War. Sebastian Junger

FromtheauthorofThePerfectStorm,agrippingbookaboutSebastianJunger'salmostfatalyearwiththe2ndbattalionoftheAmericanArmy.For15months,SebastianJungeraccompaniedasingleplatoonofthirtymenfromthecelebrated2ndbattalionoftheU.S.Army,astheyfoughttheirwaythrougharemotevalleyinEasternAfghanistan.Overthecourseoffivetrips,Jungerwasinmorefirefightsthanhecouldcount,menheknewwerekilledorwounded,andhehimselfwasalmostkilled.Hisrelationshipwiththesesoldiersgrewsoclosethattheyconsideredhimpartoftheplatoon,andheenjoyedanaccessandacandidnessthatfew,ifany,journalistseverattain.ButthisismorethanjustabookaboutAfghanistanorthe'WaronTerror';itisabookabouttheuniversaltruthofallmen,inallwars.Jungersetouttoanswerwhathethoughtofasthe'handgrenadequestion':whywouldamanthrowhimselfonahandgrenadetosaveothermenhehasprobablyknownforonlyafewmonths?Theansweriselusivebutprofound,andgoestotheheartofwhatitmeansnotjusttobeasoldier,buttobehuman.'War'isanarrativeaboutcombat:thefearofdying,thetraumaofkillingandthelovebetweenplatoon-mateswhowouldratherdiethanleteachotherdown.Gripping,honest,intense,itexplorestheneurological,psychologicalandsocialelementsofcombat,andtheincrediblebondsthatformbetweenthesesmallgroupsofmen.