Junger's writing, as always, has a kind of raw energy and emotionality that, somehow, feels perfectly placed in this book. He captures something of every human experiences in the midst of telling us a story about an particular outpost and a specific group of soldiers.

There is no "moral" to this story. He doesn't write to help us decide something. He lets us in and gives us room to ask any question we'd like.

Next to the column he wrote to honor Tim Hetherington (Vanity Fair; April 2011), this is my favorite piece of Junger's writing.

(Listend to audio book)

I really enjoyed this book. Not too long (about 8 hours listen) and give you an idea of what it is like to be a young man in the US army in Afghanistan. Junger follows a single platoon over a 15 month deployment in a small isolated output in Afghanistan. He brings characters and events to life. You the sense of how boring things can be, how combat can be less stressful than waiting for something to happen. Junger explores what motivates young men to fight and sacrifice.

My most memorable takeaway from this book was when Junger was describing how the sheer one sidedness of firepower of the US military could be reassuring but also absurd.

“Each Javelin round costs $80,000, and the idea that it's fired by a guy who doesn't make that in a year at a guy who doesn't make that in a lifetime is somehow so outrageous it almost makes the war seem winnable.”

Devoured this in three sittings, and the first two don't really count.

Written in Junger's singularly compelling style, this is a must read for anybody attempting to understand the war in Afghanistan from the perspective of the people doing the fighting and the dying.

A fantastic read. A fantastic story about fantastic people.

Extremely well put together. Sebastian captures the essence of these men, the terrain, and their mission during their tumultuous tour in Afghanistan’s “Valley of Death”

SUMMARY: From the author of The Perfect Storm, a gripping book about Sebastian Junger's almost-fatal year with the 2nd battalion of the American Army.They were known as "The Rock." For one year, in 2007-2008, Sebastian Junger accompanied a single platoon of thirty men from the storied 2nd battalion of the U.S. Army, as they fought their way through a remote valley in Eastern Afghanistan. Over the course of five trips, Junger was in more firefights than he can count, men he knew were killed or wounded, and he himself was almost killed. His relationship with these soldiers grew so close that they considered him part of the platoon, and he enjoyed an access and a candidness that few, if any, journalists ever attain.War is a narrative about combat: the fear of dying, the trauma of killing and the love between platoon-mates who would rather die than let each other down.Gripping, honest, intense, War explores the neurological, psychological and social elements of combat, and the incredible bonds that form between these small groups of men. This is not a book about Afghanistan or the 'War on Terror'; it is a book about the universal truth of all men, in all wars. Junger set out to answer what he thought of as the 'hand grenade question': why would a man throw himself on a hand grenade to save other men he has probably known for only a few months? The answer elusive but profound, and goes to the heart of what it means not just to be a soldier, but to be human.
SUMMARY:
From the author of The Perfect Storm, a gripping book about Sebastian Junger's almost-fatal year with the 2nd battalion of the American Army.They were known as "The Rock." For one year, in 2007-2008, Sebastian Junger accompanied a single platoon of thirty men from the storied 2nd battalion of the U.S. Army, as they fought their way through a remote valley in Eastern Afghanistan. Over the course of five trips, Junger was in more firefights than he can count, men he knew were killed or wounded, and he himself was almost killed. His relationship with these soldiers grew so close that they considered him part of the platoon, and he enjoyed an access and a candidness that few, if any, journalists ever attain.War is a narrative about combat: the fear of dying, the trauma of killing and the love between platoon-mates who would rather die than let each other down.Gripping, honest, intense, War explores the neurological, psychological and social elements of combat, and the incredible bonds that form between these small groups of men. This is not a book about Afghanistan or the 'War on Terror'; it is a book about the universal truth of all men, in all wars. Junger set out to answer what he thought of as the 'hand grenade question': why would a man throw himself on a hand grenade to save other men he has probably known for only a few months? The answer elusive but profound, and goes to the heart of what it means not just to be a soldier, but to be human.

War is well written and informative look at relatively recent U.S. activities in the Korengal Valley area of Afghanistan. Junger was an embedded journalist with a platoon at forward operating bases where conditions are brutal from a climate and terrain perspective. This area was among the most contested areas where firefights and snipers were frequent and deadly. Junger did a fantastic job capturing the fellowship of a platoon where guys will die for each other but may not like each other. Junger fills in the gap with relevant research related to individual war psychology. The difficulty of the missions and the overall anti-insurgent campaigns was conveyed by the fact that there is no real finality to winning but rather incremental progress potentially achieved. Junger especially did a nice job explaining how soldiers struggle coming back because there is nothing like the adrenaline rush of every action literally impacting life or death that thankfully cannot be duplicated upon returning home. Recommended for readers who want to better understand what U.S. soldiers were doing in these remote areas in modern warfare.

Hands down the best book I've read in years. If you have ever wondered why there always has been and always will be war, check out this book for a succinct and insightful explanation.

I do love Sebastian Junger. He is an incredibly talented journalist who quickly slices through to the heart of his subjects without ever falling to cliché. The questions about combat, its effects on the individual psyche, and the soldier fitting into civilian society after fighting for his life, ring as true today as they did when this book was published. For someone who never served in the military, Junger has a keen understanding of what drives men to fight and die for their brothers until their last breath.

I read [b:Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging|40940205|Tribe On Homecoming and Belonging|Sebastian Junger|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1532479315s/40940205.jpg|47206763] before I read this book, and it's clear that many of the ideas for that book were in development when he wrote this. For any fans of Karl Marlantes, this is a must-read.