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A review by davybaby
War by Sebastian Junger
4.0
I'm not a big war fan. I get too anxious to play Call of Duty. That said, I liked War way more than I expected.
Sebastian Junger is a journalist, and judging by this book, a damn good one. He spent several month-long stints at one of the most dangerous US military bases in Afghanistan in 2007-2008. He lived on the front lines, accompanied soldiers on patrols, took cover during firefights, and even survived an IED explosion. That's crazy. Also, that's dedication to his craft. He wrote this book from his experiences and hundreds of hours of footage and interviews. He also made a documentary, Restrepo, which seems to have the same tone.
The only real basis of comparison I have is [b:The Things They Carried|133518|The Things They Carried|Tim O'Brien|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1297915473s/133518.jpg|1235619], which was more about the psychological effect than the experience itself. In contrast, the combat in War is vivid, and appropriately horrifying and random. Disorienting firefights punctuate the reader's growing relationship with the men of Battle Company, and we share their lack of understanding or concern about the big picture "War on Terror." All they can focus on is not dying and eliminating those who would kill them.
War is about far more than just combat. The soldiers are real, and their personalities and relationships come through in the writing. Junger addresses every possible aspect of war from the front lines: psychology of fear, sacrifice, and courage; the love of the soldiers for each other; the bullying between them; the absurdity and horror of war; the addiction to the high of combat; the beauty of Afghanistan, and the beauty of the weapons used to destroy it.
War is a remarkably honest and affecting book. It is neither critical of war nor blind to its faults. It is just a profile of some of its soldiers, and leaves any judgment to the reader.
Sebastian Junger is a journalist, and judging by this book, a damn good one. He spent several month-long stints at one of the most dangerous US military bases in Afghanistan in 2007-2008. He lived on the front lines, accompanied soldiers on patrols, took cover during firefights, and even survived an IED explosion. That's crazy. Also, that's dedication to his craft. He wrote this book from his experiences and hundreds of hours of footage and interviews. He also made a documentary, Restrepo, which seems to have the same tone.
The only real basis of comparison I have is [b:The Things They Carried|133518|The Things They Carried|Tim O'Brien|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1297915473s/133518.jpg|1235619], which was more about the psychological effect than the experience itself. In contrast, the combat in War is vivid, and appropriately horrifying and random. Disorienting firefights punctuate the reader's growing relationship with the men of Battle Company, and we share their lack of understanding or concern about the big picture "War on Terror." All they can focus on is not dying and eliminating those who would kill them.
War is about far more than just combat. The soldiers are real, and their personalities and relationships come through in the writing. Junger addresses every possible aspect of war from the front lines: psychology of fear, sacrifice, and courage; the love of the soldiers for each other; the bullying between them; the absurdity and horror of war; the addiction to the high of combat; the beauty of Afghanistan, and the beauty of the weapons used to destroy it.
War is a remarkably honest and affecting book. It is neither critical of war nor blind to its faults. It is just a profile of some of its soldiers, and leaves any judgment to the reader.