Shooting Up: A Short History of Drugs and War

by Łukasz Kamieński

Shooting Up is a peculiar history of the 'highs' of war. It explores the ways in which the military has made most of various kinds of intoxicants from antiquity to the 21st century. The book examines drugs issued to soldiers by armed forces not only for medicinal pur¬poses but--most crucially--to boost performance, raise courage, and alleviate stress and fear. It also looks at psychoactive substances 'self-prescribed' by combatants, taken for self-medication and recreation. Finally, the book covers intoxicants used as a tool of war, either as a feasible non-lethal psychochemical weapon or as a means of subversion. By discussing the risks of the practice of intoxication for fighting power, military discipline and veterans' lives, it vividly demonstrates that the military use of drugs brings mixed blessings and curses. From hallucinogenic mushrooms to ecstasy; from Homeric warriors to the present-day, Shooting Up tells the largely untold story of how drugs have sustained warriors through the centuries and will fuel future war in strange and remarkable ways.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Drugs, War, Military Fiction, Audiobook, Politics

412 pages, Hardcover

First published February 10, 2016

Reviews

[Olethros · Rating 3 out of 5]

-De menos a… casi suficiente, pero entretenido en realidad.-

Género. Historia.

Lo que nos cuenta. El libro Las drogas en la guerra (publicación original: Shooting Up. A Short History of Drugs and War, 2016), con el subtítulo Una historia global, se aproxima al consumo de drogas en la guerra, tanto las suministradas por el estamento militar a sus hombres como las que ellos toman por su cuenta pero también las usadas como armas o fuente de financiación, a lo largo de la historia.

¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:

http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating book, a history of the approved use of drugs amongst militaries. There have been numerous studies of the illicit use of intoxicants by soldiers - it was well documented in the Vietnam War for example - but this is quite possibly the first study of drug use approved, to at least ignored, by the higher command.

From antiquity to today's wars, the author details in exhaustive detail how intoxicants of various kinds have been used for 'Dutch courage', to combat fatigue and stress, to treat PTSD, to name but a few. The book starts with Ancient Greece, Greek soldiers apparently used Opium before going into battle, and follows through to the present day. Some of this will be familiar to readers, such as Hitler's abuse of Amphetamines, but there are many aspects which come as a real surprise, not least recent use of narcolepsy drugs such Modafinil by the US military to heighten performance. The author also touches upon how illicit substances have caused wars, the Opium Wars in China, and Cocaine in Latin America.

For me the most fascinating parts of this study were the small details he brought to the fore from other works. For example he reminds the reader of the passage in Homer's Odyssey where we're told how the grief and sorrow Greek soldiers felt for those who died during the siege of Troy was relieved by "Nepenthe" the "drink of oblivion". This, in fact, is one of the earliest descriptions of Opium as used to treat the effects of war, which they dissolved in alcohol to create an early version of what the Victorians' termed laudanum. Similarly, in the early stages of the Second World War, we learn that "Blitzkrieg was powered by amphetamines as much as by machine."

This is a fascinating study of an important and neglected aspect of the history of warfare, a hidden history if you will, and I would advise anyone to read it.

[Chequers · Rating 4 out of 5]

"La guerra e' stata, continua ad essere e rimarra' sempre una droga potentissima"
Un saggio molto interessante ma a tratti un po' prolisso, si parte dagli eserciti dei romani e si arriva ai giorni nostri, e guarda caso TUTTI i soldati si sono drogati di qualcosa: prevalentemente oppio, hashish e funghi allucinogeni nell'antichita', anfetamine, eroina e cocaina nell'eta' moderna.
Ho trovato alquanto triste il capitolo sul Vietnam, dove i soldati si sono trovati per la prima volta davanti ad una guerriglia, quindi non una guerra convenzionale come l'avevano combattuta i loro padri nella Seconda Guerra Mondiale, in un territorio ostile ed un clima dei piu' ostici.
Quando poi sono tornati a casa sono stati accusati dal governo di aver perso la guerra perche' erano dei drogati e sono stati emarginati perche' accusati di portare la droga " a casa" e corrompere la gioventu' americana!
Consigliato a chi interessa l'argomento

[Maarten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting, well written and well researched. Kamienski gives a thorough analysis of the interaction between narcotics, warfare and society. From vikings and hallucinogenic mushrooms, to Napoleon, hashish & Egypt, to cocaine in World War I, speed in World War II and much, much more. I recommend this book to anyone who reads the title and thinks: yes, this is for me.

[Adriano Barone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Difficilmente leggerete un saggio più approfondito sulla storia dell'utilizzo di droghe da parte delle forze armate dall'antica Grecia a oggi.
Difficile pensare che possiate essere interessati a un argomento del genere, ma nel caso: godetevi questo mattonazzo, dire che è interessante è un grave understatement.

[Laura Oliva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una lectura impresionante...

LAS DROGAS EN LA GUERRA, el título es bastante sugerente, nos encontramos con todo un recorrido del uso de estupefacientes a lo largo de nuestra historia relacionando su uso con la guerra.

