this book has it all

and by that i mean generational conflict, family dysfunction, even suicide. the story is this. the author is the grandson of a famous general who wrote about whether soldiers actually fire their guns in battle -- he said most of them didn't. during the viet nam era, the author resigned his commission in the army and became a conscientious objector. his grandfather disowned him. years after the grandfather's death, other historians started attacking his findings and character, so the author stepped in to do some research and sorted through his generational issues. it's a complicated premise but the author pulls it together beautifully. i read eagerly until the very end. its sad that most of us don't have the inclination or energy to revisit issues with our parents or grandparents. its also interesting to revisit the viet nam era and what young people thought of military service before the army became volunteer.