John Laffin believed that for too long the image of the German soldier has been distorted by the political crimes and atrocities of the Nazis. It is time that the ordinary German soldier was given his due. Such is the aim of "Jackboot", which traces the background and influences that have shaped the character of the German soldier from the time of Frederick the Great to the end of World War II. "Every German," declares Laffin, "is a born soldier.