What do you think?
Rate this book
Wynne's War
A cultish commander’s secret mission on horseback through Afghanistan “echoes adrenalized silver-screen war stories like Three Kings and The Hurt Locker” (The New York Times).
When Cpl. Elijah Russell rescues an Arabian horse during a firefight in northern Iraq, the young army ranger’s heroism and superb equestrian skill catch the attention of Capt. Carson Wynne. The commander is preparing a secret mission in eastern Afghanistan that requires a soldier of such skill and courage.
Now, Russell is in charge of training an elite special forces unit of Green Berets to ride horses through treacherous mountain terrain. But as they press further into enemy territory, the nature of the operation only becomes more mysterious. Russell grows suspicious of Captain Wynne’s secrecy and the cult-like loyalty he commands. Soon he will be forced to confront an impossible choice—stand up for his beliefs or follow his commander into hell.
“A hard-eyed depiction of modern warfare . . . Gwyn’s novel is rich in equestrian and military detail . . . it’d take wild horses to pull you away.” —Entertainment Weekly
“A gripping tale of men at war in the desolate snow-capped mountains of eastern Afghanistan . . . [Wynne’s War] captures the essence of close combat—the terror, excitement, chaos, tension, and cruelty, as well as the harsh decisions men make under stress.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
“The book pulsates with a verisimilitude that places readers in the war-torn mountains of Afghanistan. . . . Many folks have wondered when American authors would begin producing memorable fiction about the Iraq-Afghanistan wars; with this well-researched, heart-pounding novel, Gwyn stakes his claim.” —Library Journal
When Cpl. Elijah Russell rescues an Arabian horse during a firefight in northern Iraq, the young army ranger’s heroism and superb equestrian skill catch the attention of Capt. Carson Wynne. The commander is preparing a secret mission in eastern Afghanistan that requires a soldier of such skill and courage.
Now, Russell is in charge of training an elite special forces unit of Green Berets to ride horses through treacherous mountain terrain. But as they press further into enemy territory, the nature of the operation only becomes more mysterious. Russell grows suspicious of Captain Wynne’s secrecy and the cult-like loyalty he commands. Soon he will be forced to confront an impossible choice—stand up for his beliefs or follow his commander into hell.
“A hard-eyed depiction of modern warfare . . . Gwyn’s novel is rich in equestrian and military detail . . . it’d take wild horses to pull you away.” —Entertainment Weekly
“A gripping tale of men at war in the desolate snow-capped mountains of eastern Afghanistan . . . [Wynne’s War] captures the essence of close combat—the terror, excitement, chaos, tension, and cruelty, as well as the harsh decisions men make under stress.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
“The book pulsates with a verisimilitude that places readers in the war-torn mountains of Afghanistan. . . . Many folks have wondered when American authors would begin producing memorable fiction about the Iraq-Afghanistan wars; with this well-researched, heart-pounding novel, Gwyn stakes his claim.” —Library Journal
261 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2014
11 people are currently reading
582 people want to read
About the author
Aaron Gwyn
14 books80 followersAaron Gwyn was raised on a cattle ranch in rural Oklahoma. He is the author of a story collection, Dog on the Cross (finalist for the New York Public Library Young Lions Fiction Award), and two novels, The World Beneath (W.W. Norton), and Wynne’s War (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). His short stories and creative nonfiction have appeared in Esquire, McSweeney’s, Glimmer Train, The Missouri Review, Gettysburg Review, and New Stories from the South. He lives in Charlotte, North Carolina where he is an associate professor of English at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
November 12, 2023
Gwyn’s opening quotation consists of a paragraph from Cormac McCarthy’s All the Pretty Horses. It was a fairly gutsy move to bring to mind the power and force of such a great writer as exemplified through such a great novel before even starting to present his own work. It felt like the gauntlet was being thrown down.
To Gwyn’s credit, he holds his own with McCarthy through the first half of the novel. In fact, the similarities in style were satisfying. Like McCarthy, Gwyn uses terse language that speaks volumes of feelings through only a handful of words; and as an added bonus, Gwyn uses punctuation. This first part of the story was indeed about a young soldier’s deep understanding of horses and how that understanding affected his soul and shaped his character.
As the story develops, however, the focus shifts from horses and men’s souls to one about the war in Afghanistan. Gwyn maintains his powerful style of writing, but the magic of realism that McCarthy maintained throughout his novel is lost by Gwyn.
The problem rests with Gwyn’s depiction of his main character. Corporal Russell is a noncommissioned officer in the elite US Army Ragers and is stationed in a hostile country. But he’s depicted as a soldier who thinks he has free will. He blindly judges his captain (Wynne), disobey orders, and deserts his comrades while under fire. And yes, Russell is Gwyn’s character so he can be anyone that Gwyn wants him to be. In reality, however, by the time one makes E-4 in the Army, the Russell’s have usually been found out and relegated to other duties for the safety of those around them.
