Another in a growing number of titles trying to convey the drama, trauma, tragedy, and heroism of those who are serving on the front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Junger embeds with Second Platoon, Battle Company, 173rd Infantry Division in the Konegal Valley of eastern Afghanistan. What sets Junger's work apart from others in this vein is his blending historical facts and sociological theory into what he records on a daily basis with the troops. He creates a 'bigger picture' that helps the reader understand why soldiers act as they do and what it means to be a soldier in modern warfare.

One of the difficulties of this kind of book is keeping straight who's who among the plethora of people involved in any frontline military operation. Junger places one soldier, Brendan O'Byrne, as the central character throughout the book, which makes keeping clear all the names and faces that Junger shared time with a little easier; everyone and everything that happens ties back to O'Byrne and O'Byrne's comments on what was going on in the outposts, firebases, and patrols second platoon was responsible for.