One of Grossman’s three great war novels, ‘The People Immortal’ is both a work of fiction and an important contribution to the Soviet war effort. Set during the catastrophic defeats of the war’s first months, it tracks a Red Army regiment that wins a minor victory in eastern Belorussia but fails to exploit this success. A battalion is then entrusted with the task of slowing the German advance, and eventually encircled, before ultimately breaking out and joining with the rest of the Soviet forces.