It was the disconnect between the expectation and the depiction of Corporal Russell that made Gwyn’s story seem more like a story than an actual view into the realities of war. Thus, when all is said and done, the second half of the book does not deliver on the promise of the first half, nor does it stay true to the promise of McCarthy’s opening quote.
To Gwyn’s credit, he holds his own with McCarthy through the first half of the novel. In fact, the similarities in style were satisfying. Like McCarthy, Gwyn uses terse language that speaks volumes of feelings through only a handful of words; and as an added bonus, Gwyn uses punctuation. This first part of the story was indeed about a young soldier’s deep understanding of horses and how that understanding affected his soul and shaped his character.
As the story develops, however, the focus shifts from horses and men’s souls to one about the war in Afghanistan. Gwyn maintains his powerful style of writing, but the magic of realism that McCarthy maintained throughout his novel is lost by Gwyn.
The problem rests with Gwyn’s depiction of his main character. Corporal Russell is a noncommissioned officer in the elite US Army Ragers and is stationed in a hostile country. But he’s depicted as a soldier who thinks he has free will. He blindly judges his captain (Wynne), disobey orders, and deserts his comrades while under fire. And yes, Russell is Gwyn’s character so he can be anyone that Gwyn wants him to be. In reality, however, by the time one makes E-4 in the Army, the Russell’s have usually been found out and relegated to other duties for the safety of those around them.
It was the disconnect between the expectation and the depiction of Corporal Russell that made Gwyn’s story seem more like a story than an actual view into the realities of war. Thus, when all is said and done, the second half of the book does not deliver on the promise of the first half, nor does it stay true to the promise of McCarthy’s opening quote.
January 3, 2014
I haven't had this much fun as a reader in a long time. Wynne's War is a great adventure story, impeccably researched, masterfully plotted, with chapters that blur by like a hail of bullets.
November 27, 2019
Great storyline, but it falls a part at the end. There was no resolution, which in my opinion took away from what could have been a superb novel.
May 6, 2016
Elijah Russel est un ranger américain qui se trouve en Irak à faire une guerre sur laquelle je ne me prononcerai pas.
Il sauve un jeune cheval, on le filme, la vidéo fait le buzz sur You Tube et voilà notre Russel propulsé en Afghanistan en tant que dresseur de chevaux pour que le capitaine Wynne puisse remplir une mission dans les montagnes.
Russel a grandi dans un ranch, il sait comment débourrer un jeune cheval en douceur et jamais il ne le fera dans la violence. Les chevaux et lui, c'est tout un pan de sa vie.
Si le 4ème vante que ce livre se lit d'une traite, moi, je conseillerais tout de même des pauses car le roman est dense, lent et profond, sans pour autant que l'écriture de l'auteur soit remplie d'envolées lyriques. Non, elle est simple mais efficace.
Lorsque je parle de la lenteur du roman, je ne sous-entends pas que le récit soit ennuyant, c'est juste qu'il s'écoule à son aise, mélangeant des scènes de débourrages de jeunes chevaux, des souvenirs d'enfance de Russel, des scènes de la vie quotidienne du camp et des récits de guerres, passés ou présents.
De nombreux personnages se croisent, tous avec leurs caractères, leurs histoires, leurs secrets, leurs blessures. Certains étant plus mis sous les projecteurs que d'autres.
En fait, il n'y a pas que le capitaine qui ait une quête à accomplir, Russel en a une aussi : sa recherche de lui-même. Ayant perdu ses parents jeune, il a été élevé par ses grands-parents et, comme son père avant, il est devenu soldat sans trop savoir pourquoi, comme d'autres.
Si le personnage de Russel laisse peu de surprises, celui du capitaine Wynne est complexe et nous ne saurons pas toujours ce qu'il pense, ce qu'il cherche, ce qu'il veut exactement.
Quand aux récits de guerres racontés dans ces pages, jamais l'auteur ne porte un jugement, malgré tout, on sent bien dans quel bourbier les américains ont posés les pieds en Irak et en Afghanistan. Certains passages sont plus éprouvants que d'autres.
Ce roman n'est pas un western mais un eastern et les soldats américains en Afghanistan ont tout des cow-boys ne sachant pas monter à cheval.
Et même si vous n'aimez pas les chevaux et les récits de combats vous pourriez très bien apprécier le roman qui pourrait se classer dans le western, l'eastern, la guerre, l'aventure et une enquête afin de savoir qui est Wynne.
Mélangeant habillement des scènes avec des chevaux, de la vie quotidienne d'un camp, les questions et les aspirations des soldats, leur peurs, les récits de combats violents, les exactions commises par les Talibans et cette mission secrète que le capitaine Wynne doit accomplir, on a pas vraiment le temps de poser le pied à terre pour se reposer.
Sans être un récit qui se dévore, il se mange tout seul, mais faut mastiquer pour bien digérer le tout. Ce n'est pas du fast-food littéraire, ici.
Un roman que j'ai savouré en prenant mon temps.
