Jarhead : A Marine's Chronicle of the Gulf War and Other Battles
Registered by rem_DKN-843585 on 10/4/2003
1 journaler for this copy...
I'm technically the 2nd journal entry, Andy and I swapped books, I gave him Black Hawk Down and he gave me Jarhead.
The author writes about his experiences as a marine before and during Operation Desert Storm. It's less history to me and more like written theatre - he really conveys what it felt like. After reading both books it's clear why folks resist co-ed units in the military - killing is the ultimate in anti-social behavoir and part of pumping young men up to do that is to tolerate and even encourage an atmosphere of maximum hormones and just-managed out-of-controlness. Swofford does a great job of sharing some pretty shocking behavoir in an understandable and almost sympathetic way, even for a 30+ feminist like me. Despite his recognition that he was a pawn in someone elses game, his pride in once having been a finely-honed machine still resonates.
Great Book!
The author writes about his experiences as a marine before and during Operation Desert Storm. It's less history to me and more like written theatre - he really conveys what it felt like. After reading both books it's clear why folks resist co-ed units in the military - killing is the ultimate in anti-social behavoir and part of pumping young men up to do that is to tolerate and even encourage an atmosphere of maximum hormones and just-managed out-of-controlness. Swofford does a great job of sharing some pretty shocking behavoir in an understandable and almost sympathetic way, even for a 30+ feminist like me. Despite his recognition that he was a pawn in someone elses game, his pride in once having been a finely-honed machine still resonates.
Great Book!
Received from Andy... I forget where (at SVP?), handing off to Aiko at the Poverty Action event at Brasa on 10/8/03.
