Review: "All the Ruined Men" by Bill Glose

Like all wars, America’s Global War on Terror (GWOT) has produced a wide array of literature, both fiction and nonfiction. It’s my humble opinion that Bill Glose’s new collection of short stories titled All the Ruined Men (St. Martin’s Press, 2022) will be counted among the greats.

One of the things I found interesting was the backstories Glose chose for his characters. While the characters came from diverse backgrounds, most, if not all, have pasts marred by traumas, neglect, or feelings of inadequacy. Some dealt with parental abuse, inclinations toward violence, poverty, and social anxiety. While it’s not a popular idea to address, it's no less true that many in our armed forces join as a last resort or as a refuge from a bleak future. Many join out of a sense of adventure, but just as many join for the steady paycheck and a stable foothold. Most who stay, stay for the camaraderie. Each of Glose’s stories features a soldier who has separated (some voluntarily, some involuntarily, and some for medical reasons) from the Army, and there is a feeling of loneliness and loss, as each seems to be adrift in their post-military lives. It’s no secret that many soldiers have trouble adjusting back to the “civilian world,” trying to find their place in a society they feel they can no longer relate to, and coping with the loss of a brotherhood they held dear for so many years.

Glose’s characters are faced with decision points and metaphorical forks in the road, where they are given the chance to head toward healing or continue spiraling in self-destruction. As in real life, some choose wisely and some choose poorly, allowing the ghosts of the past to shape their futures. Glose does an excellent job creating tension with these decision points, for we, as the readers, can feel where each road might lead. I felt personal investment in the characters, being able to see pieces of some of my own veteran friends in each, making their victories sweeter and their defeats all the more tragic.

All the Ruined Men is beautifully written, honest, and haunting. Those who have served, who have smelled the burning cordite of combat and felt the sting of sudden, violent loss, should find pieces of themselves in its pages and, hopefully, the comfort of understanding they are not alone if they too struggle with a past that won’t let go. For those who did not serve, this book should serve as a valuable window into the minds of the veterans in their lives. After 20 years of war, I’d wager there are few people who don’t know at least one veteran of the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan. But the lessons of Glose’s book go far beyond their applications to military veterans. One doesn’t need to know combat to know trauma. We could all do better to understand the private torments of those around us, and to extend kindness wherever and whenever we can. 

Brett Allen is a humor writer and author of the Afghanistan war novel, Kilroy Was Here. He is also a contributing writer for Task and Purpose as a member of their Gear Review team. Follow him on Twitter at @hogwashwriting.