I heard about this book via this Unshelved Book Club review, and after looking over a copy at Barnes and Noble I decided to buy it. It's about three different dogs-in-combat, during WWI, WWII, and the Vietnam War, and - to my vast relief! - the dogs all survive (though the post-war fate of the last one is left in doubt).

The WWI story focuses on a young assistant-medic who, along with his dog, is stranded in the trenches with another company. There are scenes of the horrors of trench warfare - and some more upbeat scenes as well, dealing with the famed "Christmas truce", and we get to see the value of a clever dog under these trying circumstances.

The WWII story is set in Greenland, for a change of pace from typical WWII stories; here, the dog's a rambunctious sled-dog who tends to work better on his own, and he winds up helping his master evade German soldiers who were hunting for a downed US bomber containing the cutting-edge Norden bomb-sight. The climate's the real enemy here, and there's plenty of suspense - and some humor as well.

The Vietnam-era story takes place in a small North Carolina town, where a boy and his dog make the acquaintance of a rather distant and taciturn war veteran - who keeps having flashbacks to his time in 'Nam, including the patrols with his dog. This story focuses on recovery from shell shock, and on the connection between two very different people thanks to the love of dogs. (It does point out a sad truth: when the US pulled out of Vietnam, the war-dogs were classified as "equipment" and left behind...)

I'm adding this to the WILD THINGS bookbox, which will be on its way to the next stop on Monday. Hope someone enjoys the book!