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Places and Names: On War, Revolution, and Returning
From a decorated Marine war veteran and National Book Award finalist, an astonishing reckoning with the nature of combat and the human cost of the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria.
"War hath determined us..." - John Milton, Paradise Lost
Toward the beginning of Places and Names, Elliot Ackerman sits in a refugee camp in southern Turkey, across the table from a man named Abu Hassar, who fought for al-Qaeda in Iraq and whose connections to the Islamic State are murky. After establishing a rapport with Abu Hassar, Ackerman takes a risk by revealing to him that in fact he was a Marine special operation officer. Ackerman then draws the shape of the Euphrates River on a large piece of paper, and his one-time adversary quickly joins him in the game of filling in the map with the names and dates of places where they saw fighting during the war. As it turned out, they had shadowed each other for some time.
The rest of Elliot Ackerman's extraordinary memoir is in a way an answer to the question of why he came to that camp, and what he hoped to find there. He shares vivid and powerful stories of his own experiences in combat, culminating in the events of the Second Battle of Fallujah, where his actions leading a rifle platoon saw him awarded the Silver Star. In that unforgettable final chapter, Ackerman weaves his chaotic memories of the battle with the formal language of his official recommendation for the medal. He builds these stories into the latticework of a larger reckoning with contemporary geopolitics and the human extremes of bravery and terror. At once an intensely personal story about the terrible lure of combat and a brilliant meditation on the past two decades of strife for America, the region, and the world, Places and Names bids fair to take its place among our greatest books about modern war.
"War hath determined us..." - John Milton, Paradise Lost
Toward the beginning of Places and Names, Elliot Ackerman sits in a refugee camp in southern Turkey, across the table from a man named Abu Hassar, who fought for al-Qaeda in Iraq and whose connections to the Islamic State are murky. After establishing a rapport with Abu Hassar, Ackerman takes a risk by revealing to him that in fact he was a Marine special operation officer. Ackerman then draws the shape of the Euphrates River on a large piece of paper, and his one-time adversary quickly joins him in the game of filling in the map with the names and dates of places where they saw fighting during the war. As it turned out, they had shadowed each other for some time.
The rest of Elliot Ackerman's extraordinary memoir is in a way an answer to the question of why he came to that camp, and what he hoped to find there. He shares vivid and powerful stories of his own experiences in combat, culminating in the events of the Second Battle of Fallujah, where his actions leading a rifle platoon saw him awarded the Silver Star. In that unforgettable final chapter, Ackerman weaves his chaotic memories of the battle with the formal language of his official recommendation for the medal. He builds these stories into the latticework of a larger reckoning with contemporary geopolitics and the human extremes of bravery and terror. At once an intensely personal story about the terrible lure of combat and a brilliant meditation on the past two decades of strife for America, the region, and the world, Places and Names bids fair to take its place among our greatest books about modern war.
256 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2019
141 people are currently reading
2165 people want to read
About the author
Elliot Ackerman
19 books732 followersELLIOT ACKERMAN is the New York Times bestselling author of the novels Halcyon, 2034, Red Dress In Black and White, Waiting for Eden, Dark at the Crossing, and Green on Blue, as well as the memoir The Fifth Act: America’s End in Afghanistan, and Places and Names: On War, Revolution and Returning. His books have been nominated for the National Book Award, the Andrew Carnegie Medal in both fiction and nonfiction, and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize among others. He is a contributing writer at The Atlantic and Marine veteran who served five tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he received the Silver Star, the Bronze Star for Valor, and the Purple Heart. He divides his time between New York City and Washington, D.C.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
August 4, 2019
If there is one thing I've learned by reading history, watching the news, reading the paper, it is that we are never told the whole story. Ackerman, who served five tours in Afghanistan and other hot spots, makes this even more apparent in this book. We are shown on the television only as much as is needed to sway the public to the opinion our government wants us to have. Things are never so clear cut not one sided as they are made out to be. It is hard to gain understanding for countries and cultures we only know from these news feeds. Even after reading this book from which I gained some knowledge, I cannot say I totally understand what we as a whole are doing or why.
This book skips around from his experiences to his return, now living in Turkey and revisiting places he fought, friends he met from both sides. We hear his views and others as well. The rise of different groups such as ISIS were formed due to power vacuums, in Iraq the downfall of Sadaam. That many of those who fought in these wars only to return after their enlistment has ended he explains as follows,
"That so many of us wen to war in this part of the world, only to return, send no surprise. For some of us,the wars have gone on so long that we lack context for life outside of them."
" This isn't a cause, although it can be. This isnt a particular war, but it's often that too. If I were to describe it, I'd say it's an experience so large that you sink to insignificance in it's presence. And that's how you get lost in it."
He explains PTSD, giving a different interpretation that one I thought I understood, to one that the way he tells it makes perfect sense. The story on Berghoff and the hardships of those who are trying to escape Syria. An interesting read for those who want a better understanding of the varied situations in the Middle East.
This book skips around from his experiences to his return, now living in Turkey and revisiting places he fought, friends he met from both sides. We hear his views and others as well. The rise of different groups such as ISIS were formed due to power vacuums, in Iraq the downfall of Sadaam. That many of those who fought in these wars only to return after their enlistment has ended he explains as follows,
"That so many of us wen to war in this part of the world, only to return, send no surprise. For some of us,the wars have gone on so long that we lack context for life outside of them."
" This isn't a cause, although it can be. This isnt a particular war, but it's often that too. If I were to describe it, I'd say it's an experience so large that you sink to insignificance in it's presence. And that's how you get lost in it."
