In The Company Of Heroes - Michael J Durant

I am not normally much swayed by the whole God, country, family thing. My feeling is that, if you are in the armed services you are doing voluntarily what you are paid to do. As far as heroism it is sometimes a fine line between true courage and a foolhardiness which betrays perhaps some sort of psychological deficiency.

I am not for a moment saying that I could emulate any of the feats described in countless volumes of combat past and more recent. Nor would I put myself in harm's way at the behest of politicians who all too often and especially recently, have been shown in their true colours.
Neverthless Durant's tale written as a collaboration with Steven Hartov is a gripping and extremely well written account of his capture and imprisonment in the aftermath of the famous Blackhawk Down incident in Somalia. The device of looking back at Durant's previous missions serves to enhance the perspective of the main narrative.

In an interview during his captivity even the career militarist Durant lets slip (inadvertently) his doubts about the direction of events in Somalia at the time. For a man of his obvious intellect and analytical capability it is all the more surprising that he turns during his confinement to God who, as a fictional character, was neither responsible for his predicament nor was going to release him from it.

Read the book; form your own thoughts about the nature of politically motivated military action and the heroism often associated with it.