soldier's heart

A few weeks ago, one of Abu Muqawama's old university English professors sent him a copy of Elizabeth D. Samet's Soldier's Heart: Reading Literature Through Peace and War at West Point.After finally getting around to reading it this weekend, Abu Muqawama can heartily recommend this book to all of you. It deserves all the praise it has received thus far. Even if you could care less about the U.S. Army or West Point, you'll find a lot to admire about Samet and the story she tells. It is a wonderful meditation on war, honor, and service written by a woman who rejects the spoon-fed answers and encourages her students to do the same. Everyone who reads the English language and admires its literature -- from the passionate "support our troops" Red State American to the caustic skeptic of American hegemony -- can find something worthy in this book.