Combat in an Age of Terror

The 7th Infantry Regiment’s motto, “Willing and Able,” speaks volumes about its past. Throughout America’s history the soldiers of this regiment have proven, by their sweat, their sacrifice, and their bloodshed, that they are willing and able to fight America’s wars. They have fought in more battles, in more places, than any other regiment in the United States Army. They boast more Medal of Honor winners than all but one other unit. At practically every crucial moment in America’s wars, the 7th has been there, shaping the future of the country and, by extension, the world.

In this in-depth history of the 7th, acclaimed combat historian John C. McManus takes readers from cold war campaigns through the global war on terror, chronicling the modern era of the regiment’s amazing history. Covering desperate fights for Korean hills, the struggle for control of steamy Vietnamese villages, and the lightning campaign of Desert Storm, the narrative culminates in the 7th’s toils in the Middle East. More than anything, McManus’s chronicle of the 7th portrays these unremarkable, ordinary individuals as the heart and soul of the United States Army. McManus gives a complete account of their struggles, anguish, fears, sacrifices, triumphs, and pride, providing a compelling glimpse not only of these soldiers’ journey through American history, but of the shaping of our nation as a whole.

Based on nearly a decade of research, from archives to battlefield visits to McManus’s personal interviews with countless 7th Infantry soldiers, and illustrated with maps and sixteen pages of photographs, this book is a definitive and moving story of Americans in combat.