I hate war stories and I didn't want to read this book, but people so consistently kept recommending it, I thought I'd give it a try. Although I found it boring at first, the further into the story you go the more it pulls you in! It's written from a highly original and interesting perspective, and you don't realize how multi-faceted it is until you're quite a ways through it. By that point, you're completely hooked! A very pleasant surprise indeed, even though the subject matter of the book is far from pleasant.