"I was prepared to hate these guys, these little squirrels who make videogames," said Keirsey, a retired Army lieutenant colonel who has for the last few years served as a consultant on all of the versions of the popular Call of Duty videogame franchise.

Keirsey came by the Post the other day on the eve of the launch of the latest entry in that shoot-em-up series, which has often used real-world battles from U.S. military history as source material. I think he tried to break my hand with his handshake.

Keirsey said he believes that the games are a way to reach a generation of young people who would never otherwise crack open a book about World War II history. Most people don't know about the Battle of Peleliu, he thinks, but if the previous Call of Duty games are any indicator, there might soon be a surge of interest in books about the battles that are shown in the latest game, called World At War.

"Its going to be a tribute to [the] guys who fought in that conflict," he said.