Start with a goofy kid who drinks too much and decides to legally change his name to “Johnny Rico”—the lead character in STARSHIP TROOPERS. Have Johnny enlist in the Army and get stationed in Afghanistan fighting the Taliban. You would think this is the setup for an anti-war novel, but you would be wrong. This is a brutally honest look at life in today’s military.

Johnny Rico wants to leave Afghanistan and the Army to pursue his doctorate. But he discovers the contract he signed with the Army allows them to extend his “three-year” commitment to EIGHT YEARS!

The battle scenes have a surreal quality. Life in the military is boredom punctuated by stark terror. Rico captures the day-to-day routine and mixes in his own sexual obsessions.

If you’re interested in the nature of modern war and the people who fight in it, this is the book for you.