What it is Like to Go to War

A profound exploration of the psychological and moral cost of war—and what it takes to truly heal

Warriors suffer from wounds to their bodies, but they also suffer from their compromises with, or their outright violations of the moral norms of society and religion - Karl Marlantes

This book explores the non-physical wounds of war, using the author's combat experience to examine its transformative nature and the challenges of coming home. This is not simply a Vietnam story, although the author shares in full color the stress, struggle, despair, and, at times, elation he felt in personal combat anecdotes along the way, illustrating his analysis of combat effects. This book is not a single-stop solution to dealing with the psychological cost of war on our warriors, but it is a tremendous step in that direction.

Several weeks ago, Dave reviewed Karl Marlantes’ first book, Matterhorn, a fictional account of a Marine company’s intense combat experience in Vietnam derived from the author’s experience in 1968 leading a Marine platoon. If you haven’t viewed the post and the embedded video, you should—it provides real insight into a thoughtful, tough, and confident man still reconciling his life with the trauma of war.