You know what I liked best about the book was the hard choices it dealt with, what I still look back at is the span of time it covers - and the changing conditions of the Army, the thing I always had a hard time with though was Damon's sacrifices (his other nickname being "Sad Sam" - but you know there is probably allot of truth in it, and that is what makes it a classic. We put it on the list for military leaders, but how great would it be if were on the list of those who send the boys to wars, not just those who lead them on the ground.

I heard that the author said in a speech at USMA that he used MacArthur and Bradley as the raw material for his arch types. It may be a stretch, but I still like the idea - it makes them more real.