by Berkley Caliber. The Indiependent is a writing community for aspiring journalists, established in 2014. Not a work of fiction. Jarheads. These marines live in terrible conditions in the desert and have to come face to face with atrocities that often times they caused. See all 5 questions about Generation Kill…, One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer, Famed Biographer Walter Isaacson on Gene Editing, Science, and Good Books. Required viewing, but only after reading the book. Just $12 for 3 months or $39 for a year. A couple of Marines who were in Iraq told me to read this book because it accurately described a bunch of young kids invading Iraq. He joined this platoon and rode with them to Baghdad. Live Music – [email protected] There are no major battles, no overcoming of impossible odds, and no stories of heroism. A 32 page tabloid magazine providing a regular, recognised, quality platform for long-form essays about literature, the review of books published in, written in, or vaguely about Scotland or written by Scottish writers as well as coverage of the arts in general - theatre, … Although it's not written by a Marine, the book is written by an awesome journalist named Evan Wright who embedded with 1st Recon in March 2003. What sets Wright’s book apart is his keen eye for what makes America’s fighting men everymen. Iraq is hell for everyone--soldiers and Iraqi citizens alike. I would highly recommend that if the reader of this review has not read Generation Kill, then read it before or after reading One Bullet Away. Reviews "Beyond the Book" articles; Free books to read and review (US only) Find books by time period, setting & theme; Read-alike suggestions by book and author; Book club discussions; and much more! Rather than a political diatribe, which most books on the Iraq War tend to be, Evan Wright has fashioned this book into a fast-paced, detailed, and moving portrait of the men who fight and die in this war. Hilarious and tragic; novel and repetitive; an overall wild ride through ~300 pages set in the beginning of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Share to Twitter. Initially, he was clearly seen as a burden and someone not to be trusted but, as the book progresses, it's nice to see how he developed a bond with the unit. It's pretty straight forward and could be read either way. It was funny and yet heart-wrenching, and it was extremely difficult to put down when I needed to be doing other things like studying for exams. I had thought this was a true story until the last page where it states that the book is a work of fiction? As one would expect from the complexities of the engagement and the struggles many soldiers have encountered upon return to civilian life, these interactions were complicated and often difficult to pass judgement on. My review … I have been searching for a book that would help me see things from their perspective, because sometimes it's hard for me to understand what exactly goes on in their heads. Two of the most fascinating things about this book are: (1) the "fog of war" aspect, where even though these soldiers are incredibly eager to get into combat, when they do they seem disillusioned by the fact that, sometimes, the people that they kill are civilians and they aren't always sure if they killed good guys or bad guys. Generation Kill does more than just recount battles and the toll they take on soldiers and civilians and the environment. Rebecca Harrison reviews Evan Wright's memoir of the Iraq War as a journalist attached to American Marines, Generation Kill. Welcome back. Want more Books content from us? Jarheads. The narratives of combat are enthralling, sobering, and thought-provoking. While it does an excellent job of providing riveting, boots-on-the-ground perspective from a journalist embedded with a platoon repeatedly placed at the "tippety-tip" of America's lethal invasion "spear" during the spring of 2003, it fails in its larger aim to give us insight into the larger society of youthful Marines, aside from its repeated allusions to the brotherhood of war (and the ability of young men to bond with those outside their social class and ethnicity, which seems to really throw Wright for a loop), a few comments about the morally troublesome decisions made during the heat of engagement, and a suggestion that these kids have such short attention spans that a couple of firefights doesn't quench their killing fire: instead, "they need more war." Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Twenty-five years from now, this book will be the defining piece on the average grunts in the run up and initial invasion of Iraq. The descriptions are brutal, graphic and sometimes unbearable. The author, a journalist at “Rolling Stone,” rides fully embedded with Marines of the First Recon Battalion as they spearhead the initial drive into Iraq, blazing through small towns and dealing with jihadists, fayadeen, and forward observers disguised as civilians. While it does an excellent job of providing riveting, boots-on-the-ground perspective from a journalist embedded with a platoon repeatedly placed at the "tippety-tip" of America's letha. A representative (and hilarious) excerpt: I am still digesting this book and will for awhile, I suspect. "Generation Kill" is NOT your grandfather's war. Verified Purchase. This book made much of the military strategy (and some of the most shocking, sad, and funny moments) quite real to me. The book gives a broader view of events than the series, as the writer goes out for extra interviews/research/reporting to get more information. First Recon Marines do just that---go in first, before anybody else, and open up the way. The two different perspectives were fascinating. True story. First Recon Marines do just that---go in first, before anybody else, and open up the way. An illustration of two cells of a film strip. I also could'nt believe how so many of the characters in the book were basically really excited to kill people. About Generation Kill. Spurred by a rewatching of the miniseries, I reread my copy of Generation Kill by Evan Wright. Full of interesting characters and memorable (if grim) scenes. Evan Wright actually has a lot in common with Bill Bryson when it comes to his writing style. Compared with the other military branches in the US Armed Forces, I think this one is the most unique, and thus most intriguing. He's from a magazine with a liberal reputation (Rolling Stone) but he keeps politics generally out of his writing. Season 1 Review: Generation Kill, which has a superb cast and script, provides a searingly intense, clear-eyed look at the first stage of the war, and it is often gripping. Wright is so invisible in the mix that you forget he is riding along in the humvee with the rest of the recon marines. Iraq is hell for everyone--soldiers and Iraqi citizens alike. Generation Kill: Devil Dogs, Iceman, Captain America, and the New Face of American War. Article: Book Review: Generation Kill - Under Bush, Rumsfeld and Cheney decided to wage a conventional war against a soveriegn country, Iraq. Free Shipping on all orders over $10. They swear (a lot). This book touts itself as not merely a gritty account of the Iraq invasion (because, let's face it! 9 out of 10. Based on Evan Wright’s National Magazine Award-winning story in Rolling Stone, this is the raw, firsthand account of the 2003 Iraq invasion that inspired the HBO® original mini-series. Books. Captain America, seemingly perpetually on the cusp of some kind of psychotic break, fired his collection of enemy A-Ks indiscriminately and without warning out the window of his command vehicle, attempted to bayonet an Iraqi prisoner, and screamed hysterically down the comms whenever his platoon came under fire. Some will cringe their way through it; whether that be at the actions of the Marines, or for the Marines for having to constantly navigate the Corps’ own internal chaos. Generation Kill does not sugar coat things about the war. The two different perspectives were fascinating. Twenty-five years from now, this book will be the defining piece on the average grunts in the run up and initial invasion of Iraq. I stick to fantasy and religious books. Film – [email protected] Reading like a fiction book, he chronicles not just battlefield experiences, but each man both as an individual and as a part of the battalion. An intriguing insight into modern warfare through the eyes of an attached journalist with no previous military experience at all...and, bizarrely, from Rolling Stone magazine of all things? Like the best of the genre, it peels back the bookend veneers of hero-worship on the one side and military resentment on the other. I have friends in the U.S. Marines. I had no idea this book would be so funny, but for real, it's hilarious. I would highly recommend that if the reader of this review has not read Generation Kill, then read it before or after reading One Bullet Away. February 1st 2005 Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. These marines go into Iraq and meet very little resistance. As a woman and a mother, I was devastated at the sights and sounds and experiences of these young men. Devil Dogs. Yawn. Hilarious and tragic; novel and repetitive; an overall wild ride through ~300 pages set in the beginning of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Book Review: Generation Kill - Evan Wright . Buy a cheap copy of Generation Kill book by Evan Wright. This book touts itself as not merely a gritty account of the Iraq invasion (because, let's face it! For the American soldiers, aside from the obvious danger of being killed by enemy soldiers, there is the added problem of civilians inextricably mixed with Iraqi Army soldiers in villages and cities. Generation Kill is not for the faint of heart. They bitch and moan and even get mildly mutinous at their superiors. Most writing about conflict in the Middle East is, at least from an outsider’s perspective, handled with kid-gloves: can I say this, how do I phrase that, how do we make this look less messed up than it was? Generation Kill does more than just recount battles and the toll they take on soldiers and civilians and the environment. