In this lovingly crafted photographic tribute, Navy veteran and professional photographer Richard Sherman takes readers on a deeply moving journey through America’s 23 overseas military cemeteries from World War I and World War II. This testament to sacrifice is the result of eight trips spanning five years across three continents.

Sherman’s thoughtfully structured work unfolds in three distinct yet interconnected parts: sweeping architectural studies that capture the solemn grandeur of these memorial grounds, meticulously researched biographical portraits of the fallen, and a final photographic meditation, titled “Taps.” From cover to cover, his lens moves effortlessly between the monumental and the minute, from the expected (vast seas of white crosses) to the surprising (a man with a facemask and drill, carefully engraving a headstone).

The more than 59 biographical portraits offer carefully curated stories that span the full spectrum of service and sacrifice: Medal of Honor recipients, groups of brothers who served together, nurses, chaplains, and civilian specialists. Sherman’s meticulous research brings these individuals to life via excerpts from personal letters, family photographs, and contemporaneous accounts of their experiences, transforming statistics into intensely human stories.

Sherman displays an understanding that such sacred spaces often transcend words. His decision to let his photographs largely speak for themselves proves effective. The images resonate with both technical excellence and deep emotional truth. When the author offers text, as in the biographical portraits, the writing is uniformly well crafted and interesting.

There is some repetition of photos in a few spots, and the seas of crosses, from every angle, can start to feel redundant over the course of the book, but this is easy to overlook, given the heartfelt presentation overall.

Never Home stands as both an historical document and a profound meditation on sacrifice, offering readers a window into the human cost of war. This work is sure to move military families, history enthusiasts, and anyone seeking to understand the enduring impact of war through a profoundly personal lens.