A true-life memoir of growing up in the ruins of post-war Berlin, G.I. Blues describes a young boy who survives by grabbing the opportunities available to him. Holding down as many as three jobs in a day. His adventures include: buying and selling cut flowers, starting a car wash company at age 12, and partaking in harnessed horse racing, or trotting. Eventually, he emigrates to South Africa as a fully qualified artisan.