In my review of “The Rifle,” I suggested that Mr. Biggio’s collection of interviews and stories from some of the last of the Greatest Generation would well serve many veterans of later wars. With “The Rifle 2, Back to the Battlefield,” Mr. Biggio again employs his own story to highlight the wartime and post-war stories of several sailors and soldiers of the Second World War.For those who enjoy reading about the exploits of individual soldiers in World War II, this book will certainly not disappoint. The harrowing battles and the reactions of the soldiers who fought them are well-covered in “The Rifle 2.” What Mr. Biggio brings to the game, however, is something more than several written accounts of the horrors of war—he makes it personal. By describing how he found the old soldiers, how he came to meet them, how he overcame their reluctance to speak, and by describing the settings where he interacted with them, he puts the reader at the same tables, in the same bus, and on the same battlefields as he was when conducting the interviews. Not only does he give readers the stories, he also gives readers his own reactions and thoughts. This personal account of interactions with the old soldiers provides context to their lives, both during and after the war.The war stories, just in themselves, would make “The Rifle 2” a worthwhile read, but the book is much more than that. Unlike most authors, Mr. Biggio takes readers on journeys beyond the battlefield. It is this focus on how war shaped their lives that makes “The Rifle 2” so instructive and so unique. Also unlike many books covering individual World War II soldiers, Mr. Biggio doesn’t paint them all as the greatest of heroes. In his quest to collect interviews, he has uncovered some of the era’s more unsavory characters. He doesn’t flinch from telling their stories, and he doesn’t make excuses for their post-war activities. He also gives readers a glimpse at how some veterans fall through the cracks after they’ve served, and provides some first-hand lessons on how hard it can be to help those who have been neglected and forgotten. Through it all, Mr. Biggio applies his own military and law enforcement experiences to help frame the lives of the gentlemen he interviewed. Especially for military veterans, but also for the rest of us, he highlights the difficulties some have in reintegrating into peacetime society.Much like the first “The Rifle,” “The Rifle 2” left me with a much better appreciation for the individual soldiers who fought in World War II. While we can all continue to admire the Greatest Generation, Mr. Biggio reminds us that the individuals in that generation were human—and thus not perfect. Perhaps that is the greatest lesson of the book—we should be careful about painting any group as great, good, or bad, and instead learn about the individuals and the experiences that served to mold their lives.