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4.22 AVERAGE
4.22 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: War
challenging
funny
informative
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Blood, War
Raw and incredibly honest. That's all I can say about that book. An account of the very first days of the American invasion of Iraq, told by a reporter embeded with the unit that the very tip of the spear. There's no BS, no sugarcoating war and at the same time the author doesn't try to oversell those Marines as heroes. At the very end, you're left to draw your own conclusions.
I really enjoyed this book. It really personified the individuals who went in during the 2003 invasion of Iraq and the hardships that they had to endure. I believe that one of the most important ideas or theme in this book is the impact of decisions made by high up commissioned officers and the effect that they have on enlisted Marines. When they decide to charge through hostile areas with limited equipment and therefore change the Rules of Engagement and the Marines on the front lines have to face the consequences of accidentally shooting or injuring civilians, for example Colbert and Trombley with the boy with the Camels. It shows the difference between career advancing officers and officers who truly care for their marines.
This book really captured the raw emotions of those on the frontlines of America's war and the life and death decisions they have to make everyday. One of my favorite books that I have read about the war in Iraq and the lives of Marines.
This book really captured the raw emotions of those on the frontlines of America's war and the life and death decisions they have to make everyday. One of my favorite books that I have read about the war in Iraq and the lives of Marines.
I watched the HBO mini series before I read this. While there are some differences they stayed relatively on focus with what was being said. I enjoyed read this book and the follow up with a few of the situations that were going on. I appreciate that he came at it with a straight shot and didn’t try to completely water it down. I also like that he didn’t get all preachy about some of the things that happened. It is so easy to judge situations when you are safe but things are no always so cut and dry in the thick of it. What our men and women go through in the middle of a war zone we will never full understand unless we ourselves experience it.
Well, I liked it...but wouldn't recommend it.
Just go watch the HBO series instead.
Just go watch the HBO series instead.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
fast-paced
Rather than reading the book, watch the TV series. It's a really well done series based on this book and was a far better experience.
Generation Kill is the definitive cultural history of the invasion of Iraq, an honest account of war and the men who fight in it, and a damn good read.
Wright spent the invasion embedded with Bravo Company, First Marine Recon, and he mostly lets the men speak for themselves, liberally quoting their personal philosophies, reflections on battle, and back-and-forth bullshit. These vignettes are balanced by Wright's personal reflections on being shot at, mortared, and taking part in what I can only describe as History's Worst Roadtrip.
A little criticism and comparison. Wright occasionally flubs some technical military stuff (how mortars work, FLIR) which some people might find annoying. He gives more 'screen-time' to outspoken Marines who match his attitudes, like Espera and Reyes, than the quieter and more conservative southerners. This is a just a month-long slice of the American military at the peak of its power and confidence, before the worst effects of the Long War took hold. Compared to the HBO miniseries, the book is better paced--war truly is long periods of boredom interspersed with absolute terror--and that makes for problematic TV. Generation Kill is generally easier to read and grasp than Fick's One Bullet Away because Wright, like most of us, is an outsider to the Marines (not that Fick is a bad writer: he's quite skilled, but Wright makes a living with the pen and there's a clear difference), while at the same time being more sensationalized. Really though, there's no reason not to check out all of these versions of the story.
The Marines of First Recon are depicted as supremely skilled killers eager to test themselves against the Ultimate. They're ironic patriots, mocking the Marines indoctrination and moto BS while enthusiastically basing their identified around warrior machismo. The best of them balance cold-blooded sharpshooting with moral sensitivity. They keep going, despite nonsensical orders, no sleep, no supplies, and a mission that they didn't train for.
Generation Kill is a great book, one that can only be described with the two most important words in the whole Marine Corps: Get some!
Wright spent the invasion embedded with Bravo Company, First Marine Recon, and he mostly lets the men speak for themselves, liberally quoting their personal philosophies, reflections on battle, and back-and-forth bullshit. These vignettes are balanced by Wright's personal reflections on being shot at, mortared, and taking part in what I can only describe as History's Worst Roadtrip.
A little criticism and comparison. Wright occasionally flubs some technical military stuff (how mortars work, FLIR) which some people might find annoying. He gives more 'screen-time' to outspoken Marines who match his attitudes, like Espera and Reyes, than the quieter and more conservative southerners. This is a just a month-long slice of the American military at the peak of its power and confidence, before the worst effects of the Long War took hold. Compared to the HBO miniseries, the book is better paced--war truly is long periods of boredom interspersed with absolute terror--and that makes for problematic TV. Generation Kill is generally easier to read and grasp than Fick's One Bullet Away because Wright, like most of us, is an outsider to the Marines (not that Fick is a bad writer: he's quite skilled, but Wright makes a living with the pen and there's a clear difference), while at the same time being more sensationalized. Really though, there's no reason not to check out all of these versions of the story.
The Marines of First Recon are depicted as supremely skilled killers eager to test themselves against the Ultimate. They're ironic patriots, mocking the Marines indoctrination and moto BS while enthusiastically basing their identified around warrior machismo. The best of them balance cold-blooded sharpshooting with moral sensitivity. They keep going, despite nonsensical orders, no sleep, no supplies, and a mission that they didn't train for.
Generation Kill is a great book, one that can only be described with the two most important words in the whole Marine Corps: Get some!
This is an up-close and personal account of the first days of the Iraq invasion in 2003. Wright, a journalist at Rolling Stone Magazine, gets a spot aka "embedded" with the First Recon Marine Battalion. He bargains his satellite phone and ends up with Bravo Company Second Platoon instead of the supply platoon. We get a slice of what the lives of these Marines was like. Used as bait and diversion, these highly trained, elite platoon mostly composed by late teenagers and mid twenty young men with some but not most schooling.
This one view of life in the trenches in this case in a Humvee. Not very different I guess from accounts of young men in past wars but always fascinating to me. These young men are conditioned and trained to react a certain way, to leave their brains at the door but the human brain is a wicked thing it doesn't always do what it's told. Like under past wars, far away leaders play with these young men like pieces of a chess game. Most are not unaware of this but all believe in the Corp, in the ties that bind these men into one unit.
Wright succeeded in making these young men human not killing machines. Of course, he has the privilege of insight now and can insert some commentary and view points for the reader about what was really going on but for these young men and this journalist living through the beginning of the invasion in late March, early April 2003, nothing made sense but still they carried on.
I liked it. More a 3 1/2 stars then 3 stars. Not sure I want to watch the mini-series based on the book, I don't think it would live up the film I made up for myself as I read the book. In the same frame of mind, I have Tim Cook's At the Sharp End : Canadians Fighting The Great War 1914-1916 volume 1 in my to read pile for 2009.
This one view of life in the trenches in this case in a Humvee. Not very different I guess from accounts of young men in past wars but always fascinating to me. These young men are conditioned and trained to react a certain way, to leave their brains at the door but the human brain is a wicked thing it doesn't always do what it's told. Like under past wars, far away leaders play with these young men like pieces of a chess game. Most are not unaware of this but all believe in the Corp, in the ties that bind these men into one unit.
Wright succeeded in making these young men human not killing machines. Of course, he has the privilege of insight now and can insert some commentary and view points for the reader about what was really going on but for these young men and this journalist living through the beginning of the invasion in late March, early April 2003, nothing made sense but still they carried on.
I liked it. More a 3 1/2 stars then 3 stars. Not sure I want to watch the mini-series based on the book, I don't think it would live up the film I made up for myself as I read the book. In the same frame of mind, I have Tim Cook's At the Sharp End : Canadians Fighting The Great War 1914-1916 volume 1 in my to read pile for 2009.