He explains PTSD, giving a different interpretation that one I thought I understood, to one that the way he tells it makes perfect sense. The story on Berghoff and the hardships of those who are trying to escape Syria. An interesting read for those who want a better understanding of the varied situations in the Middle East.
June 3, 2021
Certainly there can be no better person to write a book about his experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan than Elliot Ackerman. This author has been decorated with many of our country's highest honors after serving five tours of duty in places most of us have read about but never really knew. Jan and I discovered in this book a world that held no answers but just a desire to know if the wars fought really in the end have meaning for those lost, and for those who returned all of whom were scarred in some way.
Honestly, it is hard for me to come to grips with this story for it contains no answers only questions as to our involvement in the conflicts we have found ourselves in for many years. Countless lives have been lost, including those of friends of the author and yet we have no resolution, no ending, no ability to see the fruits of our lost soldiers and the work of those who have come back home ladled with illness, stress, and PTSD. How can we reconcile the loss? Is it through understanding of our enemies humanity? Even if we get to know them, as Mr Ackerman was able to do, can the rest of the world understand that humanity can only succeed when the strife between nations ceases. We can declare a win and yet the minute we leave, the radical Islamic groups move right back in. Afghanistan, and to the same extent Iraq, have a tribal culture that has been in place for centuries. How can the US, or in fact any nation, hope to break that? The author points to the futility of the struggle. War does not solve anything really but it does create sorrow, pain, and the unending losses that plagued a nation. It has certainly plagued our nation. They say that there are always two sides to every story, and in this book we get to see the other side, the side that is hidden as the horrific scenes of warfare play across our TV screens and are broadcast in our news outlets.
I live in a military area. I know people who have fought in both Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan, and I have seen the lives they now live. Many of them have medical problems, suffer from combat stress, and yet when or if their country asked them to, they probably would go once again into the war zone. I had to wonder at the conclusion of the eye opening book, whether the author would ever do what he did once again. I tend to think the answer would be no. We can't and shouldn't be the world's police.
Thanks go out to Elliot Ackerman, Penguin Press, and Edelweiss for an advanced copy of this thought provoking book. Also Mr Ackerman, thank you for your service to our nation.
To see both our reviews and an author dialogue, you can go here: http://yayareadslotsofbooks.wordpress...
Honestly, it is hard for me to come to grips with this story for it contains no answers only questions as to our involvement in the conflicts we have found ourselves in for many years. Countless lives have been lost, including those of friends of the author and yet we have no resolution, no ending, no ability to see the fruits of our lost soldiers and the work of those who have come back home ladled with illness, stress, and PTSD. How can we reconcile the loss? Is it through understanding of our enemies humanity? Even if we get to know them, as Mr Ackerman was able to do, can the rest of the world understand that humanity can only succeed when the strife between nations ceases. We can declare a win and yet the minute we leave, the radical Islamic groups move right back in. Afghanistan, and to the same extent Iraq, have a tribal culture that has been in place for centuries. How can the US, or in fact any nation, hope to break that? The author points to the futility of the struggle. War does not solve anything really but it does create sorrow, pain, and the unending losses that plagued a nation. It has certainly plagued our nation. They say that there are always two sides to every story, and in this book we get to see the other side, the side that is hidden as the horrific scenes of warfare play across our TV screens and are broadcast in our news outlets.
I live in a military area. I know people who have fought in both Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan, and I have seen the lives they now live. Many of them have medical problems, suffer from combat stress, and yet when or if their country asked them to, they probably would go once again into the war zone. I had to wonder at the conclusion of the eye opening book, whether the author would ever do what he did once again. I tend to think the answer would be no. We can't and shouldn't be the world's police.
Thanks go out to Elliot Ackerman, Penguin Press, and Edelweiss for an advanced copy of this thought provoking book. Also Mr Ackerman, thank you for your service to our nation.
To see both our reviews and an author dialogue, you can go here: http://yayareadslotsofbooks.wordpress...
February 24, 2020
"But winning battles was never the US military’s problem. The problem was always what came after, the rebuilding."
This was an interesting book and it certainly offered a look at places and situations to which I would ordinarily have little to no access. I appreciate the author's experience and insight as a soldier and journalist, yet I also felt the book was somewhat disjointed. Maybe, as it is essentially a collection, it is normal that some stories spoke to me more than others. I liked that he went to places that were dealing with the aftermath of conflict as well as those still rife with it. A worthwhile read if you are interested in the Middle East and especially how the US presence has affected that region.
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
This was an interesting book and it certainly offered a look at places and situations to which I would ordinarily have little to no access. I appreciate the author's experience and insight as a soldier and journalist, yet I also felt the book was somewhat disjointed. Maybe, as it is essentially a collection, it is normal that some stories spoke to me more than others. I liked that he went to places that were dealing with the aftermath of conflict as well as those still rife with it. A worthwhile read if you are interested in the Middle East and especially how the US presence has affected that region.
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
June 27, 2019
Ackerman joined the Marine Corps in 1998 because having grown up beyond American shores he appreciated the values of what it means to be an American and wanted to give something back. He also wanted to know that what he did ‘mattered’. And then 9/11 happened!
Ackerman was in the thick of the fighting in Fallujah, including a firefight from Hell that lasted 12 incredible hours. The lieutenant commander was awarded the Silver Star for his leadership in that engagement. He served five tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan—some as a Special Forces operative.
This multifaceted memoir reflects Ackerman’s personal journey in trying to understand the turmoil in the Mideast. He talks with Abu Hassar, who fought for al-Qaida in Iraq. Even though they fought on opposite sides, they were both veterans of the same battles. They knew what each other went through!
