War Letters is evidence of the heroic contributions and astonishing literary voices of common soldiers, marines, airmen, and sailors, as well as war nurses, journalists, spies, and chaplains. Andrew Carroll began with the belief that soldiers' letters sent home during wartime were important as both historical documents with detailed descriptions of battles and as personal reminders of what war really is. He received over 50,000 war letters, from attics, basements, scrapbooks and old trunks. Carroll founded the Legacy Project with the idea of remembering Americans who have served this nation in wartime by seeking out and preserving their letters. The best of these letters are assembled in this book, giving us a look into the Civil War, World War I, World War II, Korea, the Cold War, Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf.
             Most of these letters are dramatic accounts of combat written immediately after the most horrific or hardest battles American troops have faced. Many love letters from husbands and sweethearts; humorous anecdotes and complaints about bad conditions; thoughtful reflections on the nature of warfare; and perhaps most devastating, a startling number of last letters penned just hours or days before the sender was killed.
             War Letters, written by Andrew Carroll was a very emotional book. I enjoyed reading it very much. These historic letters capture the full fury and intensity of warfare, and they reveal in great detail what the servicemen and women of America have experienced and sacrificed on the front lines. It is a tribute to those who have fought for this country, and a celebration of the enduring power of personal letters.
             Andrew Carroll assembled a collection of previously unpublished letters that show the emotion of wartime. It made the emotions very real to me. I cannot think of a better way to understand the horrors of war than to read the words of those who were caught in its grasp. These letters offer some of...