And she proceeds, between the jokes, to both ask and answer sensible questions like “Why not prescribe antibiotics more widely?” if they alleviate intestinal distress. Mark Riddle about the dangers of diarrhea for servicemen who are frequently posted to “places where you don’t want to be drinking the water.” We learn, as she does, that Riddle’s study found that 77 percent of combatants in Iraq and 54 percent in Afghanistan had contracted the malady. military base, Camp Lemonnier, in Djibouti, to learn from Capt. She freely admits that her aim in tackling military science is not to plumb strategy and weapons or to produce a journalistic expose, but to celebrate those military men and women who fight “the quiet, esoteric battles with less considered adversaries: exhaustion, shock, bacteria, panic, ducks.” This seemingly modest aim and the sort of easy rapport with the reader can mask the deep-dive research she engages in to emerge with the pearl that will help the layperson understand complex subjects. The worst ones, seem to have been demoted to footnotes, at least. Illus.Her MO is to parachute into a foreign field, gamely undertake tasks beyond her ability and report back to us her research, observations and experiences from the point of view of a self-deprecating but sensible everyperson.Īnd she’s an extremely likable everyperson, generous with a compliment (a Pentagon researcher is “gorgeous,” a former Marine has a “superhero jaw,” a public affairs officer is “droll and adorable”) and quick with a quip, good or bad. Roach’s book is not for the squeamish or those who envision war as a glorious enterprise it is a captivating look at the lengths scientists go to in order to reduce the horrors of war. And in the case of reconstructive surgery, her elaborate explanation of penile transplants brings home the true horror of war. Sharks aren’t particularly attracted to human blood, she finds, though it was discovered that bears love the taste of used tampons. Military scientists are so committed to bringing soldiers home alive that they examine nearly every facet of life and death, researching such topics as diarrhea among Navy SEALs, body odors under stress, using maggots to heal wounds, and the “injuries collectively known as urotrauma.” Roach also corrects some popular misconceptions while offering odd bits of trivia.

Her interest in military matters wasn’t piqued by the usual aspects of warfare-armaments, tactics, honor-but the more “esoteric” ones: “exhaustion, shock, bacteria, panic, ducks.” Roach goes into great detail about the historical conditions that spawned particular areas of research, and she often describes seemingly absurd tests and experiments.

With compassion and dark humor, Roach ( Gulp) delves into the world of military scientists and their drive to make combat more survivable for soldiers.

Grunt roach