Unique among the world's fighting forces, the Legion remains one of its most mysterious, as well. Open to volunteers from around the world (men from some 150 countries fill its ranks), the Legion boasts an illustrious and exciting military history stretching from Europe to Africa and Latin America, from Vietnam and Algeria to Afghanistan; features a notoriously difficult selection and training process, accepting only 10 percent of applicants; and has traditionally required soldiers to enlist under assumed names. Soldiers swear allegiance not to France, but to the Legion, which has been romanticized in literature, song, and action movies as a place for men to prove their mettle or start their lives over. In this colorful, highly readable book, a blend of firsthand experience and interviews with former legionnaires, Nick Valldejuli gives an insider's perspective on what it means - and what it takes - to be a