Ackerman seeks purpose after serving through writing about the Mideast and developing his own traditions to remember those who died alongside him. Never forget! Highly recommend.
Ackerman was in the thick of the fighting in Fallujah, including a firefight from Hell that lasted 12 incredible hours. The lieutenant commander was awarded the Silver Star for his leadership in that engagement. He served five tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan—some as a Special Forces operative.
This multifaceted memoir reflects Ackerman’s personal journey in trying to understand the turmoil in the Mideast. He talks with Abu Hassar, who fought for al-Qaida in Iraq. Even though they fought on opposite sides, they were both veterans of the same battles. They knew what each other went through!
Ackerman seeks purpose after serving through writing about the Mideast and developing his own traditions to remember those who died alongside him. Never forget! Highly recommend.
January 18, 2019
Memoir, essay collection, journalism, geopolitical analysis, personal reckoning and closure after combat?: this collection is all these things. What links the pieces are Ackerman's probing intelligence, emotional honesty and the authenticity of his experiences. The decades of war in Iraq, Afghanistan, now Syria have left their impact on the American psyche (it's no coincidence that Vietnam keeps being mentioned) and have also thrown up authors who have taken their combat experiences and turned them into harrowing, thoughtful, impactful pieces of writing: Kevin Powers is one, Elliot Ackerman another, though their styles are very different. The final section which intersperses Ackermann's memories between the lines of his Silver Star citation is particularly accomplished, a tense, taut, account that puts us at the centre of battle.
From memories of US Marine ops in Fallujah to strange meetings with would-be enemies who turn out to have unexpected commonalities, this is a raw, haunting but also deeply thoughtful and human response to what is happening in the Middle East, and its effects on one man. Unlike previous wars which may have had a defined beginning and ending, for Ackermann's generation of soldiers the only closure possible is one that is self-defining and self-imposed. This book charts how hard the process of letting go is.
(Penguin ARC from Amazon Vine)
From memories of US Marine ops in Fallujah to strange meetings with would-be enemies who turn out to have unexpected commonalities, this is a raw, haunting but also deeply thoughtful and human response to what is happening in the Middle East, and its effects on one man. Unlike previous wars which may have had a defined beginning and ending, for Ackermann's generation of soldiers the only closure possible is one that is self-defining and self-imposed. This book charts how hard the process of letting go is.
(Penguin ARC from Amazon Vine)
May 21, 2019
The author, a highly decorated Marine turned reporter, has a long list of accomplishments. A quick google search outlined his many awards and honors, both military and literary. Very impressive.
It is from his viewpoint as both soldier and journalist that he tries to make sense of a war that “left a wake of destruction, forcing (us) to craft new lives from the ruins”. A war where the paradox is that the greatest achievements are tied to the greatest failures, where victory is tied to defeat. A war where winning battles is not as much of a problem as rebuilding after the battles, both physically and politically. The latter is, of course, a complicated matter in such a politically unstable area. The unintended consequences of war. The author offers no answers, but the questions exist between the lines of his stories.
As the title suggests, the book is a series of essays about the places he’s been and the names of fellow soldiers and resistance fighters. The ‘places’ sections were sometimes difficult for me to follow since I’m unfamiliar with the area. The ‘names’ sections, the human stories, were what I was especially drawn to.
The book ends with his Silver Star citation for his actions during the Second Battle of Fallujah in 2004. Woven throughout the narrative of his gallantry in action are the flashback memories he experiences when he returns as a reporter. It is an extremely powerful piece of writing.
Ackerman’s love of the military and his fellow soldiers is evident in these pages. The human and political costs are brilliantly outlined. I appreciate that the author doesn’t tell us what to think but instead makes us feel and gives us much to ponder.
This was a buddy read with Marialyce!
For our duo review of this book please visit:
https://yayareadslotsofbooks.wordpres...
• Many thanks to Shina at Penguin Press for a free copy of the book. All opinions are my own.
It is from his viewpoint as both soldier and journalist that he tries to make sense of a war that “left a wake of destruction, forcing (us) to craft new lives from the ruins”. A war where the paradox is that the greatest achievements are tied to the greatest failures, where victory is tied to defeat. A war where winning battles is not as much of a problem as rebuilding after the battles, both physically and politically. The latter is, of course, a complicated matter in such a politically unstable area. The unintended consequences of war. The author offers no answers, but the questions exist between the lines of his stories.
As the title suggests, the book is a series of essays about the places he’s been and the names of fellow soldiers and resistance fighters. The ‘places’ sections were sometimes difficult for me to follow since I’m unfamiliar with the area. The ‘names’ sections, the human stories, were what I was especially drawn to.
The book ends with his Silver Star citation for his actions during the Second Battle of Fallujah in 2004. Woven throughout the narrative of his gallantry in action are the flashback memories he experiences when he returns as a reporter. It is an extremely powerful piece of writing.
Ackerman’s love of the military and his fellow soldiers is evident in these pages. The human and political costs are brilliantly outlined. I appreciate that the author doesn’t tell us what to think but instead makes us feel and gives us much to ponder.
This was a buddy read with Marialyce!
For our duo review of this book please visit:
https://yayareadslotsofbooks.wordpres...
• Many thanks to Shina at Penguin Press for a free copy of the book. All opinions are my own.
August 8, 2023
Marine veteran and journalist Elliot Ackerman shares his experiences of war in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as recent experiences dealing with the geopolitics in the Middle East. Some very harrowing experiences and some real insight into Middle East politics and culture.
I read this for a book discussion group and look forward to our discussion of Ackerman's book.
