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Rich in humor and culture, as well as passion and love for the cause of God and of man, Milestones is the early autobiography of Pope Benedict XVI, Joseph Ratzinger. It tells the fascinating and inspiring story of his early family life, the years under Nazi oppression in Germany, and his part in World War II--including how as a teenager he was forced to join the Hitler Youth and the German army, from which he risked his life to flee. This book also recounts Joseph Ratzinger's calling and ordination to the priesthood, the intellectual and spiritual formation he received, his early days as a parish priest, his role as an expert at the Second Vatican Council, his experience as a popular university professor and theologian, and his appointment as Archbishop of Munich-Freising in Germany. Joseph Ratzinger would go on to serve for over two decades as the Prefect of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith under John Paul II, before being elected pope himself in 2005. Written before Benedict XVI became pope, Milestones remains a valuable road map to the man's mind and heart. It dispels the media myths and legends, and it reveals the real Benedict XVI--a man of the Church who loves God and humanity, a scholar, a theologian, a teacher, and a humble pastor with deep compassion and profound spiritual insight. Illustrated.… (more)
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The first two-thirds are taken up by life until the Council. I found it pretty boring. His account of National Socialism and the War itself contain some memorable incidents, but they are not narrated terribly well. While the practice of insinuating that Ratzinger was a "Nazi" is unfair in the extreme, his treatment of the war certainly doesn't conform to contemporary expectations. So, for example, while he is eloquent on the Jewish basis of Christianity, he never really mentions Nazi's policy toward Jews directly.
The last half of the book is taken up with the Council and after, with Benedict increasingly opposed to the reigning "liberal" consensus. His account of liturgical changes is particularly strident, biased and disquieting. Ratzinger was a theologian profoundly out of step with Catholic thought. But for the long pontificate of John Paul II, whose turned out a lot more conservative than expected, he would have remained so.
Ratzinger's interviews make for good reading. He is an interesting, thoughtful individual when the topic is an idea. But he's not a very good memoirist.