ɪnðə fˈɜːst ænd θˈɜːd bˈʊks, hiː ɪz pɹaɪmˈɛɹᵻli pɹˈɛzənt ɪn ˈɔːɹdɚ tʊ əbzˈɜːv ænd ɹᵻpˈoːɹt, ænd ɪnðə sˈɛkənd hiː ɹᵻlˈeɪts hɪz ɛkspˈiəɹɪənsᵻz ɪnðə lˈeɪt stˈeɪdʒᵻz ʌv wˈɜːld wˈɔːɹ ɹˌoʊmən tˈuː.
In the first and third books, he is primarily present in order to observe and report, and in the second he relates his experiences in the late stages of World War II.