Il sauve un jeune cheval, on le filme, la vidéo fait le buzz sur You Tube et voilà notre Russel propulsé en Afghanistan en tant que dresseur de chevaux pour que le capitaine Wynne puisse remplir une mission dans les montagnes.
Russel a grandi dans un ranch, il sait comment débourrer un jeune cheval en douceur et jamais il ne le fera dans la violence. Les chevaux et lui, c'est tout un pan de sa vie.
Si le 4ème vante que ce livre se lit d'une traite, moi, je conseillerais tout de même des pauses car le roman est dense, lent et profond, sans pour autant que l'écriture de l'auteur soit remplie d'envolées lyriques. Non, elle est simple mais efficace.
Lorsque je parle de la lenteur du roman, je ne sous-entends pas que le récit soit ennuyant, c'est juste qu'il s'écoule à son aise, mélangeant des scènes de débourrages de jeunes chevaux, des souvenirs d'enfance de Russel, des scènes de la vie quotidienne du camp et des récits de guerres, passés ou présents.
De nombreux personnages se croisent, tous avec leurs caractères, leurs histoires, leurs secrets, leurs blessures. Certains étant plus mis sous les projecteurs que d'autres.
En fait, il n'y a pas que le capitaine qui ait une quête à accomplir, Russel en a une aussi : sa recherche de lui-même. Ayant perdu ses parents jeune, il a été élevé par ses grands-parents et, comme son père avant, il est devenu soldat sans trop savoir pourquoi, comme d'autres.
Si le personnage de Russel laisse peu de surprises, celui du capitaine Wynne est complexe et nous ne saurons pas toujours ce qu'il pense, ce qu'il cherche, ce qu'il veut exactement.
Quand aux récits de guerres racontés dans ces pages, jamais l'auteur ne porte un jugement, malgré tout, on sent bien dans quel bourbier les américains ont posés les pieds en Irak et en Afghanistan. Certains passages sont plus éprouvants que d'autres.
Ce roman n'est pas un western mais un eastern et les soldats américains en Afghanistan ont tout des cow-boys ne sachant pas monter à cheval.
Et même si vous n'aimez pas les chevaux et les récits de combats vous pourriez très bien apprécier le roman qui pourrait se classer dans le western, l'eastern, la guerre, l'aventure et une enquête afin de savoir qui est Wynne.
Mélangeant habillement des scènes avec des chevaux, de la vie quotidienne d'un camp, les questions et les aspirations des soldats, leur peurs, les récits de combats violents, les exactions commises par les Talibans et cette mission secrète que le capitaine Wynne doit accomplir, on a pas vraiment le temps de poser le pied à terre pour se reposer.
Sans être un récit qui se dévore, il se mange tout seul, mais faut mastiquer pour bien digérer le tout. Ce n'est pas du fast-food littéraire, ici.
Un roman que j'ai savouré en prenant mon temps.
August 13, 2014
(3.5) A modern war story crossed with an old-fashioned Western, this novel set in Afghanistan and Iraq should appeal to fans of Kevin Powers and Cormac McCarthy. Corporal Elijah Russell, a late-twenties soldier from Oklahoma, is following in his father’s (Vietnam) and grandfather’s (WWII) footsteps as an Army Ranger. He gained 15 minutes of YouTube fame in Iraq for undertaking a risky rescue mission – to save an Arabian stallion from the crossfire.
His reputation as a horseman gets him sent on to Afghanistan, where he is responsible for breaking a set of half-wild horses and getting a band of Green Berets ready to ride into the Pakistani hills in search of American POWs. His leader in this mission is the mysterious Captain Wynne, a charismatic blond reminiscent, peculiarly, of both Jay Gatsby and Kurtz from Heart of Darkness.
Gwyn’s action sequences are particularly gripping and will keep you racing through the long chapters despite some rather gruesome material (he’s good at describing pain, as it happens). As the novel proceeds, it becomes less of a Western and more like a conventional war novel; eventually, when Russell becomes separated from his fellow soldiers and has to get by on his wits, it’s more like a classic adventure story – I was reminded of H. Rider Haggard in places – or even a survival tale. I’m not much of a horsy person myself (haven’t ridden in 16 years), but I enjoyed the lyrical descriptions of horse training:
A romance subplot was somewhat less successful for me, as was the attempt at “hayseed” Southern and Western dialect, but in general both the writing and the plotting are quite strong. Gwyn is a professor of English at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte. He researched this, his third book and second novel, by interviewing dozens of veterans, including Army Rangers and Green Berets. You’d never know he hadn’t been in the Army himself. (He was, like Russell, raised on a cattle ranch in rural Oklahoma, though, so that explains his familiarity with horses.)
Also recommended:
The Son by Philipp Meyer
Butcher’s Crossing by John Williams
His reputation as a horseman gets him sent on to Afghanistan, where he is responsible for breaking a set of half-wild horses and getting a band of Green Berets ready to ride into the Pakistani hills in search of American POWs. His leader in this mission is the mysterious Captain Wynne, a charismatic blond reminiscent, peculiarly, of both Jay Gatsby and Kurtz from Heart of Darkness.
