The Soldier: : A History of Courage, Sacrifice and Brotherhood
Darren Moore

The Soldier: : A History of Courage, Sacrifice and Brotherhood

The Soldier: A History of Courage, Sacrifice and Brotherhood investigates the burdens that soldiers are asked to bear by their respective societies, examines the context in which these burdens occur, and discusses the coping measures that enable soldiers to carry on. Topics include: how soldiers confront the possibility of their mutilation and death; the mental and social conditioning that enable soldiers to kill in battle; the anguish of killing your own comrades, whether this be deliberately through the application of the death penalty, or accidentally, as result of fratricide; the effect of denying soldiers regular social interaction with women in the context of the relationship between sex, love and war; and the ‘trial by media’ faced by modern soldiers in relation to their decisions and actions on the battlefield.

Book Details:

  • Author: Darren Moore
  • Published Year: 2009
  • Rights Sold
    • UK: Icon
    • US: Thistle
Darren Moore

Darren Moore

Darren Moore is a graduate of the Australian Defence Force Academy, the Royal Military College, Duntroon, and the Australian Command and Staff College (Joint). He served in the Australian Army for seventeen years.Highlights of his military service include deployments to Papua New Guinea and East Timor and an exchange posting with the United States Army. He is currently employed as a management consultant.Darren has a BA from the University of New South Wales, an MBA from the University of Queensland, and a PhD from the University of New South Wales.His PhD thesis examined the impact of tech...
More about Darren Moore

Book Reviews

  • "This powerful book provides a timely reminder of the debt we owe our servicemen and women.  It should be read by all those who seek to understand the fear and confusion of the battlefield and especially by the politicians who put our soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen in harm's way."
    Andrew Roberts
  • "        …a coolly dispassionate, historical examination of what it is to be a front-line soldier, from the Napoleonic Wars to contemporary conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan….a fine work of military history. It deserves to do well."
    War Books Review
  • "This is a very rich book  that thoroughly explores the psychology and behaviour of the soldier on the frontline."
    Military Illustrated
  • "An intriguing look at the emotion, psychology and politics that underpin soldiering… This is essential reading for any military leader or practitioner."
    Soldier Magazine
  • "  ...a large, impressively expansive and highly- fascinating collection of stories and statistics about being a soldier. It is encyclopedic in detail, widely and deeply researched, and written in a simple reporting style that is very easy to read…. On every page there is some intriguing fact or figure ."
    Australian Defence Force Journal
  • "If you are interested in man in battle this book is well worth your time."
    Australian Army Journal
  • "This is a powerful book and should be read by anyone contemplating taking the Queen¹s shilling."
    Max Arthur (author of We Will Remember Them: Voices of the Aftermath of the Great War
  • "Darren Moore's book really gets inside the soldier¹s mind and benefits from setting out the record without sentiment.  It is a timely and unvarnished reminder of the reality of warfare."
    Martin Bell OBE
  • "... thoughtful study of the impact of fighting on the individual soldier."
    Daily Mail
  • "... succeeds in putting his reader into the situation he describes and is highly successful in giving civilian readers a better understanding of the lives of those who serve in war zones on their behalf."
    Media, War & Conflict
  • "... a revealing, often sad and sobering read.  Using real, recorded soldiers' account of conflict ... Moore provides a window into the myriad emotions soldiers experience: fear of death, mutilation and leaving loved ones behind; anger and frustration at the way their roles are viewed by others and the media; and the mixed emotions evoked by the killing of another person, whether the enemy or their comrades."
    Goodreading Magazine
  • "The book is very well organized, each chapter dealing with a particular aspect of a soldier's life. The author does a fantastic job of bringing the brutalities of war through the words of the soldiers participating in them. Focusing mainly on the experiences of the two world wars, the author explains quite a few unknown facts about the makeup of armies and the wars they fight."
    Good Reads
  • "This new book by Darren Moore covers ground previously explored by such writers as Richard Holmes (Firing Line), Hugh McManners (Scars of War) and Gwynne Dyer (War) to name but a few.  However this book is still well worth the time to read. The book covers numerous aspects of the role of a soldier in society, mainly in times of conflict. The author utilises many first hand accounts to highlight points within the narrative. These accounts range from private soldiers to generals, from the Napoleonic period to the current war on terror.  This is a very easy book to read and I managed to get through the 400 odd pages in a few days. Overall this is a good book that should be read by all that want to understand what a soldier goes through in his career and this is a book that should be read by all that have the power to send a soldier into harms way."
    Good Reads