I didn't have to get very far into the book before I realized that the book didn't live up to the hype. I was hoping to read about a grunts combat experience. What was provided was scant and really only limited to GW1. Unless Swofford's "other battles" were the one's in his head you could say that the title is a little misleading. Yes, there were a few amusing moments (the kazoo) and one to two moments that spoke of the horrors of war (dead Iraqi soldiers with hands over ears) but the overall whiny tone that Swofford employeed dulled them out.