A young German joins the SS to expose its crimes, two generals collaborate with the enemy for different reasons, and Soviet composer Shostakovich labors under Stalinist oppression in this daring novel of human actions in wartime.

In his nonfiction, William T. Vollmann has won acclaim as a singular voice tackling some of the most important issues of our age. Now, Vollmann turns to a topic that will define the generations to come-the factors and human actions th...