I read this for a book discussion group and look forward to our discussion of Ackerman's book.
April 26, 2022
Half military memoir, half travelogue, and doesn't do either exceptionally well. I've read a lot of war memoirs, and my least favorite are ones like these - that omit anything that might make the author seem cowardly, scared, or unsure of himself, which is precisely the kind of stuff that would make a reader empathize with his experiences more. I suppose after 5 combat tours, you get rose (Or camouflaged) colored glasses about the conflict you're participating in, and can no longer be objective.
What's more, this book is very meandering, and I was frustrated thinking about all of the more interesting stories he probably has that aren't included here. It's like winning an Oscar and talking about how the bathrooms looked. It's so bizarre.
One chapter would be about the Marines, the next would be about the Syrian Revolution - almost as if he wrote according to his whims. I was constantly confused about why, as a Marine Infantry Officer in Iraq, he felt so qualified and comfortable talking about a revolution that occurred in someone else's country. At one point, he says, in reference to his friend who fought in the Syrian revolution - "We are veterans of the same war, the same disillusionment, one where high-minded democratic ideals left a wake of destruction, forcing both of us to craft new lives from the ruins". Yeah, right. Dream on, bro. Maybe a few less high-brow references to classic literature, and more empathy and critical thought?
What's more, this book is very meandering, and I was frustrated thinking about all of the more interesting stories he probably has that aren't included here. It's like winning an Oscar and talking about how the bathrooms looked. It's so bizarre.
One chapter would be about the Marines, the next would be about the Syrian Revolution - almost as if he wrote according to his whims. I was constantly confused about why, as a Marine Infantry Officer in Iraq, he felt so qualified and comfortable talking about a revolution that occurred in someone else's country. At one point, he says, in reference to his friend who fought in the Syrian revolution - "We are veterans of the same war, the same disillusionment, one where high-minded democratic ideals left a wake of destruction, forcing both of us to craft new lives from the ruins". Yeah, right. Dream on, bro. Maybe a few less high-brow references to classic literature, and more empathy and critical thought?
June 4, 2019
This is an honest review in exchange for the copy provided by the publisher.
Phew ... it was a long, painful, and necessary read.
Places and Names is an ideal name for this book as it reflects its mosaic nature. Some might argue that such nature would only make reading difficult, and the book can be unreadable, and the answer is - yes and no at the same time.
Somehow, even though it does not contribute to the evenness of the narrative, it also underlines that there could not be a narrative as it is a book of recollections of people and places from different times.
Even though the perspective is mostly from the current point of view, it is also a military travelogue of sorts. In this book, Ackerman takes us to the places he visited during truce and war, and the impact is mostly on human relationship and introverted analysis.
There was something in the book that made me watch his interviews, and in one of them, he was asked about the military opponents, and he answered sarcastically that he possibly had done something sacrilegious for trying to humanize the people on the other side of the battle field. Plus, the question was really stupid and shallow - thus, kudos to the author for answering with dignity and compassion.
What I liked in this book is the emotional detachment ( not emotional coldness) - the chronicler's POV that documents losses and death in black and white; as a result, making it even more emotionally impactful.
The last chapter was funny in the "cringeworthy" way. On one hand, his attempt to decode the dry and official report language was even hilarious, and on the other hand, it shows what is often hidden from the eyes of a layman - all pain, commitment, fatigue, exhaustion, and military action non-stop.
As I mentioned earlier, this was not the easiest read, and neither it should have been, but a necessary one, and it left a long-lasting impression that is still fresh after some time.
Phew ... it was a long, painful, and necessary read.
Places and Names is an ideal name for this book as it reflects its mosaic nature. Some might argue that such nature would only make reading difficult, and the book can be unreadable, and the answer is - yes and no at the same time.
Somehow, even though it does not contribute to the evenness of the narrative, it also underlines that there could not be a narrative as it is a book of recollections of people and places from different times.
Even though the perspective is mostly from the current point of view, it is also a military travelogue of sorts. In this book, Ackerman takes us to the places he visited during truce and war, and the impact is mostly on human relationship and introverted analysis.
There was something in the book that made me watch his interviews, and in one of them, he was asked about the military opponents, and he answered sarcastically that he possibly had done something sacrilegious for trying to humanize the people on the other side of the battle field. Plus, the question was really stupid and shallow - thus, kudos to the author for answering with dignity and compassion.
What I liked in this book is the emotional detachment ( not emotional coldness) - the chronicler's POV that documents losses and death in black and white; as a result, making it even more emotionally impactful.
The last chapter was funny in the "cringeworthy" way. On one hand, his attempt to decode the dry and official report language was even hilarious, and on the other hand, it shows what is often hidden from the eyes of a layman - all pain, commitment, fatigue, exhaustion, and military action non-stop.
As I mentioned earlier, this was not the easiest read, and neither it should have been, but a necessary one, and it left a long-lasting impression that is still fresh after some time.
July 28, 2019
Oh my.
I adored this short yet weighty accounting of the author’s dealings with war. Ackerman was drawn to become a Marine during the post- 9/11 period, then deployed multiple times to Iraq, then went to Syria as a civilian to see that conflict for himself. This book is long on descriptions of his interactions with the people he encountered, and the newspaper type accounts of dates, places, events serve the human story.
Throughout he seems to “love the questions” more than answer them, and to “live everything.” (Rilke). I love him for this. He has no easy answers, or even easy accounts of events. As someone who has brushed up against just a little of the complexity of war, I truly appreciate his patience and honesty with all that is unresolved in the world and in himself.
