WHY WE FIGHT

A paean to American military virtue offers a series of arresting photographs.

The title of Keeney’s nonfiction book captures his patriotic message succinctly—America’s values are worth fighting for, and historically the nation’s military has done so with both competence and honor. Americans have been inspired to fight, the author avers, to defend the country, of course, but also to “sweep away the deadly threats to freedom,” to protect citizens’ most basic liberties like the exercise of free speech, and to “war against desperation and chaos” by providing humanitarian relief. In addition, Keeney highlights the honorableness of military life itself—on the one hand, its virtues are intense reflections of small-town values, and on the other hand, it is the gateway to extraordinary displays of heroism. The author takes readers on a meandering tour of America’s military past—this is clearly not intended as a scholarly or even popular history but rather a patriotic celebration of the country’s triumphs. As a result, Keeney isn’t interested in discussing America’s foibles and missteps, let alone its moral transgressions. The author gestures in the direction of a portrait of the general American character that shows promise but never fully congeals. For example, he astutely acknowledges that the rush to enlist by many following the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor couldn’t be explained in terms of vengeful anger alone: “But rage and anger are fleeting emotions, the stuff of barroom brawls. Clearly some deeper commitment had to be instilled to sustain the sense of purpose a soldier needs to face bullets and death.” Unfortunately, Keeney largely forgoes analysis in favor of strident pronouncements—most of the work’s text is dominated by inspirational quotes pulled from luminaries, American and otherwise, including Ronald Reagan, Warren Buffet, and Edmund Burke. This is principally a coffee-table book: a compilation of gorgeous photos—both in black-and-white and color from various sources—accompanied by soaring rhetoric.

A remarkable collection of beautiful photos coupled with overzealous prose.