Eight individuals witnessed more of the American fighting experience during World War I than any other U.S. participant, military or civilian. Commissioned as captains in the American Expeditionary Force (AEF), these brave men—known as the AEF's Eight—risked their lives roaming through occupied zones, blood-soaked battlefields, and the forward trenches to complete a groundbreaking mission: they were the first artist-soldiers to be recruited through official government channels to make a historical record of war.Portrait of War tells the gripping story of these artist-soldiers for the first time. Drawing upon the graphic letters, diaries, and memoirs the men kept as well as the interviews they conducted, Peter Krass presents a completely different view of the Great War as seen through the eyes of these chosen few, who were determined to capture "the shock and loss and bitterness and blood of it."Despite the dangers that lay ahead, the men, proud of their role in recording history, were thrilled to have what one called "a free ticket to the greatest fight in the world." The antithesis of lean doughboys primed for battle, the artists, who had received little to no formal military training, traveled the battlefields together, sketching what they saw and watching out for one another when under fire.Krass skillfully brings the AEF Eight's journey with the soldiers to life, revealing in rich, compelling detail how they shared cramped quarters on ships headed overseas and marched across the countryside, documenting the small but meaningful moments the soldiers shared in between artillery attacks. Their lives would be irrevocably altered as, with each sketch, they made new discoveries about the realities of war and the people on both sides of the conflict.Featuring stunning illustrations by the artists, chosen from their vast collection of remarkable work, Portrait of War is a testament to the bravery of these eight men and the