The Immaculate Invasion: A War Story with No War in It

by Bob Shacochis

An eyewitness account of the 1994 invasion and occupation of Haiti, of American soldiers employed in a strange war zone "where there are no friends and no enemies, no front or rear, no victories and likewise, no defeats, and no true endings". From the Pentagon's war room to the bitter infighting in the dangerously divided US embassy in Port-au-Prince and its on again/off again relationship with terrorists, Bob Shacochis chronicles what the military calls OTW (operations other than war). From his eighteen months in the field in Haiti, where he lived with a team of Special Forces commandos, Shacochis brings the reader the timeless stories of soldires, their exploits, their frustrations, their inner lives as well as their heroic deeds, as they struggle to bring democracy to a country ravaged by tyranny.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Military Fiction

416 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1999

About the author

Bob Shacochis is an American fiction writer and literary journalist.
He teaches creative writing at Florida State University.

Reviews

[Pete Dematteo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Shacochis is a compassionate gentleman, indeed. he is also highly adventurous and questions the status quo. i like this. nonetheless, due to run-on-sentences galore, which are all too often inchoate unless the reader is brilliant and/or completely relaxed, i found myself often infuriated or extremely frustrated at his writing style. It seems like he is filled with mixed feelings about his characters, for the most part, which is fine, but I would have liked to have read more about his opinions about Aristide, indeed.

[Erik Graff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully written account of the U.S. occupation of Haiti before, during and after the reinstallation of Aristide to the presidency in the mid-nineties. Shacochis works the story primarily from his on-the-ground perspective as a journalist in the country, much of his time being spent with a Special Forces ("Green Berets") unit in the island's north. He ranges, however, much more broadly, covering not only Haiti but also some of the machinations in Washington, D.C.

By this account the occupation was a disaster. Aristide was immensely popular, but his reinstatement was at best a qualified success, his term being almost over and the U.S. government being uncomfortable with populists and the movements supporting them. The existing, rapacious right-wing political infrastructure, a known quantity, relatively well-organized, armed and available, was in some ways preferable to elements of the government and, especially, to U.S. intelligence services such as the C.I.A. The consequence was a muddled policy effectively supportive of the old elites against the democratic upsurgence Aristide represented--and, of course, much frustration of the part of the restored elected government and the troops supposedly placed there to support it.

[Anastasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. This is a dense book by a stellar writer. It was a bit tough for me to get through, especially at first, because of the barrage of information and the confusion...but I think that shacochis did that purposely, and it seems appropriate given what a mess Haiti was when he got there. The sad thing is, this book was written years ago about the US and UN's efforts to lift Haiti out of the grip of violence, and Haiti is not much better off now.
The reason o really enjoyed this book, though, is because it gave what seems to be a very accurate view on how our military works and does not work, how the government is stuck it's ways and has never really accomplished anything good as far as trying to "fix" a country.
Shacochis has great brevity at the end of each chapter. I would recommend this book, but give yourself time to read it...it's for a lot of information and some real beauty in both craft and subject.

[Bill Higley · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enlightening and entertaining read about the almost invasion, and then inept occupation, of Haiti by the USA in the 1990s. The text is an eye-opener on just how dysfunctional the Haitian government is. But in the end, Shacochis leaves you wondering which one is more dysfunctional, the Haitian government, or the Washington policy wonks--who seemed to hinder, more than help, the American armed forces work in Haiti. If you like to read about history, Haiti, or modern US military and foreign policy, you'll enjoy this book.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Talk about being excited by the English language. His style of writing is like a mix between sculpture and painting by an artist using everything at his disposal. He always talks about precise language and this is an example where nothing could be more precise than what he has chosen.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book details the failures and successes of America's invasion of Haiti. It has many interesting parallels to our current invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, and gives a good feel for life in Haiti.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only reason this isn't a five-star book is because it's a bit longer than it needed to be. Much of it is brilliant.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent war-reporting.

[Laura Hamblin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book if you are interested in the politics of Haiti/US.
It could be tedious with detail....But, Is a sorce of refrence. I am personally involved in Haiti and how to help.