De forma inicial nos encontramos con un prólogo muy interesante para explicarnos el porqué de este libro, el autor se va planteando muchas preguntas y va estructurando su estudio, haciendo énfasis en las ironías y contradicciones del uso de estupefacientes, inicialmente en nuestra vida diaria, como parte de la población civil y posteriormente como parte de la población militar, lo que es curioso es que el autor nos plantea que lo que hace que una sustancia especifica sea definida como controlada o ilegal es resultado tanto de una decisión política y del conocimiento farmacológico como de las fuerzas sociales y los cambios de mentalidad, recordándonos que muchas sustancias que hoy se consideran ilegales o de uso restrictivo, en un inicio eran legales, comercializadas en algunos casos como chicles o chocolates.

A partir de toda esa introducción el autor divide su estudio en tres partes:
La primera corresponde a un recorrido de lo que el autor denomina como de la época premoderna al final de la IIWW; la segunda parte contemplan en periodo de la guerra fría; la siguiente parte y ultima el autor la denomina como hacia el presente.

En general el tema que trata el autor dentro del libro y su planteamiento me parecen muy interesantes porque nos habla del consumo de drogas como una intoxicación involuntaria que paradójicamente va en contra de la lógica de la selección natural. Este libro me exploto la cabeza por la cantidad de información que tiene y por todo lo que nos cuenta porque compruebas que tal cual nuestra línea histórica nunca se aleja del uso de estas sustancias.

Si les interesa el tema, este libro puede ser una gran lectura.

[Simone De Silvestri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un'interessante storia della relazione tra droga e guerra lungo la nostra storia.

[Toni Sánchez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este libro me ha mostrado un ángulo completamente distinto sobre la guerra: el papel de las drogas. Lukász Kamieński desmonta la imagen "clásica" del conflicto y te hace ver que detrás de cada frente, cada soldado y cada estrategia había también sustancias que alteraban la percepción, la resistencia y hasta las decisiones de los líderes.

Con esta lectura siento que he perdido la poca inocencia que podía quedarme al mirar la guerra desde fuera. Entender cómo se manipulaba la mente y el cuerpo de millones de personas para sostener el engranaje bélico es brutal y, a la vez, necesario.

Es un libro que no solo revela aspectos desconocidos de la maquinaria de la guerra, sino que también te abre la cabeza para comprender mejor cómo funciona realmente el mundo: crudo, sin filtros y lejos de la visión simplificada que solemos recibir.

[Sigurjón Guðjónsson · Rating 4 out of 5]

While sometimes dry, the book really helps to explain historical events that sometimes seemed unexplainable: the people were drunk or high.

[K Sadov · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned a lot about the utility of intoxicated child soldiers.

[Eduardo Dávila Lynch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Łukasz Kamieński nos guía a través de un recorrido fascinante y perturbador sobre el papel de las drogas en la historia de la guerra. Desde los héroes homéricos que consumían opio hasta los soldados modernos que sobreviven al estrés del combate con sustancias de última generación, esta obra arroja luz sobre un aspecto pocas veces explorado en la narrativa bélica.

El libro destaca cómo las drogas han sido herramientas clave para los ejércitos a lo largo de los siglos, no solo para mejorar el rendimiento o mitigar el miedo, sino también para controlar y manipular a los combatientes. Kamieński nos transporta a episodios históricos como el imperio británico cimentado en el ron, las tropas napoleónicas descubriendo el hachís en Egipto y los horrores de Vietnam marcados por la adicción.

Además, el autor profundiza en las complejas relaciones entre los estados, las fuerzas armadas y las sustancias prohibidas, mostrando cómo muchas de estas drogas, hoy demonizadas, alguna vez fueron promovidas y aceptadas en contextos cotidianos. El análisis incluye desde opio y cocaína hasta creaciones sintéticas contemporáneas, ofreciendo una visión integral de su impacto en las guerras y la sociedad.

Las drogas en la guerra es una obra que combina rigor académico con un relato cautivador, desafiando al lector a cuestionar las narrativas oficiales sobre el uso de drogas en la guerra y su vínculo con la humanidad. Una lectura esencial para quienes desean comprender cómo lo químico y lo humano se entrelazan en el contexto más extremo: la batalla.

#LasDrogasEnLaGuerra #HistoriaGlobal #ŁukaszKamieński #GuerraYAdicciones

[Mia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author put great amount of research work and loaded information and I appreciate all these findings he has sourced for us readers. The book went into depth from the early ages of soldiers experiencing problems that veterans go through today. I contemplated whether giving 4 stars because of the information given was exceptional however as a reader I gave 3 stars due to some parts being repetitive and structured as "hypothetical". Nonetheless it's a fantastic book that enriched me with issues of drugs in war.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written at a PhD thesis level. Very dense but incredibly comprehensive

[Judith Lydia Lydia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why do (primarily) young men seemingly accept reversals of much they have been taught to believe and feel when they find themselves in wartime situations? How are they able to apply violence to achieve ends they would probably never consider in other contexts?