Having also loved Ackerman’s novel “Dark at the Crossing” I now think I must read all that he has written. May he have a long and fruitful writing career.
Big thanks to NetGalley and to Penguin Press for the ARC of this wonderful book in exchange for my honest review.
I adored this short yet weighty accounting of the author’s dealings with war. Ackerman was drawn to become a Marine during the post- 9/11 period, then deployed multiple times to Iraq, then went to Syria as a civilian to see that conflict for himself. This book is long on descriptions of his interactions with the people he encountered, and the newspaper type accounts of dates, places, events serve the human story.
Throughout he seems to “love the questions” more than answer them, and to “live everything.” (Rilke). I love him for this. He has no easy answers, or even easy accounts of events. As someone who has brushed up against just a little of the complexity of war, I truly appreciate his patience and honesty with all that is unresolved in the world and in himself.
Having also loved Ackerman’s novel “Dark at the Crossing” I now think I must read all that he has written. May he have a long and fruitful writing career.
Big thanks to NetGalley and to Penguin Press for the ARC of this wonderful book in exchange for my honest review.
December 26, 2019
The First Gulf War, the Second Gulf War, the War in Afghanistan, the rise of ISIS, the fall of ISIS—how are all of these related, what were their outcomes, and what lessons can be drawn?
While these questions will employ a generation of historians, former Marine, erstwhile journalist, and writer Elliot Ackerman’s book Places and Names is a good place to learn about these names.
As a journalist Ackerman meets up with a man who at one fight fought at almost the same time and in almost the same places as did he. Through their conversations the haze and shape-shifting nature of who the opponent is and what is being fought for comes better into focus, although it’s difficult to know if these can ever be made clear.
Ackerman les a rifle company in the hard-fought battle of Fallujah and received a sterling commendation for doing so. Toward the end of the book he includes the commendation, but sandwiches in some of his actually thoughts he had as the events described unfolded. This provides a human and personal to the battle that must be experienced by every soldier in every battle.
While these questions will employ a generation of historians, former Marine, erstwhile journalist, and writer Elliot Ackerman’s book Places and Names is a good place to learn about these names.
As a journalist Ackerman meets up with a man who at one fight fought at almost the same time and in almost the same places as did he. Through their conversations the haze and shape-shifting nature of who the opponent is and what is being fought for comes better into focus, although it’s difficult to know if these can ever be made clear.
Ackerman les a rifle company in the hard-fought battle of Fallujah and received a sterling commendation for doing so. Toward the end of the book he includes the commendation, but sandwiches in some of his actually thoughts he had as the events described unfolded. This provides a human and personal to the battle that must be experienced by every soldier in every battle.
March 17, 2022
“The revolution is over. The war is beginning.”
There are occasional shades of Sebastian Junger in here, but I don’t think that Ackerman comes close to that quality or consistency. So often this flirts with profundity and revelation, but always falls short of delivering either. I kept anticipating the good bit to start, but it never did.
He describes the part he played in the doomed war in Afghanistan as well as the illegal invasion of Iraq, but I found it hard to stomach the nauseating belligerence and glorification of men (dead and alive), who played their part in the invasion and occupation of a nation, which led to the deaths and displacement of millions.
When his mentor is killed by Iraqis, we are told that his funeral was, “Homeric in scale, and the Corps named buildings and awards after him.”
This flag waving, all-American vomit fest would have you believe you were talking about some wholesome guy who was backpacking or raising money for charity?...He was a trained killer who chose to be part of an illegally invading army and he was shot and killed by the people defending their country.
There is very little thought or words granted to the real victims, the millions of innocent civilians, all those men, women and children who had to endure year after year of these crass, meatheads bombing and shooting up their country?...Never mind all the killing, horror and injustice the people of Iraq suffered at the hands of this man and his buddies, this is about the bromance! Hey and this guy is white, educated and he has feelings and can quote art and poetry, so that makes it OK.
This back slapping, dick swinging air of comradeship in killing doesn’t sit well at all, particularly in light of the current illegal invasion of Ukraine. Some illegal invasions are more equal than others (wink wink etc). But what else do you expect from a dark and twisted world when your own incompetent side bombs or shoots you, they still get away with calling it, “friendly”. At one point he says, “When we killed them it felt like murder.” Can you guess why that is?...
In terms of the content, this is a mediocre and forgettable road to nowhere, a series of cold, broken fragments which cannot and do not amount to a coherent or enjoyable read. There are no revelations and seemingly no purpose to this account, a bit like the conflicts he describes.
November 29, 2020
2.5 disappointing stars.
Ackerman employs a spare writing style when sharing his own wartime experiences and it gave me the feeling I was an unwelcome intruder. Although he effectively described the pull of returning to war zones for (some) former military members the book itself felt more self-indulgent than revelatory.
I wouldn't have been so disappointed if the author hadn't written so well about everyone other than himself. Historic passages were first rate. The lack of openness made the book seem jumbled. Chapters/new events took place without flow. Maybe that's symbolic of war, maybe not. I wish I knew.
Ackerman employs a spare writing style when sharing his own wartime experiences and it gave me the feeling I was an unwelcome intruder. Although he effectively described the pull of returning to war zones for (some) former military members the book itself felt more self-indulgent than revelatory.
I wouldn't have been so disappointed if the author hadn't written so well about everyone other than himself. Historic passages were first rate. The lack of openness made the book seem jumbled. Chapters/new events took place without flow. Maybe that's symbolic of war, maybe not. I wish I knew.
