Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.19 AVERAGE
4.19 AVERAGE
An interesting read, but it's no "The Things They Carried." I found myself struggling at times to connect emotionally with the story Junger was telling, particularly when there were casualties. As a journalist, though, I did like his description of what it's like to be embedded in a unit.
Very disappointing book. The focus is on Junger's experiences with a US unit in Afghanistan. Only towards the end of the book does he include some research and theories as to why war is still an option.
dark
informative
reflective
tense
slow-paced
i read this quite a while ago. it was pretty good, but as much as i hate to say it, i think i liked the documentary better. there were just too many sections where it would spend a considerable amount of time talking about the logistics of war/military history/etc that it kind of lost my interest.
that being said, i'm really happy i read it. the documentary was better, but only because it was an EXCEPTIONAL film- so much so that i was unable to get it out of my head for several days after viewing!
that being said, i'm really happy i read it. the documentary was better, but only because it was an EXCEPTIONAL film- so much so that i was unable to get it out of my head for several days after viewing!
“Stripped to its essence, combat is a series of quick decisions and rather precise actions carried out in concert with ten or twelve other men. In that sense it’s much more like football than, say, like a gang fight. The unit that choreographs their actions best usually wins. They might take casualties, but they win. That choreography—you lay down fire while I run forward, then I cover you while you move your team up—is so powerful that it can overcome enormous tactical deficits. There is choreography for storming Omaha Beach, for taking out a pillbox bunker, and for surviving an L-shaped ambush at night on the Gatigal. The choreography always requires that each man make decisions based not on what’s best for him, but on what’s best for the group. If everyone does that, most of the group survives. If no one does, most of the group dies. That, in essence, is combat.”― Sebastian Junger, War
This is my third book by Sebastian Junger. War describes, from a journalist's perspective, the reality of war and combat. Junger spent 15 months following a platoon at the most dangerous outpost in Afghanistan.
Riveting in its descriptions of combat and the men he is shadowing, the reader learns about these men in detail, how they live and survive in such a dangerous place, what the toll of war takes in them and in how many different ways it affects them physically and psychologically. We learn about fear, trust, honor, terror, friendship, and extreme survival in horrific conditions.
An excellent read. I read War this month for obvious reasons. Lest we forget.
“The army consists of the first infantry division and eight million replacements.”
― Sebastian Junger, War
>> I do wonder if Junger is capable of writing about women in these types of situations. My only complaint is that he never mentions women in any of the books I've read, including, Tribe, The Perfect Storm, and War. He tends to thrive on masculine viewpoints as well as male group behavior and PTSD.
This is my third book by Sebastian Junger. War describes, from a journalist's perspective, the reality of war and combat. Junger spent 15 months following a platoon at the most dangerous outpost in Afghanistan.
Riveting in its descriptions of combat and the men he is shadowing, the reader learns about these men in detail, how they live and survive in such a dangerous place, what the toll of war takes in them and in how many different ways it affects them physically and psychologically. We learn about fear, trust, honor, terror, friendship, and extreme survival in horrific conditions.
An excellent read. I read War this month for obvious reasons. Lest we forget.
“The army consists of the first infantry division and eight million replacements.”
― Sebastian Junger, War
>> I do wonder if Junger is capable of writing about women in these types of situations. My only complaint is that he never mentions women in any of the books I've read, including, Tribe, The Perfect Storm, and War. He tends to thrive on masculine viewpoints as well as male group behavior and PTSD.
Powerful, educational piece of journalism by Sebastian Junger. I watched the documentary, Restrepo, in 2015, so I had some images in my mind to accompany the writing.
I spent a lot of time reading it at first, then had to put it down a while before I finished. I wish I’d read it all together as fast as possible to better remember the details about who everyone is.
I spent a lot of time reading it at first, then had to put it down a while before I finished. I wish I’d read it all together as fast as possible to better remember the details about who everyone is.
Heart-stopping and incredibly tense. Nothing could really make you feel like you're actually in a battle situation, but this comes close.
Moving. Profound. Junger is a fantastic author that always knows when to leave things unsaid.
I don't know, the book was well written, and I plan on seeing the documentary, but there was something about this book that I couldn't quite get into.
I found Sebastian Junger's War to be a somewhat maddening read. Sections of this book are of 5-star quality, offering extraordinarily insightful observations about the physical and emotional impact of war on its warriors. But other sections are frustratingly disjointed---Junger flits from one topic to another (not to mention one tense to another) without any coherence.
Despite the book's frustrating passages, the 5-star sections are so informative and powerful that I would still recommend War as a worthwhile read to anyone interested in the topic.
Despite the book's frustrating passages, the 5-star sections are so informative and powerful that I would still recommend War as a worthwhile read to anyone interested in the topic.