Tag Archives: war
Best Books Read in 2011
4. The Forever War by Dexter Filkins
With wars as complicated as those in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is natural that many of the books published dwell heavily on the hows, whys, blame, and credit. The Forever War did none of that. Written by Dexter Filkins, a reporter who spent long stretches of time in both countries and was embedded with troops on multiple occasions, it reads more like oral history than your typical history. It is a story about the people living and fighting in those countries. For that, it receives every bit of praise I can give.
Original Review
5. Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson
6. People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
7. The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler
8. Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey
9. A Great & Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
10. The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett
4 comments | tags: 5 stars, Afghanistan, araaaaabian niiiiiights, best books read in 2011, book review, books, current affairs, dexter filkins, history, Iraq, journalism, mission still not accomplished, non-fiction, oral history, re-read potential, review, the forever war, war, world affairs | posted in Best Books Read in 2011, Lists, Words
The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Incredible. Parts of “How to Tell a True War Story” come to mind regularly. I love Tim O’Brien‘s writing. Those were the three things I had to say about The Things They Carried when I initially “reviewed” this book. I hold to all of those. This is my third reading and I found the book even better than it was eleven years ago. “How to Tell a True War Story” has probably influenced my views on writing and literature more than anything else I have ever read. There is a beautiful clarity and painful honesty that permeates this book. I can’t say enough good things about it.
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Leave a comment | tags: 5 stars, book review, books, favorites, fiction, historical fiction, history, jungles & swamps, military, non-fiction, re-read potential, read multiple times, recommended by a friend, review, the things they carried, tim o'brien, vietnam, war, xposted to OSgA reviews | posted in Words
The White Queen by Philippa Gregory
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I suspect that, had I read The White Queen first, I would have understood and enjoyed Richard III far more. I do not find Philippa Gregory to be a particularly compelling author, but the subject matter fascinates me. I cannot say where this fascination with the Tudors and now their Yorkist and Lancastrian ancestors first began, but it seems to be quite persistent. I will almost certainly read more of these books. They are a pleasant diversion from anything serious. Well, pleasant other than all of the dying. And children being used as pawns. And children dying. What happened to the princes in the Tower anyway?
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Leave a comment | tags: 3 stars, aristocracy, book review, books, Britain, conspiracies, everybody dies, fiction, greedy relatives, historical fiction, House of York, london town, review, romance, royalty, sweet sweet luuurve, up to no good, war | posted in Words
The Forever War by Dexter Filkins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The description of The Forever War on Goodreads begins with “How they happened and why, how they’ve succeeded and failed. The Forever War is not that kind of book…” This is one of the primary attributes that made this without question the best book I have read about the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. Rather than focusing on the politics and historical implications, Dexter Filkins chose to focus on the people. Part memoir, part oral history, he has woven a narrative based on his own experiences over the course of nine years in the Middle East and the tales of those people he met. We see the changes over time in his feelings, the dissonance between the different sides. We hear the fragments of stories of the Marines with whom he spent a considerable amount of time. We read of deaths that haunt him and moments of beauty that amazed him. This book brought tears to my eyes more than once and reminded me that I am thankful for the people who spend their time in these hellholes, regardless of my opinion of whether or not they should be there.
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Leave a comment | tags: 5 stars, Afghanistan, book review, books, Iraq, journalism, military, oral history, review, war | posted in Words