Gwyn’s action sequences are particularly gripping and will keep you racing through the long chapters despite some rather gruesome material (he’s good at describing pain, as it happens). As the novel proceeds, it becomes less of a Western and more like a conventional war novel; eventually, when Russell becomes separated from his fellow soldiers and has to get by on his wits, it’s more like a classic adventure story – I was reminded of H. Rider Haggard in places – or even a survival tale. I’m not much of a horsy person myself (haven’t ridden in 16 years), but I enjoyed the lyrical descriptions of horse training:
“You didn’t whip the horse. You did nothing to hurt him. You brought only discipline, and discipline done right was an art form in itself. You had to be an artist. You made the wrong thing feel like work for the horse and the right thing feel like relief. Wrong thing difficult, right thing easy. Wrong thing pressure, right thing release.”
A romance subplot was somewhat less successful for me, as was the attempt at “hayseed” Southern and Western dialect, but in general both the writing and the plotting are quite strong. Gwyn is a professor of English at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte. He researched this, his third book and second novel, by interviewing dozens of veterans, including Army Rangers and Green Berets. You’d never know he hadn’t been in the Army himself. (He was, like Russell, raised on a cattle ranch in rural Oklahoma, though, so that explains his familiarity with horses.)
Also recommended:
The Son by Philipp Meyer
Butcher’s Crossing by John Williams
August 25, 2017
I'm fairly sure I'm being unfair with Gwyn. His is the first book I read on the decades-long Afghan war. And I must say that it's probably a good war book. There's action, there's values, there's manhood, there's blood and fraternity. And there's a nurse. There's always a nurse. The kind of action is quite different from other books I've read, situations are new and Talibs are not Congs. On the other hand, the overuse of acronyms is a constant in US military stories!
My problem is that I don't like war books, that's it. I hate heroism, I dislike the Manichaeism involved in war action, I get goosebumps when the good guys (our boys) have nuances and degrees of goodness, while the others are plain bad, I get bored with combat descriptions (it's worse with films where the good and the bad fight for hours on end). And then, why a virile world, a man's universe must include a single woman, not a company of them, just one, so that there's romance and a happy ending?
Anyway, the book is well written. You smell the creative writing student in the author, you spend a good time and, even though you don't come out wiser, you do it the more entertained.
My problem is that I don't like war books, that's it. I hate heroism, I dislike the Manichaeism involved in war action, I get goosebumps when the good guys (our boys) have nuances and degrees of goodness, while the others are plain bad, I get bored with combat descriptions (it's worse with films where the good and the bad fight for hours on end). And then, why a virile world, a man's universe must include a single woman, not a company of them, just one, so that there's romance and a happy ending?
Anyway, the book is well written. You smell the creative writing student in the author, you spend a good time and, even though you don't come out wiser, you do it the more entertained.
June 19, 2023
I've got no desire to be a soldier and I find the military industrial complex to be an awful institution, but I find I admire stories about soldiers quite a bit. The Things They Carried is one of my all-time favorite books. Gwyn writes with a strong humanism towards soldiers and their stories. This novel is not full of patriotic jingoism, nor is it a petty, one-sided takedown. Instead, it examines what drives these people and the actions they take through the lens of fiction. Gwyn's characters mostly feel alive and real.
From a craft standpoint, I especially the way he incorporates technical names and process/methodology into the storytelling, from the names of sheaths for knives to the process for breaking a horse to the process of preparing weaponry. Gwyn is also one of the great writers of violence, up there with McCarthy, Percy, O'Brien, and Hammett.
I highly recommend this.
From a craft standpoint, I especially the way he incorporates technical names and process/methodology into the storytelling, from the names of sheaths for knives to the process for breaking a horse to the process of preparing weaponry. Gwyn is also one of the great writers of violence, up there with McCarthy, Percy, O'Brien, and Hammett.
I highly recommend this.
October 21, 2017
This was a tough read.
Poor character development except for the lead Ranger and his buddy Wheels. I believe the editing team worked a lot of OT to bring this book to the finish line.
Very slow start. I found there was an unnecessary overload on how to break a horse to saddle.
The Female character (nurse) was also very undeveloped in character and just did not fit well inside the narrative. Her place in the story is so superficial.
Second half of book was much better. Narrative moved fast and created good tension and interest.
Overall, The plot seemed forced. My mind wandered back to my youth.......Alan Quartermaine linking up with the Green Berets.
Finally, unless things have changed since I wore an Army uniform there is no corporal rank in the army. Went out after Korea.
If this was author's first book I will give him a passing grade.
Poor character development except for the lead Ranger and his buddy Wheels. I believe the editing team worked a lot of OT to bring this book to the finish line.
Very slow start. I found there was an unnecessary overload on how to break a horse to saddle.
