Auslander Brings a Sense of Humanity and Heroism In War Novel, September 16, 2006 Reviewer: The New Critic "The New Critic" (Hampton, VA USA)  Auslander is not your typical war novel with the war itself being the area of emphasis. This novel takes a different approach from the very beginning of the story, focusing on its characters with World War II as a backdrop. While it deals with some harsh realties of war for a fictitious novel, it also takes a very real human approach to what soldiers think about in war-time situations. Soldiers have loved ones, families, they think about life and death, they think about America's freedoms and their spiritual beliefs. Soldiers can be brave while being afraid of the unknown at the same time. They can also rise to the occasion even in the most stressful and painful situations. Auslander is the kind of book that captures that portrayal skillfully. Auslander also reveals several aspects of the military during the 20th century that are rarely talked about in war novels-- the struggles of the minority soldier and the politics associated with ignorance and stereotypes. It's almost like "Saving Private Ryan" meets "A Soldier's Story". One central character is a young lieutenant named Vince LaSalle. LaSalle is the type of character that you want to root for from the very beginning. In spite of the challenges of having to prove himself in a segregated U.S. Army, he uses the politics to his advantage to show the top brass, colleagues and subordinates the true leader that he really is. LaSalle, though he is a military officer, was given menial assignments (usually given to newly enlisted soldiers like Privates) based on racial climate of the era. Every situation he was in seemed like he constantly had to prove himself worthy of being an officer and capable to lead in a time when African-American officers were rare. He wasn't your typical officer or soldier-- he was the type of person who believed in giving his very best regardless of what task he was assigned. This caught the attention of the right people, who selected him to join a elite, top-secret squad in Europe. Even after exceeding expectations in numerous high-risk exercises and scenarios with the group, he was still rejected to work with them on real-world assignments because of his race. That all changed when this group was captured by Nazi soldiers. LaSalle had extensive knowledge of the situation and the squad's location, as a result of working with the squad. He was their best hope of coming out of the situation alive and that's where it gets deadly. The story takes a level of intensity that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. It takes some unexpected twists and turns that makes it less than predictable. Though Auslander's central plot takes place during the war overseas, the sub-plots regarding LaSalle's fiance', his soldier brother fighting in the Pacific against the Japanese and LaSalle's relationships with his European squad members tie-in beautifully thoughout the book. It has a diverse group of characters that gives it a well balanced approach to storytelling for all readers. Most importantly, all of the elements come together toward the end in a very fast-paced and riveting conclusion which implies a sequel is in the works that readers will be hungry for. War novels usually contain heart wrenching, tragic, and tear jerking components that are typical in the genre. Auslander takes a different direction that makes it even more compelling and exciting, while capturing the emotions of the readers. One central factor is the inspiring valiancy of LaSalle overcoming all manners of adversity (to include stereotypes and racism), to be the leader and hero he was meant to be. The author's descriptive storytelling does a great job at putting the reader in the scenes of the book. This book hits a home run.

Kirkus Discoveries, VNU US Literary Group, 770 Broadway, New York, NY An African-American soldier battles racism and Nazis during World War II. Lieutenant Vince LaSalle is a gifted soldier, a brilliant leader and an honorable man. He is also black, which, to the United States Army of WWII, means that he is good enough to die for his country but not good enough to  associate with white soldiers. When Vince’s all-black troop is stationed in England just before the invasion of February 2006 Normandy, Vince and his compatriots are relegated to mundane duties such as transporting equipment. The British, concerned about black/white relations among the American forces, have instituted this policy. Even more difficult, Vince had to leave behind his fiancée, Vierna, who is trying to use education to improve her position in life. Despite Vince’s menial duties in England, his reputation comes to the attention of a group of covert operatives training to retrieve top-secret papers from Nazi Germany—should they fail, the Germans will undoubtedly win the war. Despite Vince’s obvious superiority over the other operatives, he is not invited on the mission. But when the operatives are captured, Vince is called on to rescue them. Though Kelley hasn’t quite mastered the nuances of social or historical fiction—and despite stretches of purple prose—he handles the story with admirable grace. The plot is engaging, though formulaic and at times preposterous—especially the narrative thread in which Vierna, Vince’s brother Derek and Derek’s girlfriend embark on a transatlantic journey to assist in the classified mission. Still, the author provides a satisfying number of page-turning moments as the narrative follows Vince through the heart of Nazi territory. Ultimately, readers won’t be sorry to learn that a sequel is on the way. A flawed but enjoyable debut.