The book is largely autobiographical and recounts Loyd’s experiences covering the war as a British ex-soldier-turned-photojournalist. He’s a fantastic writer with an uncanny ability to convey complex emotions in a relatable way, despite the fact that many of the situations he describes are unfathomable, bordering on the surreal. This knack for vivid descriptions can be a double-edged sword, however, since some of the stories are accompanied by the most horrific descriptions of carnage and brutality I have ever read.

Though often gut-wrenching, these personal stories are unquestionably the most important, revealing in revolting clarity how quickly and completely human beings can transform into monsters. More terrifying is the fact that these atrocities happened not in some distant-past World War II concentration camp or medieval torture dungeon, but around the same time as I was watching Ninja Turtles.

The year the war ended, Toy Story was released.

Loyd also weaves in anecdotes from his personal life, mostly having to do with his struggle with heroin, which becomes his coping mechanism after witnessing some truly disturbing stuff. I don’t mind these sections, since they offer not only a change of pace from the war (albeit only a slightly less depressing one—I don’t recommend reading this book before bed), but also a glimpse into the mind of a person that would voluntarily put their body and mind in harm’s way.

As with heroin, Loyd becomes addicted to war; the rush of combat, the thrill of cheating death, the clear-headed conviction of doing something that matters. In some ways it’s relatable and inspiring. In others, it’s insane, selfish, and exploitative. The hypocrisy of his actions is not lost on Loyd, and reading him grapple with it is illuminating, especially as it pertains to the modern media.

This is definitely not a book for everybody, but it did satisfy my goal of filling a hole in my historical knowledge, one I’m sure many others have. The lessons learned are important, though sadly not unique. That this happened in my lifetime is sobering evidence that it can easily happen again. Hopefully, with more books like this, that chance will diminish.

Additional

Wikipedia: Bosnian War

Wikipedia: Breakup of Yugoslavia

Wikipedia: Siege of Sarajevo

This War of Mine (a video game inspired by the Siege of Sarajevo)