Young men go to war. Sometimes because they are have to, sometimes because they want to. Always, they feel they are supposed to. This comes from the sad, layered stories of life, which over the centuries have seen courage confused with picking up arms, and cowardice confused with laying them down.

People think of heaven as a paradise garden, a place where they can float on clouds and laze in rivers and mountains. But scenery without solace is meaningless.

Sacrifice is a part of life. It's supposed to be. It's not something to regret. It's something to aspire to.

'There are five people you meet in heaven,' the Blue Man suddenly said. 'Each of us was in your life for a reason. You may not have known the reason at the tim…

Most of the people who get sent to die in wars are young men who've got a lot of energy and would probably rather, in a better world, be putting that energy in…

Like its politicians and its war, society has the teenagers it deserves.

The pinning on of stars reaches its full cynical significance when sanctified valour and bereaved families are used to lend dignity to wars stupidly fought. Th…