Why We Fought by Jerry Borrowman is a fascinating glimpse into the lives of 7 ordinary people who became heroes during WW2. Each chapter contains the story of one of these amazing people, who they were, what they did, and why they did it. We learn about Virginia Hall, the spy who was embedded in France not once, but twice, and who was on the evil Klaus Barbie’s most wanted list, and about William Sebold and how he managed to thwart Nazi sabotage attempts on US soil. Borrowman discusses how Marlene Dietrich helped the Allies during the war, despite being a German national herself (she was a fervent anti-Nazi), and Juan Pujol whose work as a double agent helped in the success of the landing in Normandy. And then there is Carl Lutz whose work as an ambassador in Hungary enabled him to save tens of thousands of Jewish people, despite the imminent dangers to himself. And finally we learn about the biggest British deception during WW2, the Ghost Army, and also how people from all sides ended up working together to ensure that Castle Itter, and the people imprisoned there, ended up safely in Allied hands. 

I really enjoyed Jerry Borrowman’s style: it draws you into the narrative, and paints these pictures of these wonderful people who went out of their way to make a difference, even if they knew their lives would be in danger every day. I knew the stories of some of these people, but others, like William Sebold, I had no idea about. In any case, whether you know of these people or not, Why We Fought is a great read, and a must read for anyone interested in WW2. This book can be read by teens or adults alike, and I know that I would have loved having this on my bookshelf in my early teens, as I was completely obsessed with WW2 and courageous spies. 

A lot of research went into writing this book, and Borrowman does a great job of portraying the lives of these heroes, and inspiring the reader to be a little bit more like them.