Max's War: The Story of a Ritchie Boy

A sweeping World War 2 saga in which a young German Jew flees Europe, emigrates to America, and joins the Army to fight Nazis

As the Nazis conquer Europe, Jewish teen Max and his parents flee German persecution to Holland, where Max finds true friends and a life-altering romance. But when Hitler invades in 1940, Max escapes to Chicago, leaving his parents and friends behind. When he learns of his parents' murder, Max immediately enlists in the US Army. After basic training he is sent to Camp Ritchie, Maryland, where he is trained in interrogation and counterintelligence.

During the war, Max performs missions in Occupied countries with the OSS, his Ritchie Boy teams, and by himself, where he elicits critical information about German troop movements on land. Post-war he returns to his childhood home of Regensburg, roaming familiar yet strange streets, replaying memories of lives lost to unspeakable tragedy. He also receives an unexpected visit from someone in his past, who, like him, sought refuge abroad.

This epic, suspenseful coming of age and war story is Libby Hellmann's tribute to her late father-in-law who was with the OSS and interrogated dozens of German POWs.