THE BLOODY ROAD TO DEATH depicts all the savagery of war punctuated with black humour, as Tiny, Porta and the rest of the men advance across Europe.

The Russian Officer falls forward and I sink my teeth into his throat. Blood runs down over my face but I don't notice it. I am fighting for my life.The 27th Penal Regiment are veterans of the frontline.

But when Hitler's war takes them through Greece, Yugoslavia and Albania, they are entirely unprepared for what awaits them. And when the water rations run out, they are willing to commit murder just for a drink.