance is the sadistic Scharfuhrer Peichl who reveled in beating prisoners. Hubert, a partisan fighter in the forest who is in love with Brandt’s sister Monika. Lastly, the four woman who are imprisoned with Agneta.

Ryan has authored a taut novel that expresses the dilemmas faced by Germans and Russians as the war winds down. The reader wonders what will become of Brandt and whether he will be able to save the woman he loves, among others. The novel is well written and follows the facts of World War II to a tee. The novel is in part based on the experiences of Karl Hocker, an adjutant to the last Commandant of Auschwitz and he incorporates photographic documentation created by Hocker that had disappeared until 2005. Many of the pictures were taken at a rest hut near a small village called Porabka, about twenty kilometers from Auschwitz. Ryan uses this factual information to recreate a fictional account of an SS Rest Hut and introduces characters that reflect the hazards and emotions that their situation has fostered.

THE CONSTANT SOLDIER is an excellent read and I look forward to his latest standalone novel, WINTER GUEST which will be released this October.

[Janet Emson · Rating 5 out of 5]

My thanks to the publisher for my review copy of this book.

Paul Brandt is returning to his home town, horribly injured whilst fighting the Allies on the front in the East. As he returns home, passing the SS Rest Hut he sees one of the women prisoners. Shocked he realises it is the woman he fell in love with, whilst part of a political resistance movement years earlier. Already haunted by his role in her arrest, and by the guilt of his actions whilst in combat, Paul vows to find a way to help the woman prisoner.

We read war novels with the benefit of hindsight. Although the horrors are known, and the outcome, it adds tension to the narrative, rather than detract from it. The reader knows how the war ends, they know of the atrocities inflicted and its this knowledge that makes the story all the more moving and impacting. I rarely read war novels yet I had heard numerous reviews declaring this book a wonderful read so I had to find out for myself.

It was fascinating to read a novel portraying the war from the German point of view. It is obvious when thought is given that not all of those fighting for Germany would have done so willingly, or would have agreed with the Nazi propaganda. There would have been civilians who were against the war, who were unaware for a long time of the atrocities that were occurring, and that who would have felt powerless to do anything once the extent of the terrible actions that Hitler was inflicting were revealed. This novel delves into that, exploring the feelings and actions of those living in the shadows of the concentration camps, in a land that was annexed by Germany. William Ryan sensitively and beautifully portrays a country on the brink, coming to terms with the fact that everyone will be impacted by the punishment due to be inflicted by the Allies.

Paul Brandt is the constant soldier in many ways. His injuries are a constant reminder of his time served on the front. His memories constantly haunt him of those he killed whilst under orders. On his return home he finds that he is still fighting, though this time the enemy is different and his fight is a hidden one.

William Ryan has the magical ability to make the reader feel something close to sympathy for some of those characters who deserve none. Nuemann, haunted by his actions in the war, is one such character. His actions at the SS Hut are not enough to garner sympathy, but there is something that moves the reader to hear of his actions, and regrets. There are others whom the reader will feel deserve any punishment that should come their way, disconcertingly so as it is uncomfortable to realise you are wishing for violence to be meted out on someone, albeit a fictional character. Characterisation is strong throughout this novel, from the Partisans who are fleeting, to Commandants of the SS. Paul himself is a complex character. Instinctively he is likeable, driven as he is by his need to atone. His guilt haunts him, yet it is the guilt of a man who was fighting a war he didn’t believe in. It is a guilt by association. It is also what drives him, gives him hope in someway. The rescue of the women prisoners is Paul’s way to seeking forgiveness, from them and from himself.

I rarely read war novels yet I had heard numerous reviews declaring this book a wonderful read so I had to find out for myself. All the plaudits are well deserved. If you miss out on reading this you’ll miss an absorbing, powerful, poetic and emotive novel.

Beautifully written, emotive and moving, this is a wonderfully told story of war, love and redemption. I will be seeking out the other novels by William Ryan, and soon.

[Ferne (Enthusiastic Reader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

1944.

He was a soldier. It’s been a long time since he was home. His name is the same. Paul Brandt. But in the period he was away, he’s changed. He doesn’t look the same, nor does he feel the same—one of the things that happens in a time of war.

He’ll stay home on the farm with his father and sister. Home was in a village in Poland. Now it is part of Nazi Germany—the future unknown. The war continues. A morning walk gives him a plan. This time he could help her. She may not recognize him, but he’s never forgotten her. Five years ago, Vienna was a different place, a different time. He had two names then. So did she.

WWII historical fiction unlike any other I’ve read, principally from the perspective of a soldier, a soldier in the Wehrmacht. A man riddled with guilt. A man that can’t change the past, but perhaps there is yet time to atone. The atmospheric writing is gripping in intensity. The imagery is haunting, chilling. The reader is grasped by the extent of depravity while others in their midst risk everything to turn the tide even for a moment, even if only possible for a few.

War. Orders. Resistance. Guilt. Redemption. The book is well-written, profound, complex, powerful, exemplary, and essential to the whole of literary WWII historical fiction. Highly recommended.

The Author’s Note at the novel’s end provides inspiration for the fictional version of the storyline based on SS officer Karl Höcker, actual locations, and events. The note includes a bibliography of work read during the author’s meticulous research.

Thank you to William Ryan, Skyhorse Publishing (Arcade), and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an eARC of this book.

Reviewer's Note: Release Date for this edition by Skyhorse Publishing (Arcade) is November 7, 2023.

[Nada Kosovac · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is standalone novel from great crime writer William Ryan. I did not know what to expect from this book and I was pleasantly surprised. I read this book in two days and could not put it down. I liked the characters and the story. The setting for a novel is a time and place that will always evoke strong feeling in all of us. But Mr. Ryan has managed to show us different side to this terrible time. We see humane side to Germans. The main character is someone who has learned from loss and feels terrible guilt and shame for everything that has come to pass in the war. He is trying to make amends by saving few prisoners from being killed in that last few days of war. I did like the ending as well. This book needed an ending that is positive and that will leave you with that feeling that in the end hope and love can triumph.