Many of us think we know why, but few lay readers have intensively explored military strategy and tactics. Polish Professor of International and Political Studies, Lukasz Kamienski has written a thought-provoking book that looks at one wartime strategy applied throughout history: drugs used and supplied, often intentionally and on a massive scale, by military strategists to boost energy, to manage stress and resistance, and to aid recovery from emotional and physical pain among defense forces.

This is a lucid contribution about when ends may or may not justify means in wartime, as much when our heroes are concerned as our enemies. Kamienski's calm voice usefully informs what is for many a gripping, inflamed debate. I found it hard to stop reading or thinking about what he had researched and written.

[Heronimo Gieronymus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Neurologist Silas Weir Mitchell, 1892: “None who have not known long chronic illness can conceive of the misery enforced idleness inflicts on a man used to active life. This intensity of ennui, comparable only to that which some children suffer, is eased by morphia. The hours go by almost joyously. Misfortunes trouble no longer. One drifts on an enchanted sea. This death of ennui is the most efficient bribe opium offers.”

Walter Bowart, OPERATION MIND CONTROL (1978): “We have not used germ warfare, CIA propaganda claimed, the Communists had used brainwashing.”

Historian Łukasz Kamieński, 2016: “Thus the ‘Kalashnikov Age’ has given rise to the ‘Kalashnikov Kids,’ who very often go to battle high on drugs.”

[Dr G Mothersole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Repetitive and not well written.

There is a lot that is of interest in this book, but it is marred by repetition and sloppy often contradictory conclusions. Thus we are told that drug use in ww2 was covered up, only to read shortly after that the use of drugs had widely permeated public awareness. Bizarrely, the evidence for this is a book and a film that are virtually unknown.
The author likes to enumerate, sometimes getting to 8 items. Again these often overlap and repeat. We are told that drugs in Vietnam were used to deal with ptsd, and later that they were used to combat stress and anxiety. Sentences are at times lenghty and hard to follow.
In brief, this book needed a good edit to weed out tedious repetition, lack of clarity and cintradictions.

[Niccolò Ceresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally a must read.

If you really want remove any romantic idea about the war, how it is heroic and create "true men" you really should read this book.
Lukas show you, in a very precise and detailed way, how the drugs are at the base of each war and how they sustain the soldiers.
He gives a lot of examples, at first they may even be funny but after the first impression you see the true horror of the war: example in the chechen war some russian soldiers give to the chechen rebels a tank in exchange of Vodka with the promise to not be attacked for a week so they could drink the vodka.

[Colton Brydges · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really fascinating exploration of the interactions between war and drugs throughout history. It demonstrates how drugs have been integral to many wars as a performance enhancer and a coping mechanism for trauma. At the same time, war has led to the spread of drug cultures and addictions in many societies. In spite of a few long winded passages that get a bit existential, on the whole this is an interesting and incredibly informative work of history.

[Francisco Torres · Rating 5 out of 5]

Con alto nivel de detalle y una metodología temporal lineal para el relato, con mucha información de interés relativo al tema. Abarca los tópicos esperados y más. Realmente me sentí cómodo con la forma en que el autor condensa tal cantidad de información y datos relativas al mismo tema, pero con varias dimensiones. Muy recomendado como lectura complementaria a la historia de las guerras contemporáneas.

[Al Spencer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting how intoxicants have been used throughout history to enhanse solders effectivines, relieve stress and ease fear. The use of physotropic substances by various cultures is shocking. The use of various types of speed, opiates has been widespread through recent conflicts.

[Roberto Hortal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprisingly informative. I didn't know modern armies were so drug-fuelled, and that some of this may not be a terrible thing.
Makes me think about whether sport should review some of their doping rules.

[Antonio · Rating 4 out of 5]

The amount of interesting facts in this book definately made it a worthy read but the author aproaches the historical investigation carrying some preconceptions about how damaging many substances are and the morality of drug use.

[Luke Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting... in a lot of ways, way better than Ohler's "Blitzed" - most of it was written in a more academic style, which I personally like?

It did seem like the bits about the different time periods were written in different styles, some of which I liked more than others.

[Vėjas Galvoje · Rating 5 out of 5]

Knyga keičianti nusistovėjusę nuomonė apie kareivius, karą ir karinius konfliktus. Tikrai nedžiugina. Sunku įsivaizduoti kiek medžiagų yra pagaminta karinių konfliktų fone, norint padidinti kareivių pajėgumus ir ištvermę, o šiandien dienai visos tos medžiagos cirkuliuoja civilių pasaulyje.

[Dkettmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book, learned a lot.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book, with good information, but loosely written. As someone said, it reads more like a thesis than a proper book.

[Linden Hazelwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very authoritative.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very academic and slow to read. Many interesting sub-topics.

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb.

[Stargazer]

sample looks great would like to read