Company K is widely regarded as one of the finest American novels to emerge from the First World War. Drawing heavily on March’s own experiences as a decorated U.S. Marine in France, the book presents a stark, unsentimental view of combat and its aftermath.

Synopsis

Rather than following a single protagonist, Company K is told through 113 short first-person narratives, each spoken by a different member of a Marine company. These brief accounts span the soldiers’ experiences from training, through the battles in France, and into their postwar lives. Together, the voices create a mosaic of life in a World War I unit.

The men recount:

* Brutal combat in the trenches.

* Fear, exhaustion, and psychological trauma.

* Acts of courage, cowardice, and moral compromise.

* The execution of prisoners and other wartime atrocities.

* The difficulty of returning to civilian life after the war.