February 22, 2023
I bought this book after watching Ackerman's interview with the American Veterans Center. In the interview, he describes the combat, which is also described at the end, but by reading the book I found a far more reflective experience. Ackerman mostly covers the thoughts and actions he took post-war and reflects on American politics in a very refreshing and notable way I have not experienced while reading memoirs that came out of the Middle Eastern Conflicts. I have found that veterans do not typically like to be called heroes, because they feel that the men who sacrificed their lives were the true heroes. This humility is seen throughout the book and really brings the reflections on the brave men who perished to a whole new emotional state.
Fantastic book, read it.
Fantastic book, read it.
January 29, 2020
Initially I was somewhat disappointed because I thought most of the content was going to be about his relationship with a former al-Qaeda member. But this is my fault. I don't like reading too much about a book before picking it up so I just skimmed through the early press on it:
American guy discovers he and former al-Qaeda member have been in the same cities/locations by simply drawing maps and pointing to spots? I'm intrigued. Tell me more.
Well, the book definitely told me more, almost more than my wee brain could handle.
Ackerman bounces around a lot, which I thought was confusing then I realized no, it's the entire messed up series of "wars," "battles," "engagements," etc, fought by so many different groups, that twist and turn through the entire region. Turning friends into foes then back into friends a decade or so later.
Honestly, no wonder things are such a mess. Heartbreaking and so incredibly maddening.
It's a stark, bare bones account of a topsy-turvy world. It's a glimpse into a world where 8 men with old equipment and a single machine gun can make a huge impact on the lives of thousands, and the likely the future of countries, yet everyone else is so busy putting out other fires they don't even notice the 8 men quietly doing their thing. Ackerman does and takes the time to share the experience.
I find after finishing it I quite enjoyed Ackerman's whirlwind, scattered, intelligent and insightful tour of the northern Middle East. It's given me much to think about and a far better understanding than I had from trying to piece together random news reports.
By far my favorite part though was his presentation of his personally edited citation. For a few pages you are side by side with an exhausted, hungry, scrambling man who somehow keeps his wits about him and leads his fellow platoon members through a disastrous, successful month at Fallujah.
In just a handful of pages I could feel and taste the gritty dusty sand; smell the gasoline, burning buildings, and blood; and feel the quake of artillery. Or as much of all this as I'd ever want to.
Ackerman is simply brilliant: in both his writing and his leadership.
So many men and women have given so much of themselves. Oftentimes at a steep price to their families. Men and women from many countries and backgrounds. It's truly humbling.
Thank you.
American guy discovers he and former al-Qaeda member have been in the same cities/locations by simply drawing maps and pointing to spots? I'm intrigued. Tell me more.
Well, the book definitely told me more, almost more than my wee brain could handle.
Ackerman bounces around a lot, which I thought was confusing then I realized no, it's the entire messed up series of "wars," "battles," "engagements," etc, fought by so many different groups, that twist and turn through the entire region. Turning friends into foes then back into friends a decade or so later.
Honestly, no wonder things are such a mess. Heartbreaking and so incredibly maddening.
It's a stark, bare bones account of a topsy-turvy world. It's a glimpse into a world where 8 men with old equipment and a single machine gun can make a huge impact on the lives of thousands, and the likely the future of countries, yet everyone else is so busy putting out other fires they don't even notice the 8 men quietly doing their thing. Ackerman does and takes the time to share the experience.
I find after finishing it I quite enjoyed Ackerman's whirlwind, scattered, intelligent and insightful tour of the northern Middle East. It's given me much to think about and a far better understanding than I had from trying to piece together random news reports.
By far my favorite part though was his presentation of his personally edited citation. For a few pages you are side by side with an exhausted, hungry, scrambling man who somehow keeps his wits about him and leads his fellow platoon members through a disastrous, successful month at Fallujah.
In just a handful of pages I could feel and taste the gritty dusty sand; smell the gasoline, burning buildings, and blood; and feel the quake of artillery. Or as much of all this as I'd ever want to.
Ackerman is simply brilliant: in both his writing and his leadership.
So many men and women have given so much of themselves. Oftentimes at a steep price to their families. Men and women from many countries and backgrounds. It's truly humbling.
Thank you.
August 5, 2019
I enjoy reading veteran authors but had somehow not read any of Ackerman's work in the past. That changed when my book club picked "Waiting for Eden". After that I finished his other books. Though none of his material is considered light and fluffy feel good sh*t of Hallmark, he tells one helluva story.
My favorite like from this memoir in essays was this one (page numbers approximate as I was reading an Advance Copy) - “I wear a black steel bracelet on my wrist. It’s got Dan’s name on it, and the date November 10, 2004. I wear it for him, but for others too. Next to that bracelet is another, a plastic one threaded with pink hearts and blue stars that my three-year old daughter made for me. If it weren’t for the steel bracelet, the plastic one wouldn’t exist. When I think about my wars, and what happened, I do sometimes ask myself if it was worth it. But I’m not thinking about Bush or Obama, or about Iraq or Afghanistan. I’m thinking about Pratt and Ames, and of course Dan, and unfortunately other friends like him. I wonder what they’d say. I hope they’d think what we did for each other was worth it.” – p. 66 (from Expatriates)
My favorite like from this memoir in essays was this one (page numbers approximate as I was reading an Advance Copy) - “I wear a black steel bracelet on my wrist. It’s got Dan’s name on it, and the date November 10, 2004. I wear it for him, but for others too. Next to that bracelet is another, a plastic one threaded with pink hearts and blue stars that my three-year old daughter made for me. If it weren’t for the steel bracelet, the plastic one wouldn’t exist. When I think about my wars, and what happened, I do sometimes ask myself if it was worth it. But I’m not thinking about Bush or Obama, or about Iraq or Afghanistan. I’m thinking about Pratt and Ames, and of course Dan, and unfortunately other friends like him. I wonder what they’d say. I hope they’d think what we did for each other was worth it.” – p. 66 (from Expatriates)
December 4, 2019
This book spoke to me. I have a son currently weighing whether to enter military service. I now better appreciate the weightiness of such a decision for an 18 year old kid. I have read too many books on war. This one is in a class all its own. Only participants in events can truly empathize with one another; good books get non-participants as close to the reality of things as is possible. When I closed this book, I left it haunted by Ackerman's words. I needed them.
