Jim Alter was a sophomore in college when Japan attacked the United States. He enlisted, and after an Army programme that condensed years of officer training into a few frantic months, was flying over Europe, dodging German gunners in a B-24. Alter proudly recounts the achievements of his heroic generation as he details this defining chapter of his early life. His memoir focuses on the business of turning citizens into soldiers, and in so doing highlights the tremendous benefits of asking all citizens to sacrifice for the war effort. His experiences and descriptions stand as a sharp contrast to the current professional, outsourced war now being waged in the Middle East.