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There is now, in society, a radically new idea of military life. The image was constructed over a quarter of a century ago, reflecting the experiences of French soldiers operating in Beirut or Sarajevo, or those now in Afghanistan. Soldiers are seen as being in a situation of war, but not fighting. They are victims rather than heroes, defenders rather than conquerors, dedicated to protecting local populations. It is, it seems, basically this new image that is responsible for the good opinions of the French armed forces. As a counterpoint to these representations of soldiers as virtuous, Alexis Jenni, in L’Art Français De La Guerre, reminds us of the image that was widespread until recently among France’s elites: of soldiers torturing colonized people. This is personified by the picture of an old and penitent parachutist, himself a victim of “colonial rottenness,” talking happily about the “bloody camaraderie,” the art of killing with a knife, starting fires, and torturing the native population. The Prix Goncourt awarded to the book, together with the review extolling it, attest to the persistence of this deadly view of soldiers in France.