The Female character (nurse) was also very undeveloped in character and just did not fit well inside the narrative. Her place in the story is so superficial.
Second half of book was much better. Narrative moved fast and created good tension and interest.
Overall, The plot seemed forced. My mind wandered back to my youth.......Alan Quartermaine linking up with the Green Berets.
Finally, unless things have changed since I wore an Army uniform there is no corporal rank in the army. Went out after Korea.
If this was author's first book I will give him a passing grade.
September 30, 2019
The plot of the story was good, but it seemed like the book should have been longer to build more of the characters. It was never clear what Captain Wynne's true motive was, but maybe that was by design of the author to leave it up to reader interpretation. When the story for Captain Wynne ended with him riding off, I wasn't sure where he was going, if he had accomplished what he set out to do, if he was moving on, or heading back to the base. I think the character of Sara could have also benefited from some additional context or background. As it was, she seemed like a last minute addition to the story that didn't really add much. The book was an enjoyable read, and I would read another of the author's books.
August 29, 2024
What a book. I came across this one because author Aaron Gwyn teaches a class and has an extensive blog dedicated to Cormac McCarthy and Blood Meridian. After reading through Blood Meridian again and reading the blog, I became a follower of Aaron Gwyn. I immediately ordered his book and finally got a chance to work through it this summer. It's so good. All the Pretty Horses is my favorite McCarthy book and the storyline about the horses in Wynne's War was fantastic. I loved the protagonist, a John Grady Cole type, quiet, confident, and good morals. Gwyn's writing was great, simple dialogue and he gives the reader a lot of space to create the details themselves. Good stuff.
July 5, 2019
I wasn't there, but friends were. The special ops war in Afghanistan took many turns "off the books" and this reads as if it could have happened. Other reviewers did not like the detailed focus on the horse training content, but for me that was the key to the whole thing - forming relationships, understanding "the other". And the main character was not able to get a clear understanding of his leader - the source of the tension in the plot. BTW, she isn't a nurse, she's a medic
August 1, 2020
This is one of those books that I read at the right time-had I read it 5 years ago, it wouldn't have resonated as deeply.
I listened to the audio which was fantastic-great narrator, but I need to buy my own copy so I can revisit this.
Horses, war, Afghanistan...
I had the pleasure of taking Aaron Gwyn's class at UNCC. We always talked in class about putting horses on the cover of your book. Really pleased that the first book of his that I read was so good.
I listened to the audio which was fantastic-great narrator, but I need to buy my own copy so I can revisit this.
Horses, war, Afghanistan...
I had the pleasure of taking Aaron Gwyn's class at UNCC. We always talked in class about putting horses on the cover of your book. Really pleased that the first book of his that I read was so good.
March 18, 2024
Great read and a page turner. There are areas that remind me of Cormac McCarthy, specifically Blood Meridian around the themes and some of the language. Its a bit more approachable than McCarthy in my opinion which is likely what helps with that “page turner,” moniker. While there are levels to the prose, you don’t need to force yourself to reread passages repeatedly to ensure you’re getting the essence of the story. Definitely worth picking up for literary, western and war story aficionados.
August 18, 2024
I have to say I really enjoyed this book. When I started reading this it felt a little too stereotypical or maybe like the author was trying too hard to write a book that would fit a script for a movie. That being said the further I got into it the writing took over. The writing is really good, really really good. By the time I was in the latter half of the book it really seemed to find its own voice plot wise and I loved the ending. I look forward to reading more of Gwyn's writing.
April 2, 2025
In Afghanistan, Ranger corporal Elijah Russell, an expert horseman, is charged with the responsibility of training a unit of Green Berets to ride horses to be ridden on a mission into an extremely rugged and treacherous mountainous region.
There are many plot twists to the story and they aren't all due to the mission or the terrain.
This may sound farfetched, but isn't; a similar mission did take place in Afghanistan.
There are many plot twists to the story and they aren't all due to the mission or the terrain.
This may sound farfetched, but isn't; a similar mission did take place in Afghanistan.
July 16, 2021
Well, damn, this book blew me away. An absolutely amazing perspective on the Afghan war.
May 26, 2022
An incredibly well written novel that spares no details regarding the ravishes of war on the men and women alike who serve under incompressible conditions. You can not read this and not be moved.
May 15, 2024
Finished while in London.
June 11, 2024
It is not often that I read a “perfect” book. This doesn’t mean that this novel is the best book I’ve ever read, it means that there is not a wasted sentence or scene. Think of it as a little bit of “Heart of Darkness” and Apocalypse Now. Carson Wynne is one of my favorite characters ever.
March 20, 2025
Enjoyable soldiers take set on horseback in the American Taliban war. The focus is all on the American soldiers with strongly drawn characters. Very little attention on the countries or the people that live there. Still would recommend this short entertaining book.
