DNF. This concept was good but the book was too dry and boring. I got through 25% before I had to tap out.

An incredible book which spans decades in its discovery of hidden heroes. Challenging the concept of valour, this book explores what it means - and what it costs - to speak out against popular opinion, to criticise the decisions made by leaders and to do so when emotions run high and any criticism can be seen as traitorous. With details which support credibility and language which engages the reader in challenging issues, this book is essential reading for those who are fascinated by human behaviour.

This is a book that does a great job filling in gaps in our history of America's wars. Lombardi looks at individuals who have, throughout our nation's conflicts, dared to stand up for their beliefs and go against the powers that be and say "no." It's an empowering lesson, especially considering so much of our popular history sees our conflicts in a monolithic view. It's often an "us vs them" story, and those who don't support it get left behind.

Lombardi's analysis begins during the Revolution, an important first chapter that sets the stage for the tone and scope of the book. The Revolution is a great example of a war cast in terms of ebullient support. Lombardi's exploration restores the debates about fighting to the history of this fight. History is complex; this book makes history fuller than it had been.

The one drawback to the book is the lack of an introduction and conclusion, at least from the ARC. I would have liked the book to be framed and put into perspective. I think there is a lot that can be said about the nature of the subject and how this fits into historiographical models of today, especially regarding the "people's history" trend that has contributed so much over the past decade.

Legacy Of Power. So I blatantly ripped off the title of my favorite episode of Power Rangers ever for the title of this review. It fits. In that episode (a decade+ old now), the new Rangers of that season are shown a video detailing where the show has been up until them, from the original Mighty Morphin (OG Rangers that came into the zeitgeist in the mid 1990s) through the previous season's Ninja Storm. This book does the exact same thing for service members who dissent from killing people or assisting efforts to kill people. It traces the history from the earliest days of Europeans in America (at least the British variants of them), including the French and Indian (aka Seven Years', for the Continentals) Wars through some of the most current modern dissenters (with particular focus on Bradley/ Chelsea Manning). Indeed, the one glaring omission here seems to be Edward Snowden, though perhaps his case is just different enough to be outside the specific scope of this text. Still, in most other cases where this happens - a group or individual opposes war, but for reasons or in situations different from the very specific situation the author chooses to pursue here - such groups are usually mentioned and quickly dismissed. Which makes the Snowden case being missing all the more glaring. Regardless, a well documented tome highlighting quite a bit of history that many Americans - particularly of the post-WWII and post-Vietnam eras - have likely never heard of. Which makes it that much more important, and that much more powerful in terms of a "Legacy of Power" look at nearly 300 years of history of dissent among American soldiers (and sailors, and Airmen, and Marines, and... whatever the hell they're gonna call the Space Force people). Very much recommended.