One of the reasons I love writing book reviews is it keeps me from getting stuck in a loop of predictable reads. While I still read what I enjoy, I learn to enjoy what I read, especially when it isn’t a genre I would’ve picked up on my own. The book this time was a military fiction: Harry Crocker III’s “Kruger’s Korps” (Knox Press, 2026, 224 pages).
Just released this month, “Kruger’s Korps” is an adventure story set in World War II. While it’s a common setting, the plot brings fresh light to this time as the reader is thrown into Africa instead of the usual mainland Europe. Then, adding espionage into the mix, characters from all over the map are brought together, making it even more unique for a WWII novel.
At the outset, we’re introduced to a soldier in the U.S. Navy, Rolf Kruger, who was born in Germany but raised in America. Having a father who worked making sets for Paramount studios, Kruger grew up helping him and even worked as an extra in different films. For these two reasons, he’s selected to go on a top-secret mission — one that superior officers know full well is a Hail Mary pass, but if successful, could change the outcome of the war.
The Allies have set Operation Torch in motion and it’ll involve sending troops to northern Africa. The Germans know this, and a secret unit is already there. The Allied forces don’t know this unit’s purpose, but fears of uniting with Islamic forces or with Vichy France impel a group of military generals and higher-ups to send Kruger on a mission to impersonate a German officer, infiltrate them, and discover their plans.
Far from feeling like a familiar story in a familiar time, “Kruger’s Korps” has a distinction and authenticity in plot and also in voice. While it’s action-packed and intense, Crocker’s subtle humor is not lost in the novel. Managing to incorporate comedy in serious subject matter without being flippant is not only an impressive skill but also it aids the reader in reaching a deeper message. The lightness of a story prevents one from getting too bogged down in the plot’s drama, and what lies under the surface becomes more apparent.
This glimpse is into the lesser-shown reality of war in the 20th century. The one where regardless of sides, life became dispensable and was often too callously discarded in large swathes under the command of a singular leader with a tunnel-visioned, idealistic goal. The intricate twists of plot drive this point home, with the characters ending up in a situation very different from where their original intentions should’ve landed them.
Why this happens is highlighted in a conversation with a U.S. Army general. As the characters reflect on war and the mass death inflicted on so many people, the general points out that the revolutionaries and intellectuals come up with absurd ideas and then push them onto everyone else. He says they can’t leave well enough alone “because they can’t sit on the front stoop of Joe’s Hardware store in Burlington, Vermont, and be satisfied playing checkers and drinking hot apple cider with a bunch of farmers who work for a living.”
That’s my favorite quote in the book. When it comes to politics, it’s easy to get so caught up in striving for a better future that we overlook all the good that exists in life as it is now and don’t embrace it. Too often, we’re missing the forest for the trees and forget that perfection is the enemy of the good. Utopias lead to dystopias, and if the 20th century didn’t teach us that, I don’t know what it did.
This quote is also one of the many moments that capture the delightful (but difficult) balance of depth and humor in Crocker’s writing. When humor is used well it adds a strikingly realistic note to the story, as well as deepening its originality. Between the WWII setting, different characters, and comedic relief, I found this book very reminiscent of Joseph Heller’s “Catch-22.” So if you enjoyed that classic as much as I did, I think you’ll enjoy this new book as well.
One last reason I found “Kruger’s Korps” a very refreshing read: there’s no agenda, and it’s not about making a political statement. Instead, it’s a well-written story with an entertaining plot, amusing characters and enough thought-provoking depth to be more than simply a wartime thriller.
Not only am I glad to have read this because I enjoyed it and it broadened the reach of my literary arm but also with Father’s Day coming up, I know exactly what I’ll be gifting my dad.
(Anna Barren is a teacher who loves reading. annab4376@gmail.com.)