Karl Marlantes - US Marine, Vietnam Veteran, Rhodes Scholar – has written a very personal, yet globally important, account of what war is really like, its costs on the individual, its impact on the community, and its effect on a nation. What it is Like to Go to War is not a gung ho glorification of battle, nor is it a preaching anti-war diatribe. It is, in fact, the most balanced and candid account of war I have ever read.

Mr. Marlantes tells about the effects of war from his own direct experience, and also through historical references. He cites the Mahabharata, The Odyssey, and the Code of Bushido as easily as the Marine Corps manual and Clint Eastwood movies.

This is a must read for any young man or woman who wishes to join the military – not that it will either encourage or dissuade them, but will give them a fair view of what they can expect. It is important for any living veteran who has experienced combat, and the people in their lives – it will help us all to understand what they have going through and what they will go through. It is most important for those influencers and decision-makers who ultimately send young men and women to war – the President, Senators, Legislators, even corporate executives and their lobbyists, to hopefully make them think about their own interests and actions, and how they affect those people serving our country.

The best points ultimately made by Mr. Marlantes in this book are that we need to prepare our warriors for what they are sent to do, make sure we are sending them for the right reasons, and to better prepare them for when they come home.