February 13, 2017
I imagine Aaron Gwyn sitting in a room listening to soldiers and former soldiers telling their stories. Perhaps it's a barbershop and he's getting his hair cut short like he believes the men in the room had when they were deployed. He listens to one of the men talk of being stationed in the mountains of Afghanistan. His hair is long and he wears a beard. It becomes clear to Gwyn that this was how the men groomed themselves in Afghanistan, and he wishes he wasn't getting the cropped military cut. The man tells a story of how Special Forces used horses to patrol the mountains. A few of the men laugh, but the man continues with his story. He says these men would ride in coated in the dust of the trails like ghosts, their beards and hair the color of the mountains, their horses as gaunt as the men, grizzled, muscled, hard as their stares. Gwyn hears this and imagines a story like one written by Cormac McCarthy, but the borderlands in this story are the mountains between Pakistan and Afghanistan. This is Wynne's War, and Gwyn doesn't shy from it, his epigraph being from McCarthy's All The Pretty Horses. Gwyn could have easily fallen into the trap of mimicking McCarthy, but he has crafted his own story and it's a good one. I discovered Gwyn in the novella anthology You and Me and the Devil Make Three, which is the name of Gwyn's story in that book. He held his own with Jess Walter and Luis Alberto Urrea. Wynne's War may not be as original or as good as his shorter fiction, but it is very good.
July 5, 2014
A 4.5
This was a powerful and intense book, the most intense I have read in some time. It so affected me, that I had dreams (luckily not nightmares) about it. The subject of war obviously added to the intensity, but I have a feeling that if Gwyn were writing about butterflies or buttercups, the intensity would still be there. His writing is very dynamic.
I feel fortunate to have stumbled upon the book. The author was recently on Minnesota Public Radio, and I happened to tune in. I was so impressed, I had to pick up his book.
The horse breaking scene was breathless. After finishing the book, I went back and reread those 10 pages. They are amazing. Forget about being able to visualize what the author is writing, I was there! I was alongside Russell in pen. In the middle of it is my favorite line of the book:
“He wasn’t going to hurt her, but the horse didn’t necessarily believe that and, like all creature, only knew what she knew.”
I have never been around horses, but I was very drawn in by their presence in the book. Their physical descriptions in the book are captivating, but their spiritual nature even more so. The horses are a continuation of the men who ride them. They are a fragile representation of the men’s souls. And because of their fragility, the horses are kept out of harm’s way. The horses are kept from seeing the evil that surrounds them.
Spoilers ahead:
I am not a fan of war stories, or the glorification of war. So I was pleased at Gwyn’s perspective. He does not hide the horrors of war, nor hide the horrible things they do to people. The ending is so finely balanced, that as much as I agree with Russell’s actions, I can’t fault Wynne’s principles. Russell wants to save Wheels, his brother. But Wynne wants to save countless others he has never met. The actions of both men leave plenty of room for debate about “the greater good,” and “ends justifying the means.”
Gwyn’s writing taps into a powerful truth about life, that we are all broken and less than whole. We are all only fragments, looking for other fragments to gain a sense of whole. Russell is at times hypnotized by Wynne, because he is able to offer the sense of wholeness he craves. But ultimately he rejects what Wynne’s wholeness offers. Instead he will try Sara, and hope their fragments can be bound together into something greater.
Bravo Gwyn!
This was a powerful and intense book, the most intense I have read in some time. It so affected me, that I had dreams (luckily not nightmares) about it. The subject of war obviously added to the intensity, but I have a feeling that if Gwyn were writing about butterflies or buttercups, the intensity would still be there. His writing is very dynamic.
I feel fortunate to have stumbled upon the book. The author was recently on Minnesota Public Radio, and I happened to tune in. I was so impressed, I had to pick up his book.
The horse breaking scene was breathless. After finishing the book, I went back and reread those 10 pages. They are amazing. Forget about being able to visualize what the author is writing, I was there! I was alongside Russell in pen. In the middle of it is my favorite line of the book:
“He wasn’t going to hurt her, but the horse didn’t necessarily believe that and, like all creature, only knew what she knew.”
I have never been around horses, but I was very drawn in by their presence in the book. Their physical descriptions in the book are captivating, but their spiritual nature even more so. The horses are a continuation of the men who ride them. They are a fragile representation of the men’s souls. And because of their fragility, the horses are kept out of harm’s way. The horses are kept from seeing the evil that surrounds them.
Spoilers ahead:
I am not a fan of war stories, or the glorification of war. So I was pleased at Gwyn’s perspective. He does not hide the horrors of war, nor hide the horrible things they do to people. The ending is so finely balanced, that as much as I agree with Russell’s actions, I can’t fault Wynne’s principles. Russell wants to save Wheels, his brother. But Wynne wants to save countless others he has never met. The actions of both men leave plenty of room for debate about “the greater good,” and “ends justifying the means.”
Gwyn’s writing taps into a powerful truth about life, that we are all broken and less than whole. We are all only fragments, looking for other fragments to gain a sense of whole. Russell is at times hypnotized by Wynne, because he is able to offer the sense of wholeness he craves. But ultimately he rejects what Wynne’s wholeness offers. Instead he will try Sara, and hope their fragments can be bound together into something greater.
