Brief

In the final winter of WWII, an unemployed German actor-turned-soldier is forced to join a secret mission in which he must impersonate an enemy American officer. He concocts a plan to maintain the masquerade in order to escape to America and live out his dream of being a successful actor. When he reports for duty, he quickly learns that his new band of brothers is nothing more than a ragtag team of German english speakers disguised in American uniforms.

What We Liked

The Losing Role is a true gem that masterfully conveys the dramas of war with good portions of action, adventure and sizable human interaction, with interesting characters and interesting backstories. A strong cast would do absolute wonders with the script, which would have plenty of space for the various events presented here, as well as for the flashback scenes of the lead character’s life in New York, which are just as engaging as the main story.

Film: The story offers elements to make this a classic war film, with original situations and characters in tow to make it memorable. A very strong cast would make it a contender for awards, as the material here is bound to attract great performers; and the length and structure of the book translates into a script almost seamlessly. The true and masterful recreation of the 1940s, both in New York and Europe, is something to really look forward to.

TV: A big budget television series would work well to create a more detailed pacing of the events leading to Max Kaspar’s drafting, as well as his past and aspirations. The historical backstory would find its space here, situating the main narrative with more depth. Stand alone episodes could recreate the character’s life back in both New York and Hamburg, not just as short flashback scenes. This book would be one season. The author wrote two more books within the same universe, which could be considered for future stories.

Synopsis

Eastern border of Germany, Winter of 1944. World War II. Desolation abound with entire towns bombed to the ground. Caught in the middle of the crossfire, recently-drafted Max Kaspar, a dashing, talented actor in his early thirties, spends his days thinking about his time in New York, where he tried and failed to make it as an actor. As his division finds shelter in an old theater, Max wastes no time before singing for them, only to be interrupted by German officers looking for him. They want Kaspar, and every soldier with a knowledge of English, to impersonate American soldiers in order to infiltrate enemy lines.

The elite group is comprised of Max; Felix, a flamboyant ex-member of the circus; Zoock, a sturdy sailor; and Rattner, a violent, bad-tempered official who can barely speak English and is having a violent, secret affair with Felix. As they run into a group of American soldiers, their nervousness takes over and the inconsistency is enough for them to be asked out of the car - a development Rattner interrupts in the worst way possible, by killing one of the GIs with his machine gun. During the confusion, Zoock manages to flee and a scorned Felix kills Rattner. The two remaining men separate.

After an arduous time wandering through the Belgian border, Max runs into a villa belonging to Ms Justine DeTrave - but watched by Americans Captain Slaipe and his driver and German interpreter, Smitty. A few days pass and, even though Kaspar has, at this point, perfected his American English to a satisfactory point, he makes a few mistakes with his Army terminology. Slaipe finally decides to
stop the charade and tells Kaspar that he knows he’s German. So does Smitty. There’s nowhere to go but back to Germany as a spy for the Americans. It’s either that or death.

Justine overhears the conversation and outs herself as a Nazi. She attacks them with a machine gun, killing Smitty. In the ensuing fight, the Captain is injured by shrapnel and Max is able to disarm and knock Justine unconscious, saving Slaipe’s life. The grateful Captain gives him a head start to escape and he heads back into German territory, dressed as a civilian. He’s now just Max Kaspar, not a soldier for anyone, and he’s finally going back home.

About The Author

Steve Anderson is a historical fiction author writing novels to introduce little-known aspects of historical events, mixing in overlooked crimes, true accounts, and neglected underdogs.