Abstract
People's experience of war varies greatly according to the background and assumptions of the person retelling their experience, and the cultural and historical location against which they have the experience. ‘Lived experience’ considers the heterogeneous nature of the experience of war by looking at four aspects: horror, boredom, exhilaration, and opportunity. There can be no uniform accounting for the experience of modern war. If modern war can be described as terrorizing, horrific, and painful, it can also be described as very boring. On the other hand, it can be exhilarating. The experience of war involves different levels: the individual, the small group, the regional, and the national. The experience can be complex and varied.
