Every now and then, a book slips past any convention of war stories, battlefield memoirs, and action-packed retellings of America’s greatest hits and instead says, “Hey, sit down, grab a drink, and think about how you got here.” J. Logan Nicholson’s A Fox In Winter is one of those books.
A Fox In Winter — Beyond the Usual War Stories
Don’t let the woodland critter on the cover fool you. This isn’t a Disney flick. It’s a sharp, witty meditation on life’s stages, told through the instincts of a fox that’s a little too clever to just chase rabbits all day.
Nicholson takes the reader through the four seasons of life, literally. Spring, summer, autumn, winter, and each section gives the fox a new mask to wear, a new trick to play. In spring, he’s a young kit bounding into the world, paw-first and nose-down. Think boot camp hijinks, where nobody knows anything but everybody’s sure they do. The fox in spring is curious, fearless, and dumb in a way that makes him bulletproof — at least until the drill instructor (or life in general) smacks him down.
By summer, he’s a lean hunter chasing ambition and prey alike. He’s an E-4 with just enough experience to be dangerous, charging into life like it owes him hazard pay. Autumn is when the fox gets cagey, stockpiling experience like acorns before the lean times. This is middle age — family, bills, bad knees, back pain, and the sudden realization that we need a retirement plan. The fox in autumn is a staff sergeant: still dangerous, but also painfully aware that dumb risks get you killed.
And winter is the reflective stage; he’s grizzled, a little slower, but sharper than ever. Every move is deliberate, every trick honed by experience. He’s not chasing; he’s waiting. That’s the old salty NCO stage. In winter, he’s the guy in the smoke pit with more war stories than rank stripes, who somehow always has the right advice.
What makes the book work is that Nicholson doesn’t pretty it up. Life, like war, isn’t clean. The fox doesn’t get plot armor. He plays the cards he’s got, and if you’ve ever worn a uniform — or just slogged through the civilian grind — you’ll see yourself in those paw prints.
Why You Should Read A Fox In Winter
This isn’t a combat memoir, but it feels like one in spirit. It’s about endurance, adaptation, and learning when to fight and when to sit tight. It’s the same trajectory we all take, whether we’re humping gear up mountains, trying to survive a first tour in civilian life, or just figuring out how to get the kids to school on time.
“A Fox In Winter” is available in paperback now at Barnes & Noble for $15.00
Read About Other Book Reviews
If you enjoyed reading the review of ‘A Fox In Winter’ by J. Logan Nicholson, we invite you to read about other military book reviews on our blog. You will also find profiles in courage, veterans’ service reflections, famous military units and more on the TogetherWeServed.com blog. If you are a veteran, find your military buddies, view historic boot camp photos, build a printable military service plaque, and more on TogetherWeServed.com today.
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