Here's an interesting article from the London Times (courtesy of Bessie's current website of choice) about what our soliders are reading in Iraq. Apparently, just before Christmas, the Defense Department began distributing copies of the following books to our troops: Henry V, The Art of War, Medal of Honor by Allen Mikaelian, and War Letters by Andrew Carroll (the organizer of the project). Great idea, I think, as long as you don't end up sending Henry IV by mistake (Falstaff is the last thing you want motivated troops to be reading, after all). Also fascinating is the idea that it was the similar mass distribution of The Great Gatsby to American troops in World War II that led to that book's massive popular success. And here I thought the Army was only getting our troops hooked on cigarettes....