Ask most combat veterans to name the worst experience of their lives, and they’ll probably tell you it was war. But ask them to choose the best experience of their life, and they’ll usually also say it was war. For someone who has not been to war, this is nearly impossible to understand. The spectrum of emotions experienced by a combat veteran is far wider than that experienced in civilian life and for that reason it can be hard for a veteran to re-assimilate to civilian life.

What is it about war that soldiers miss? This is a question that every civilian should try to understand. Weaving together a wide range of stories from the flight deck of a U.S. aircraft carrier off Syria to climbing a forbidden Himalayan pass into Tibet, this moving and insightful book explains one of the most everlasting human pursuits – war. But its focus isn’t solely war; it is also about coming home and confronting another kind of struggle that we all share — the search for happiness.

In this collection, Peterson writes of war from the perspective of both a combatant and a witness taking the reader from combat missions over Afghanistan as an Air Force special operations pilot to the frontlines against ISIS in Iraq, and the trench and tank battles of the war in Ukraine. Interweaving his frontline reports with a narrative about his own transformation from a combat pilot to a war journalist, Peterson explores a timeless paradox – why does coming home from war feel like such a disappointment?

"This will appeal more to readers looking for tales of world travel and war zones"

"The stories Peterson shares are top-notch and engaging as soldiers and veterans grapple with big questions while seeking meaning in life and coping with war and PTSD."

"What is it about war that soldiers miss? A provocative book that weaves together a wide range of stories focusing exclusively on war itself and what it means coming home and confronting another struggle all veterans share - the search for happiness."

"This book will be devoured by those who have experienced war, and who are still trying to figure out war’s meaning and war’s effect on their lives. This book will also provide insight for those who have never experienced war, but who want to know about the sacrifices that are shouldered by a small part of our fellow citizens who wear the uniform and who serve our nation. Finally, this book offers a valuable and moving insight into what it’s like to physically come back from war—and how, as life goes on, war always retains its place in our minds, hearts, and souls, until it is replaced and shoved aside by something more important.”