Alexander Rose, in his new book, Men of War, attempts to answer one of the intriguing questions of the human experience: “What’s it like being in battle?” Inspired by John Keegan’s The Face of Battle, Rose creates an American version to place the reader in the midst of combat as seen through the eyes of militiamen at Bunker Hill, Union and Confederate soldiers at Gettysburg, and Marines on Iwo Jima. He does so not from the strategic level but at the most extreme tactical level—the tip of the spear: fighting men on the front lines. Rose relays the vivid sights, sounds, smells, apprehensions, fears, and boredom of combat. He describes the horrendous wounds and subsequent triage and treatment in great detail, including psychological wounds that haunt men long after battle. Rose ultimately challenges the concept of a “universal soldier” to argue that similarities between modern combat and these iconic battles are “superficial.” On this point, at least in part, the author and I disagree. Setting that aside, Men of War is well researched and, considering the author has not been in battle, captures the combat experience admirably.

At Bunker Hill, Rose describes a battle fought by American farmers, craftsmen, slaves, land owners, and their sons. Although not professional soldiers, the militiamen were not short on quality leaders, marksmen, weapons, or purpose. Most brought their own firearms and their work clothes served as uniforms; no flashy garments distinguished officers or the wealthy. Cohesion was formed through community