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published I can just imagine some Roman officer on the plains of Gaul kicking his feet up on the table and reading The Histories of Herodotus of Halicarnassus. He is best known for his book on the Iraq War, Generation Kill (2004). I have friends in the U.S. Marines. Wright and the reconnaissance Marines he wrote about in his book sat down for an interview with HBO after the show’s release. (2) Wright's afterword in the 2008 reprint and, specifically, Corporl Person's criticism of the comments that the actors of the HBO miniseries of the same title that no one, not even actors who are suppose to portray the rigors of battle to American audiences, can never truly understand what it is like to fight unless they've been there. This was a terrific book. Hence, the five stars I gave it. I ended up with while watching the story play out on tv. Generation Kill is most interested in the protracted moments before the action and the numb ones after. They beat it, starve it, mistreat it, and once in a while they let it out to attack somebody.”, “You know what happens when you get out of the Marine Corps," Person continues. It's much more candid and uninhibited than the Bing West books, like THE SMALLEST TRIBE, though those books are very good too. Instead, their orders sent them into ambushes across the Fertile Crescent to draw attention away from the main invasion force on its more direct route to Baghdad – a task they carried out without enough gun lube to prevent their mounted weapons from jamming in the dusty climate, and without enough batteries to power their NVGs at night. I knew virtually nothing about the Iraq invasion--especially the conditions on the ground. That "author's photo" of me is an illustration done by my friend Hawk Krall, an awesome artist from Philly. After watching the first episode and wanting more, I found out it was based on a book. In 2011, he wrote about our ubiquitous computer culture... To see what your friends thought of this book, Not a work of fiction. These are a dime a dozen, especially from reporters) but as a window into understanding the generation of soldiers who voluntarily took part in what is now widely acknowledged as an ineffective and unnecessary war. Refresh and try again. By Guest. You have a better understanding of what is going on in Iraq and no matter your opinion of the war, you build a respect for those who are really just doing their job. Great, great book. Imagine what kind of permanent psychological scars occur in a 19-year-old American soldier when he follows orders and discovers that he just called in a bombing run on a building bristling with Iraqi soldiers--and later in the carnage he discovers that they deliberately chose to hide in an orphanage. Book Review; A Closer look. Wow. Generation Kill offers a view of the invasion from the perspective of a Battalion of US Marines, who have an 'embedded' reporter from Rolling Stone tagging along with them. “We're like America's little pit bull. A couple of Marines who were in Iraq told me to read this book because it accurately described a bunch of young kids invading Iraq. What sets Wright’s book apart is his keen eye for what makes America’s fighting men everymen. The dialogue in “Generation Kill” was spot on. Compared with the other military branches in the US Armed Forces, I think this one is the most unique, and thus most intriguing. Unflatteringly nicknamed Captain America and Encino Man, these two individuals would – quite justifiably in my opinion, rank structure be damned – almost completely lose the respect of the Marines under them. It was interesting to read about the authors STEEP learning curve when it came to basic things that a soldier takes for granted. I believe we use the military career as a means to pacify our permanent underclass—their only hope for the true opportunity we won't give them otherwise. And truly excellent, for the record. As good as Generation Kill for me (Generation Kill having profiled Lt N. Fick as one of the Platoon that Evan Wright embedded with). Through the text there is given a characterization of the soldiers and how they respond to unaccustomed episodes that war brings. Alth. This book is not for everyone. Critics Consensus: Generation Kill plunges the viewer into war with a visceral force that's still somehow reined in by masterful storytelling and a strong command of period details. TV – [email protected] it's really amazing how faithful the miniseries was to the book, right down to the dialogue. 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