This autobiographical account chronicles the adventures of a group of cadets at the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) on a mission to play an elaborate prank on rival college The Citadel. The story is engrossing and fluidly written in honest, accessible, and thoughtful prose. The reader is slowly introduced to the history, culture, and language of VMI through the building Jeep story, during the telling of which, Judge reflects lucidly on his relationship with the institution and its impact on his life.

Most interesting to me is the deep look that Judge gives readers into the duality of emotion that service members often feel about their continuous sacrifice. Judge’s experiences at VMI and in the Marine Corps- two impressive, honor-laden legacies- made him stronger, filled him with pride and satisfaction, and helped him build bonds with friends in trials-by-fire that were deeper than any he'd ever had. And at the same time, these institutions are both monsters- bureaucratic, fickle, sometimes abusive, and always all-consuming- being a part of them can literally suck the life out of you. It’s hard to describe what this push-pull dichotomy feels like in real life, but Judge does it masterfully.

The other aspect of this book that I find fascinating is the way Judge pulls back the curtains on his own fears, insecurities, and desires to show the psychological forces at work that drive so many of us to become warriors. In thinking about my own metamorphosis, I identify with many of the emotions and thoughts he describes, and I can see the same insecurities and motivations reflecting in the faces of so many other warriors I’ve served with. This disclosure gives the book credibility, depth, and dimension.

This book is at once an engaging social history of the impressive and peculiar Virginia Military Institute, a gripping coming-of-age narrative, and most impressively, an incredibly insightful look at the psychology that drives young men to become warriors and that which pervades the duality of serving something so much greater than yourself.

Full Disclosure / Admin Notes: The author, J. Michael Judge, is a close friend of mine and a former peer from my first battalion. He has published this book out of his own pocket and all profits are being donated to the Ryan Doltz Scholarship Fund. Ryan, one of the cadets profiled in the book, was killed in Iraq in 2004. You can buy the book here. See also: Book Site.