February 25, 2022
Given a lot of boost by NPR as the Afghanistan war story that tells it best… I thought it was okay, but no “Things They Carried.” Journalistic in tone, and I got lost in a deluge of names— some who vanished immediately and others who became a big part if the narrative, where it deigned to overarch.
It’s good, about a hard subject, but I didn’t deeply engage— except for the last story, which juxtaposes the flat laudatory language of the military award with his story of what actually happened.
It’s good, about a hard subject, but I didn’t deeply engage— except for the last story, which juxtaposes the flat laudatory language of the military award with his story of what actually happened.
April 19, 2020
The author is without a doubt a good writer but this book feels half finished and lacking real depth.
April 5, 2022
Liked this memoir from Ackerman, a man who had five deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. The memoir touches on many of his thoughts and feelings while deployed at these war sites and in-between deployments, and mentions many of the people he worked with. The final part of the narrative details much of what happened resulting in his being awarded the Silver Star. Exceptionally well-written, this was a very good story. So what kept it from being five stars?
The narrative jumps around so much the reader at times needs a few extra beats to figure out what period or deployment is being discussed. If you put the book down for any period of time, you have to read yourself back into the story. At one part of the book, the author was talking about 2006, and then next was about 2011, and then he returned to 2008. I believe a more linear presentation would have served well in this tale, and would have helped the reader place the time and situation in the overall framework of the times.
The narrative jumps around so much the reader at times needs a few extra beats to figure out what period or deployment is being discussed. If you put the book down for any period of time, you have to read yourself back into the story. At one part of the book, the author was talking about 2006, and then next was about 2011, and then he returned to 2008. I believe a more linear presentation would have served well in this tale, and would have helped the reader place the time and situation in the overall framework of the times.
June 12, 2019
Author Thomas E. Ricks described Elliot Ackerman’s voice as “too close for comfort,” and author Phil Klay said the author “brings a novelist’s skill with language” and “a reporter’s eye for detail.” I can’t put it any more succinctly than that. It felt at times like Ackerman was across from me at a bar, telling me his story about war and returning (both home and overseas). In so many subtle ways, he paints such a visceral tableau that you’re transported to a border crossing in Syria or sweating through your uniform during the Battle of Fallujah. We’ve long been a fan of Ackerman’s work here at Writer’s Bone and he continues to set the bar even higher with each time out. Perhaps one of these days we’ll be able to buy him a beer and hear some of these stories in person. We (and I mean humanity) certainly need all of them now more than ever.
June 17, 2019
It’s hard to square the picture of the mild-faced writer looking out from the back flap of his book with the knowledge that this same man served five combat tours over eight years in Iraq and Afghanistan, in the process earning a Silver Star, a Bronze Star for Valor, and a Purple Heart.
But Elliot Ackerman’s PLACES AND NAMES quickly dispels that feeling of cognitive dissonance. In its 18 loosely connected pieces, the battle-tested ex-Marine reveals his skills as a journalist and memoirist, as he probes for understanding in the ongoing cauldron of conflict that is the Middle East and engages with searing memories of his own combat experiences.
Ackerman’s book ranges as far back as November 2004, when he led a platoon of Marines into bloody hand-to-hand combat in the Second Battle of Fallujah in Iraq. Most of the entries, however, are concentrated in the period from 2013 to 2015, as he ventures to the borderland between Turkey and Syria, amid the Syrian civil war and the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS or Daesh, as it’s known in Arabic), and ventures back to Iraq. Though the book’s episodic pieces are dated by year and season, they’re presented without chronology. That fact, coupled with the complexity of the political and military landscape in which Ackerman dwells, presents challenges for readers not steeped in these subjects.
In 2013, Ackerman settles into a villa in the Turkish town of Gaziantep, near the Syrian border, home to an organization run by an American named Matt, who’s working with international organizations providing humanitarian aid to victims of the Syrian conflict. From there (and later from Istanbul), he ranges into northern Syria, Turkey and Iraq, accompanied at times by an anti-Assad activist from Damascus named Abed, who becomes a close friend. Ackerman comes to view the two of them as “veterans of the same conflict, one in which democratic and high-minded ideals have bogged down in a quagmire of Islamist dogma and sectarian bloodshed.” Together they “reckon with the destruction our causes left in their wake and consider how to move on from the wreckage of our experience.”
Reflective of that process are Ackerman’s conversations with Abu Hassar, an acquaintance of Abed. He’s a former al-Qaeda fighter in Iraq and now an opponent of the Assad regime in Syria, who has spent three years in prison as a result of that opposition.
In a chilling piece entitled “A Thousand Discords,” Ackerman describes an encounter with Abu Hassar, in which his former nominal, if not actual, enemy coolly surveys the roiling conflicts of the Middle East, but then casually pivots to an apocalyptic vision that’s every bit as terrifying as the biblical Armageddon, only in this version the armies of Islam will emerge triumphant.
