Rather, it is the very personal story of the young men of West Point, marching into battle for the first time, learning well the rules and tactics of engagement. I have always been fascinated by the theme of potential, and that thematic thread weaves through my body of work. How and why individuals blossom from rather ordinary citizens into world-changing historical figures, fulfilling their innate potential even as others around them wither or let their talents lie fallow, makes for powerful narrative. The story you are about to read is the most poignant example of potential I have yet encountered. While researching, I was struck time and again by the way a group of regular young men were transformed by their experiences under fire, and how those experiences molded them into the great generals and statesmen they would one day become. Through their letters, memoirs, and personal histories, these figures became very much alive to me. I came to understand how intimately they knew one another from their years at West Point and then on the battlefields of Mexico.
What do You think about The Training Ground (2008)?
