Recent writing about war and conflict has been dominated by the science of weapons and killing. Drones and the ethical and legal implications of their use on the battlefield are a hot topic, but what about the human side of war—where scientific and technological developments are increasingly keeping soldiers fit, healthy and alive in some of the most dangerous conflict zones on the planet.

How are soldiers able to cope with the extreme heat of the Afghan lowlands? What happens to Special Operations soldiers caught short on the frontline, and what role do maggots have in healing wounds? These are the questions that Mary Roach sets out to answer in her new book Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War.

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