The Mud and the Snow: A Tale of the United States Army' is the fictional account of the U.S. Army 16th Engineer Group's occupation of a town in West Germany from 1956-1958. It is a time of the draft in the United States, and the personnel of the 16th is inevitably comprised of a multitude of men from different backgrounds. As a cross-section of American society, the Group's interaction with the French army and the local German population is a paradigm for the United States' development of international relations during this critical time in American history.Leading the ensemble cast of characters are the uncouth and little-educated Major E.E. Trainer and his Group Clerk, the highly educated and cultured Specialist Dirk Donkers. The novel follows these men, along with the rest of the enlisted men, NCO's and officers, as they confront the issues of their day and the interesting events that can occur in the Army during peacetime.