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John Dolan aka The War Nerd presents a unique anti-travel book, an unheroic Odyssey, in which and his wife bounce reluctantly between historical war zones as they relocate every few months for reasons varying from tourist-visa expiry to veiled death threats. Every destination offers a different war or (more often) several, which inspire essays meditating on everything from Tuol Sleng to Rwanda to the Troubles. The personal occasionally intrudes on the political in the form of anxiety, near-miss assassination-by-scooter, and gastrointestinal distress.

The book can partly be read as the origin story of Radio War Nerd, a weekly podcast co-hosted by John and Mark Ames. In fact, it includes a selection of dispatches written ''on location'' for the podcast''s subscribers. These dispatches are linked and strengthened by new writing, adding fresh stories of ill-fated excursions around the globe.

Even readers who are completely unfamiliar with the podcast are likely to enjoy Dolan''s distinctive blend of astute analysis, elegiac lyricism, and gory slapstick.