The Warriors: Reflections on Men in Battle (Paperback)

by J. Glenn Gray (Author), Hannah Arendt (Introduction) "After fourteen years it is a disquieting experience to read my war journals and letters like this one..." (more)
Key Phrases: abstract hatred, political guilt, World War, Images of the Enemy, The Ache of Guilt (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"J. Glenn Gray's book is a powerful memoir of the author's experience of warfare and his observations of how it affected those with whom he served during the Second World War... In summary, this is an evocative yet thoughtful discussion of a timeless issue. It is a book to entertain and stimulate those whose interest or business is war."--The Wish Stream, Summer 1999 "A superb study of modern combat man, and his relationship to death, and his thoughts about it."--Chicago Sunday Tribune

Product Description
J. Glenn Gray entered the army in May 1941, having been drafted on the same day he achieved his doctorate in philosophy from Columbia University. Over a decade after his discharge in 1945, Gray began to reread his war journals and letters in an attempt to find meaning in his wartime experiences. The result is a philosophical meditation on what warfare does to us and why soldiers act as they do.

Product Details

• Paperback: 242 pages
• Publisher: Bison Books (October 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803270763
• ISBN-13: 978-0803270763
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #267,268 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Best Books On War, October 12, 1999

By	Ward Wilson ([e-mail]) (Trenton, NJ) - See all my reviews

I haven't read this book for twenty years but it still sparkles in my memory. It is one of the two or three best books on war. Grey has a marvelous writing style, a penchant for thought-provoking observation, and the discipline that allows a philosopher to see, but not pre-judge. You will be challenged by his fairness, surprised by the things he saw (that few others have described), and stimulated to think again about one of the most important of recurring human events: War. Excellent, engaging, intelligent.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best book on why we war and what war teaches us., May 30, 1999

By A Customer

Gray served in the intelligence service in the American army in Italy in WWII, after receiving his doctorate from Columbia. He saw many things he despised, yet was surprised to note that war also had its delights. On reflection, he realized that was logical. Without positives why would we war? This book details the seductive elements of war, explaining some of the feelings many of us have in viewing and studying combat of all sorts. Without understanding those feelings, we are more likely to dismiss them as only shameful and deceptive. Understanding them will help us, Gray hoped, to avoid the terrible cost of seeking them by warring again. This is probably the best book on why we war and the surprising things war teaches us about ourselves ever written. And its style is neither pedantic nor abstract but engaging and enriched by memorable stories and wisdom.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Leaves me humbled to read such a great book, August 27, 2000

By	James Versluys (Houston, Texas.) - See all my reviews

To begin praises of this book is hard, because as a man who has never been in combat, I hesitate to speak on matters so foreign to my experience.

But J. Glenn Gary leaves me stunned and humbled. The amount of pure excellent reflection in this book was utterly wonderful, and I left with a real sense of understanding nothing else has accomplished. It is clear Gary has created a book that is more complete a discussion of battle as any man alive.

Rarely is a book worthy of cult status. This one is.