Review of What It Is Like to Go to War

Last week I finished Karl Marlantes' book What It Is Like to Go to War. Marlantes, a decorated Marine and Vietnam veteran, also a Yale and Oxford graduate, has written a powerful book that focuses on how individuals react to combat and killing other human beings. The book is brutally honest about his own experiences and what haunts him still today. Quite frankly I'm sure that those who have been in combat and killed someone in combat will read it differently that those of us, like myself, who have never been in combat. He focuses on the issues of killing, guilt, numbness and violence, lying, loyalty, heroism, and coming home. Using references from Homer and others to explain the idea of the warrior, Marlantes has written a book that should be read by all, especially those who send young men and women off to combat. I strongly recommend the book. A few years ago, I also read his novel Matterhorn about a Marine unit in Vietnam which is also a good read.