Articles of War

Capturing the reality of war with a fidelity and power that echoes the best of classic war writing, this haunting novel brings to life the terrors of a young soldier in shocking, almost hallucinatory detail. George Tilson is an eighteen-year-old Iowa farm boy who enlists in the army during World War II and is sent to Normandy shortly after D-Day. Nicknamed "Heck" because of his reluctance to curse, he is a typical soldier, willing to do his duty without fuss or much musing about grand goals. It is during his first, horrific exposure to combat that Heck discovers a dark truth about himself: He is a coward. As the stark reality of combat -- the knowledge that he could cease to exist at any moment -- presses in on him. Heck makes a series of choices that would be rational in every human situation except war. Nick Arvin is a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop and the recipient of the Michener Fellowship. He is the author of In the Electric Eden, a collection of short stories. Reader J.D. Cullum has worked extensively with regional theaters including the Pasadena Playhouse, South Coast Rep, Williamstown, and Arena Stage. Television appearances include 24, Judging Amy, and NYPD Blue.