Grunt

The Curious Science of Humans at War

Mary Roach

• Publisher: Oneworld Publications
• Year: 2016
• Topic: History
• eBook ISBN:
  9781780749785
• Subtopic: Military & Maritime History
• Index: History

A finalist for the Los Angeles Times Science & Technology Book Prize

‘The most entertaining writer in science’ – The Times, Books of the Year

War. Mention it and most of us think of history, of conflicts on foreign soil, of heroism and compromise, of strategy and weapons. But there’s a whole other side to the gruesome business of the battlefield.

In Grunt, the inimitable Mary Roach explores the science of keeping human beings intact, awake, sane, uninfected and uninfested in the bizarre and extreme circumstances of war. Setting about her task with infectious enthusiasm, she sniffs World War II stink bombs, tests earplugs in a simulated war zone and burns the midnight oil with the crew of a nuclear submarine. Speaking to the scientists and the soldiers, she learns about everything from life-changing medical procedures to innovations as esoteric as firing dead chickens at fighter jets. Engrossing, insightful and laugh-out-loud funny, this is an irresistible ride to the wilder shores of modern military life.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Dedication
• Contents
• By Way of Introduction
• 1 SECOND SKIN: What to wear to war
• 2 BOOM BOX: Automotive safety for people who drive on bombs
• 3 FIGHTING BY EAR: The conundrum of military noise
• 4 BELOW THE BELT: The cruellest shot of all
• 5 IT COULD GET WEIRD: A salute to genital transplants
• 6 CARNAGE UNDER FIRE: How do combat medics cope?
• 7 SWEATING BULLETS: The war on heat
• 8 LEAKY SEALS: Diarrhoea as a threat to national security
• 9 THE MAGGOT PARADOX: Flies on the battlefield, for better and worse
• 10 WHAT DOESN’T KILL YOU WILL MAKE YOU REEK: A brief history of stink bombs
• 11 OLD CHUM: How to make and test shark repellent
• 12 THAT SINKING FEELING: When things go wrong under the sea
• 13 UP AND UNDER: A submarine tries to sleep
• 14 FEEDBACK FROM THE FALLEN: How the dead help the living stay that way
• Acknowledgements
• Bibliography
• Copyright