Everthing I needed to know about War I learned in...

kindergarten, to borrow someone else's thought. Not that I ever went to kindergarten which is why I am so misunderstood. But back to all anyone needs to know about war - a question asked of soldiers by those that have never been, my answer has always been "Read the Iliad, by Homer" translated by Pope or Fagles, then you will know everything about war. Then the "Nay" sayers will add that was then and this is now - but the weapons don't have anything to do with WAR, they are for killing and War is the experiences of men in combat, for whatever reason they got to that level. The Trojan War lasted ten years depending on the telling of it. I have been reading the tales from that war for the longest time, the Iliad says everything I need about war, then I go to read for the story. Colleen McCullough's Song of Troy, Lindsay Clarke's The War at Troy, and David Gemmell's triology about Troy, finished by his wife since he died while writing the third book. I understand that Homer is dead, too. The stories live on in the beyond. Enjoy, for War can't be enjoyed, only the stories. Start with Rosemary Sutcliff's Black Ships Before Troy, the whole story with great pictures by Alan Lee (hardback version?).