Bravo Gwyn!
April 8, 2016
Wynne's War is a war story and a western with a bit of A Few Good Men thrown in as well. It starts out in Iraq where Army Ranger Elijah Russell is filmed rescuing a horse during a firefight and becomes a YouTube sensation. Russell and his buddy are taken out of Iraq to a remote base in Afghanistan. Russell is tasked with training horses for a special forces unit to use against Taliban fighters. They want horses because they are quiet compared to any motorized vehicle, can go places where four-wheelers can't and never need to be re-fueled so long as there is available grass.
Russell grew up breaking horses and a great deal of the first third of the book is about Russell thinking about his childhood and detailing his "horse whisperer" style of breaking horses.
The charismatic leader of this special forces unit, Captain Wynne, is a mystery and so is his real goal with these horses. Russell can't quite figure him out and when he and his buddy are drawn into their first real mission with the horses he just has a feeling that there is more to this mission than meets the eye and that is not good.
I enjoyed the "horse training" part of this book and I admire author Aaron Gwyn's ability to describe a firefight but, on the whole, I felt the book fell short. It left me with a lot more questions than answers and the ending was way too abrupt considering the time and care taken to even get to the heart of the story. I just felt like asking, "Is that it?"
http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/
Russell grew up breaking horses and a great deal of the first third of the book is about Russell thinking about his childhood and detailing his "horse whisperer" style of breaking horses.
The charismatic leader of this special forces unit, Captain Wynne, is a mystery and so is his real goal with these horses. Russell can't quite figure him out and when he and his buddy are drawn into their first real mission with the horses he just has a feeling that there is more to this mission than meets the eye and that is not good.
I enjoyed the "horse training" part of this book and I admire author Aaron Gwyn's ability to describe a firefight but, on the whole, I felt the book fell short. It left me with a lot more questions than answers and the ending was way too abrupt considering the time and care taken to even get to the heart of the story. I just felt like asking, "Is that it?"
http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/
March 7, 2014
My review for this book was published in the 2/15/14 issue of Library Journal:
For his latest novel, Gwyn (Dog on the Cross) spoke with military personnel, including Green Berets and Army Rangers, and his efforts show: the book pulsates with a verisimilitude that places readers in the war-torn mountains of Afghanistan. When Cpl. Elijah Russell unwittingly reveals his expert horsemanship during a firefight in Iraq, he and his best friend are reassigned to an elite Special Forces unit. He soon realizes why he was summoned: the team, led by its beloved and enigmatic captain, needs Russell to get its stable of horses in riding shape for a covert mission. As the squad approaches the Afghan-Pakistani border, Russell begins questioning this stealth operation. Is it really, as the captain says, about rescuing prisoners of war? What about all this treasure they keep finding? And who exactly is this Captain Wynne, a former hedge fund manager, and what are his true motives? The battle scenes are unabashedly graphic, but readers will be too caught up in their vivid realism to mind. VERDICT Many folks have wondered when American authors would begin producing memorable fiction about the Iraq-Afghanistan wars; with this well-researched, heart-pounding novel, Gwyn stakes his claim.
Copyright ©2014 Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. Reprinted with permission
For his latest novel, Gwyn (Dog on the Cross) spoke with military personnel, including Green Berets and Army Rangers, and his efforts show: the book pulsates with a verisimilitude that places readers in the war-torn mountains of Afghanistan. When Cpl. Elijah Russell unwittingly reveals his expert horsemanship during a firefight in Iraq, he and his best friend are reassigned to an elite Special Forces unit. He soon realizes why he was summoned: the team, led by its beloved and enigmatic captain, needs Russell to get its stable of horses in riding shape for a covert mission. As the squad approaches the Afghan-Pakistani border, Russell begins questioning this stealth operation. Is it really, as the captain says, about rescuing prisoners of war? What about all this treasure they keep finding? And who exactly is this Captain Wynne, a former hedge fund manager, and what are his true motives? The battle scenes are unabashedly graphic, but readers will be too caught up in their vivid realism to mind. VERDICT Many folks have wondered when American authors would begin producing memorable fiction about the Iraq-Afghanistan wars; with this well-researched, heart-pounding novel, Gwyn stakes his claim.
Copyright ©2014 Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. Reprinted with permission
October 9, 2014
Do "children of adversity" make exceptional warriors?
This was a different type of war book, tying horses and warfare together in modern-day Afghanistan and Pakistan. I tend to think of armored vehicles, such as humvees when I think of conflicts in the Middle East, not Appaloosas.
Corporal Elijah Russell, an Oklahoma ranchman and a skilled horseman, sold off the family ranch after the grandfather who raised him dies. He decides to become an Army Ranger like his grandfather and father before him.
He ends up rescuing a horse and happens to be filmed by BBC, which puts him on a path that he would have never guessed when he joined the Army.
