Today, even real soldiers rarely taste battle during their career. Yet, the fascination with combat persists: What is it like? How does the ordinary recruit find the inner strength to go on? A unique and brilliantly researched narrative follows 12 imaginary soldiers to answer these and other questions. From the trenches of Mons in 1918 and World War Two to the jungles of Vietnam and the sands of Kuwait, these landmark conflicts teach us about courage, loyalty, and duty under the most terrible circumstances.