The Warriors
Reflections on Men in Battle
Bison Books · Print & ebook · October 1, 1998
"A superb study of modern combat man, and his relationship to death, and his thoughts about it." —Chicago Sunday Tribune Selected for the 2019 Commandant's Professional Reading List J. Glenn Gray entered the army as a private in May 1941, having been drafted on the same day he was informed of his doctorate in philosophy from Columbia University.
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- Who it’s for
- A philosopher-soldier reflects on battle’s pull, its moral rationalizations, and what war reveals about human nature.
- Themes
- Warfare and its effects, Soldiers’ reasons for fighting, Human nature in war
- Pacing
- Reflective
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For younger readers: The Warrior's Heart, Rifles for Watie
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"A superb study of modern combat man, and his relationship to death, and his thoughts about it." —Chicago Sunday Tribune Selected for the 2019 Commandant's Professional Reading List J. Glenn Gray entered the army as a private in May 1941, having been drafted on the same day he was informed of his doctorate in philosophy from Columbia University. He was discharged as a second lieutenant in October 1945, having been awarded a battlefield commission during fighting in France.
Continue reading
Gray saw service in North Africa, Italy, France, and Germany in a counter-espionage unit. Fourteen years after his discharge, Gray began to reread his war journals and letters in an attempt to find some meaning in his wartime experiences. The result is The Warriors, a philosophical meditation on what warfare does to us and an examination of the reasons soldiers act as they do. Gray explains the attractions of battle—the adrenaline rush, the esprit de corps—and analyzes the many rationalizations made by combat troops to justify their actions. In the end, Gray notes, “War reveals dimensions of human nature both above and below the acceptable standards for humanity.”
The Mind in Battle
A philosopher-soldier reflects on battle’s pull, its moral rationalizations, and what war reveals about human nature.
Come here for
- For reflections on combat’s adrenaline and esprit de corps.
- For questions about how soldiers justify their actions.
Expect
- Philosophical reflection drawn from wartime journals and letters.
- An unsentimental look at war’s reach into human nature.
Where it sits
| Military History | 46% |
|---|---|
| World War II: European Theater | 37% |
| World War II History | 34% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- History
- Military History
- Veterans' Stories
- PTSD & Trauma
- Authors
- J. Glenn Gray
- Publisher
- Bison Books
- Published
- October 1, 1998
- Format
- Print & ebook
- Theme
- Warfare and its effects · Soldiers’ reasons for fighting · Human nature in war
- Reading lane
- History