The military jargon rang true but some of the horse events (and military conflicts) were a little unbelievable. But I enjoyed this tale. I enjoyed the horse whisperer side of Russell, his battle-buddy Texan "Wheels" and the side romance with nurse Sara.
Parts of the adventure/war novel brought back memories of the George Clooney movie "Three Kings."
I recommend this tale to anyone who likes war novels or horse stories or fast-paced action tales.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
This was a different type of war book, tying horses and warfare together in modern-day Afghanistan and Pakistan. I tend to think of armored vehicles, such as humvees when I think of conflicts in the Middle East, not Appaloosas.
Corporal Elijah Russell, an Oklahoma ranchman and a skilled horseman, sold off the family ranch after the grandfather who raised him dies. He decides to become an Army Ranger like his grandfather and father before him.
He ends up rescuing a horse and happens to be filmed by BBC, which puts him on a path that he would have never guessed when he joined the Army.
The military jargon rang true but some of the horse events (and military conflicts) were a little unbelievable. But I enjoyed this tale. I enjoyed the horse whisperer side of Russell, his battle-buddy Texan "Wheels" and the side romance with nurse Sara.
Parts of the adventure/war novel brought back memories of the George Clooney movie "Three Kings."
I recommend this tale to anyone who likes war novels or horse stories or fast-paced action tales.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Want to read
October 5, 2018Engrossing war narrative told from perspective of unlikely central character. The novel relies heavily, at times too much so, on some of its predecessors--Conrad's HoD, McCarthy's ATPH and BM, and O'Brien's TTTC. Interesting repositioning of Western genre plot devices, but doesn't break new ground there, really. The motivation is still vengeance and justice, the enemy is still shadowy, savage, and clad in black. The Afghan scouts and hostlers are as unknown as McCarthy's Delaware scouts or Mexican hands. The love story with Sara is a bit forced, a little too convenient maybe. Wynne ends up being more interesting than Russell, unfortunately. There are far more Russells than Wynnes in the world. Pacing is rushed in a few places, and doesn't always have the gravity a story of this type often strikes in other writers' hands. Still, action-driven and thoughtful (don't always get both). Likely easily adopted for an upper level lit course.
Themes and devices: ethics of war, cowboying, grandfather paternalism, Western genre plot devices, mental health, realistic battle scenes through description and lingo, post 9/11 patriotism, heroism and warrior mystique, life after military service.
Themes and devices: ethics of war, cowboying, grandfather paternalism, Western genre plot devices, mental health, realistic battle scenes through description and lingo, post 9/11 patriotism, heroism and warrior mystique, life after military service.
June 15, 2014
I liked this adventure yarn very much. Without writing in the same style, Gwyn gives us the kind of story Desmond Bagley, Hammond Innes or Alistair MacLean used to entertain us with. Recently I read and enjoyed "Suspects", by Robert Crais, which has a police dog as a central character. In this outing, Gwyn takes us far away to Afghanistan and introduces us to a special Special Forces group which has snatched up a soldier with a knack for working with horses. The training and uses of the animals is intermixed with a possible love story, a buddy story and a putative mission to hunt down a POW camp. In Afghanistan one never knows.
Riveting and well written, this is a page turner par excellence.
Recommended.
Riveting and well written, this is a page turner par excellence.
Recommended.
August 22, 2014
"Set in the mountainous terrain of eastern Afghanistan, the story follows a Special Forces unit on a mission by horseback." If you: (a) love war stories AND (b) love training horses, then WYNNE'S WAR is the book for you. Unfortunately, that genre is so specific and neither truly appeal to me, so I cannot say that I really enjoyed this book. However, other than the subject matter, the book seems well-written descriptive-wise, but the story wasn't engaging enough to truly grab me as an "outsider." It felt slow-paced without a lot of character development. 100 pages in, I still couldn't identify with any one character. It's a modern-day WAR HORSE without the emotional impact.
November 11, 2015
The central conceit of this book started with the protagonist and his training of horses to be used on an unknown mission in Afghanistan. The author lovingly goes through great detail about horses and their paraphernalia - an interesting parallel to other authors of wartime stories who lovingly write about weapons (especially sniper rifles). Anyway, the book veers off course into a sort of Heart of Darkness vector.
Bottom line, there are many other books that do a much better job of telling a story of the war in Afghanistan - and I'm only thinking of the non-fiction ones. Book lacked a good sense of being 'there' for the reader.
Bottom line, there are many other books that do a much better job of telling a story of the war in Afghanistan - and I'm only thinking of the non-fiction ones. Book lacked a good sense of being 'there' for the reader.
December 30, 2014
One of the best, if not the best, novels I have read this year. This is now one of my favorite military books. This author is a great writer, and this book is a great story. I am personally tired of books about war, but this one is different. It is unique, engaging, and the writing draws you into the characters.
Highly recommended to my friends who know the types of books I enjoy; this is one to keep.
Highly recommended to my friends who know the types of books I enjoy; this is one to keep.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews