From the day I was born through to now, my country has never been at peace. From the Gulf War, to the intervention in Bosnia, to the invasions in Afghanistan and Iraq, to our borderless ‘War against Terror’, conflict has been ever present. One of the cruelest ironies of modern American culture is that this constant export of violence is easily forgotten in our day to day lives. Phil Klay’s Missionaries reminds us of those who live and operate in the global industry of America’s endless wars. The lives of a foreign correspondent, a special forces attache, and a local colonel intertwine in the American led effort to control the lawless narco gangs of Colombia. In the wake of their actions, the lives of those in La Vigia, a mountain town bordering Venezuela, are upended forever. Part political thriller, part meditation on the vulgarities and meanings of war, Missionaries provides a glimpse into lives and situations many Americans can scarcely imagine.