“Fantastically entertaining. . . . [Hastings] acts as a sort of Plutarch to the modern warrior. His ‘lives’ are splendidly done, full of compelling narrative and telling detail.” —The Wall Street Journal“Hastings is an expert literary craftsman who makes the most out of stories that, however often repeated, are never less than gripping…. a first-rate piece of entertainment.”—The Washington Post Book World“Clever, absorbing and vividly written. . . Max Hasting is very good on the matter of courage.”—The New York Review of Books“Hastings has written a marvelous book. Wry, perceptive and engaging, it lays bare the curious mix of character traits – good and bad – that a successful warrior requires.”—The Sunday Telegraph
