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jamesthesnake's review against another edition
5.0
I usually don't touch books by journalist but I make sure to look after a book has been published for more than 5 years to see if it stands up . This is a must read and must have , one of the few books people should carry for the rest of their lives, it will give great insight to times when our country uses force. Lots of history shows ho w far we have not come.
mustafa_marwan's review against another edition
5.0
Good book that contains not only war stories but war philosophy.
rschmidt7's review against another edition
3.0
Surprisingly shallow, this book fails to adequately support its thesis or its title, which is really a shame because it is one for which there seems to be ample evidence. The problem is the concrete evidence for many of the assertions only rarely makes an appearance in the book, and when it does, it is lost amongst the endless repetition of disconnected claims.
The book suffers most from a lack of strong organization. It reads as if Hedges has cornered you in a bar and is just rambling about his experiences. Hedges also seems to completely dismiss any notion of a Just War, as a last resort or in self-defense, which given the scope of human nature seems a naive stance. The book wasn't a terrible read (2.5 stars), but it just seems like it could have been so much better if it had been better structured and concisely organized.
The book suffers most from a lack of strong organization. It reads as if Hedges has cornered you in a bar and is just rambling about his experiences. Hedges also seems to completely dismiss any notion of a Just War, as a last resort or in self-defense, which given the scope of human nature seems a naive stance. The book wasn't a terrible read (2.5 stars), but it just seems like it could have been so much better if it had been better structured and concisely organized.
fractaltexan's review against another edition
4.0
This particular book reads like a collection of essays that the Author put together, and it reads beautifully. Our world is plagued by war, and Hedges goes in depth about what he sees in war, from the Plague of Nationalism to the ever entwining threads of Eros and Thanatos.
Despite using the examples of the Yugoslav wars, the Israel-Palestine conflict, and the dirty wars of Latin America, Hedges forms a narrative that states that all countries have the same reaction to war. All countries experience the same things in War. He breaks the myth of war to shed light on what War is. A force that really does give humanity meaning.
Despite using the examples of the Yugoslav wars, the Israel-Palestine conflict, and the dirty wars of Latin America, Hedges forms a narrative that states that all countries have the same reaction to war. All countries experience the same things in War. He breaks the myth of war to shed light on what War is. A force that really does give humanity meaning.
dominiquehelena's review against another edition
4.0
Enjoyed Reading this. Made me tear op sometimes...
erikars's review against another edition
I originally bought this book for a course on American politics in a media age that I took during the spring semester of the 2001/2002 school year, but I never read it then. The book was written on the eve of the war on terror and is probably best described by one of the quotes on the back: "while one may disagree with [the author] along the way, his basic message is irrefutable: that we should always feel sickened by war, even though we periodically have to wage it." The book points out how war only works as long as both sides see their selves as good and the other side is evil. Once people begin to acknowledge that their side commits atrocities and the other side may have some good reason for their hatred, people will start to realize the horror of what they are doing. As the author says at one point, there is no right side and wrong side, just an immoral side and a less immoral side. Overall, a very good and thoughtful read.
ben_sch's review against another edition
4.0
Especially in the introduction this has some emotionally insightful points about why war is enticing:
"The enduring attraction of war is this: Even with its destruction and carnage it can give us what we long for in life. It can give us purpose, meaning, a reason for living.... resolve, a cause. It allows us to be noble. .... the comradeship allowed them to love men and women they hardly knew, indeed, whom they may not have liked before the war."
Interesting how the author got addicted to war, in the same way people might get addicted to a drug like heroin, in that it gave him a space to love and have meaning. And in a similar way it poisoned him.
While a lot of the beats of this book are pretty standard pictures of war sucking and how bad it is, the author does not lose his stance entirely to pacifism, and maintains that in some circumstances it's a necessary poison pill.
"The enduring attraction of war is this: Even with its destruction and carnage it can give us what we long for in life. It can give us purpose, meaning, a reason for living.... resolve, a cause. It allows us to be noble. .... the comradeship allowed them to love men and women they hardly knew, indeed, whom they may not have liked before the war."
Interesting how the author got addicted to war, in the same way people might get addicted to a drug like heroin, in that it gave him a space to love and have meaning. And in a similar way it poisoned him.
While a lot of the beats of this book are pretty standard pictures of war sucking and how bad it is, the author does not lose his stance entirely to pacifism, and maintains that in some circumstances it's a necessary poison pill.
sbenzell's review against another edition
4.0
Can you become addicted to war? If so, is this Thanatos, this love of death, fundamentally different than an addiction to a drug? Or is the same self-destruction in its most potent, mainlined form?
Hedges, in this work, makes the case that war is indeed addictive. He explains why. There is the adrenaline. There is the intense but fleeting comradery of the foxholes. There is the post-apocalyptic liberation from civilization or concerns beyond the immediate. But most importantly, there is a sense of purpose.
Hedges serves to remind us that destruction will always have an intense appeal. While Pinker sings of our Better Angels, and Fukayama predicts the end of history, Hedges refuses to ignore the monster in the closet.
I read this book for a class in International Relations with Professor Fettweiss. I don't know if it tought me anything about why conflict starts, but it did teach me something about why conflict is so hard to end.
When I think of this book, I am reminded of a scene from The Hurt Locker. After years of living as a bomb defuser in Iraq, our hero can't face down the stress of a cereal aisle. It is both to that movie's and this book's credit that neither take the easy out of just calling this condition PTSD. Labels can be helpful, but they can also prevent us from digging deeper and asking more questions.
Hedges, in this work, makes the case that war is indeed addictive. He explains why. There is the adrenaline. There is the intense but fleeting comradery of the foxholes. There is the post-apocalyptic liberation from civilization or concerns beyond the immediate. But most importantly, there is a sense of purpose.
Hedges serves to remind us that destruction will always have an intense appeal. While Pinker sings of our Better Angels, and Fukayama predicts the end of history, Hedges refuses to ignore the monster in the closet.
I read this book for a class in International Relations with Professor Fettweiss. I don't know if it tought me anything about why conflict starts, but it did teach me something about why conflict is so hard to end.
When I think of this book, I am reminded of a scene from The Hurt Locker. After years of living as a bomb defuser in Iraq, our hero can't face down the stress of a cereal aisle. It is both to that movie's and this book's credit that neither take the easy out of just calling this condition PTSD. Labels can be helpful, but they can also prevent us from digging deeper and asking more questions.
knightvspawn's review against another edition
dark
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
A well written and thought-provoking meditation on war, its horrors and its appeals. I was struck by the author's honesty and sincerity when on a topic that all too often oscillates between hiding behind flag waving or self-congratulatory hand wringing. In his sincere directness, he conveyed a take that I don't think I've read before. I'm not sure I can say I enjoyed the book, but it was definitely worth the read.