Though the journalism in pieces like that one is observant and informative, the sections of PLACES AND NAMES more accurately characterized as memoir are its most engrossing. Ackerman’s recollections of his experience in Fallujah, the subject of the book’s final two entries, provide its most gripping moments.
In “Back to the City,” he returns to the scene of some of the fiercest fighting there, observing that “visiting this city as a former Marine feels like walking through New Orleans if your name is Hurricane Katrina.” According to planners, Ackerman’s unit entered the battle facing an anticipated casualty rate of 70 percent, a prediction that turned out to be low.
Among the platoon’s members who didn’t survive was Dan Malcom, Ackerman’s close friend and frequent chess partner. He marks Malcolm’s passing by wearing a black steel bracelet bearing his friend’s name and the date of his death --- November 10, 2004 --- alongside a plastic bracelet made by his own three-year-old daughter. “If it weren’t for the steel bracelet, the plastic one wouldn’t exist,” he writes.
“A Summary of Action” intersperses Ackerman’s description of his Fallujah experience with excerpts from the Silver Star citation that honored him for “a level of bravery, composure under fire, and combat leadership that is beyond expectations.” His goal in fashioning the account was to provide “the kind of things that don’t make it into formal government documents, the personal reflections that fill the lines between them,” and he succeeds masterfully in that task.
The contrast between the often bloodless bureaucratic jargon of the citation and the sheer terror of Ackerman’s retelling is jarring. His is a collection of picture postcards from a trip to hell, focusing on the frantic first few days of the battle, in which he was wounded, followed by house-to-house engagement in a hostile urban environment that at times felt like “a month-long game of Russian roulette.” The vivid descriptions of how he and his comrades fought for survival on unimaginably perilous terrain are as close as one can come on the page to the reality of combat.
Though there’s heroism described on the pages of PLACES AND NAMES, the book’s tone is pensive. Even as he recognizes that “if purpose is the drug that induces happiness, there are few stronger doses than the wartime experience,” Ackerman is weary of battle and grateful to have survived. His verdict on the experience is that contradiction is “hardwired into war too: feeling fear to express courage, forfeiting freedoms to protect them, and, of course, killing for peace.”
With works of fiction like Kevin Powers’ THE YELLOW BIRDS and Phil Klay’s REDEPLOYMENT, and nonfiction that includes Sebastian Junger’s WAR, the seemingly endless conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan already have spawned an impressive body of literature. To that collection of excellence, add Elliot Ackerman’s unforgettable PLACES AND NAMES.
Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg
But Elliot Ackerman’s PLACES AND NAMES quickly dispels that feeling of cognitive dissonance. In its 18 loosely connected pieces, the battle-tested ex-Marine reveals his skills as a journalist and memoirist, as he probes for understanding in the ongoing cauldron of conflict that is the Middle East and engages with searing memories of his own combat experiences.
Ackerman’s book ranges as far back as November 2004, when he led a platoon of Marines into bloody hand-to-hand combat in the Second Battle of Fallujah in Iraq. Most of the entries, however, are concentrated in the period from 2013 to 2015, as he ventures to the borderland between Turkey and Syria, amid the Syrian civil war and the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS or Daesh, as it’s known in Arabic), and ventures back to Iraq. Though the book’s episodic pieces are dated by year and season, they’re presented without chronology. That fact, coupled with the complexity of the political and military landscape in which Ackerman dwells, presents challenges for readers not steeped in these subjects.
In 2013, Ackerman settles into a villa in the Turkish town of Gaziantep, near the Syrian border, home to an organization run by an American named Matt, who’s working with international organizations providing humanitarian aid to victims of the Syrian conflict. From there (and later from Istanbul), he ranges into northern Syria, Turkey and Iraq, accompanied at times by an anti-Assad activist from Damascus named Abed, who becomes a close friend. Ackerman comes to view the two of them as “veterans of the same conflict, one in which democratic and high-minded ideals have bogged down in a quagmire of Islamist dogma and sectarian bloodshed.” Together they “reckon with the destruction our causes left in their wake and consider how to move on from the wreckage of our experience.”
Reflective of that process are Ackerman’s conversations with Abu Hassar, an acquaintance of Abed. He’s a former al-Qaeda fighter in Iraq and now an opponent of the Assad regime in Syria, who has spent three years in prison as a result of that opposition.
In a chilling piece entitled “A Thousand Discords,” Ackerman describes an encounter with Abu Hassar, in which his former nominal, if not actual, enemy coolly surveys the roiling conflicts of the Middle East, but then casually pivots to an apocalyptic vision that’s every bit as terrifying as the biblical Armageddon, only in this version the armies of Islam will emerge triumphant.
Though the journalism in pieces like that one is observant and informative, the sections of PLACES AND NAMES more accurately characterized as memoir are its most engrossing. Ackerman’s recollections of his experience in Fallujah, the subject of the book’s final two entries, provide its most gripping moments.
In “Back to the City,” he returns to the scene of some of the fiercest fighting there, observing that “visiting this city as a former Marine feels like walking through New Orleans if your name is Hurricane Katrina.” According to planners, Ackerman’s unit entered the battle facing an anticipated casualty rate of 70 percent, a prediction that turned out to be low.
Among the platoon’s members who didn’t survive was Dan Malcom, Ackerman’s close friend and frequent chess partner. He marks Malcolm’s passing by wearing a black steel bracelet bearing his friend’s name and the date of his death --- November 10, 2004 --- alongside a plastic bracelet made by his own three-year-old daughter. “If it weren’t for the steel bracelet, the plastic one wouldn’t exist,” he writes.
“A Summary of Action” intersperses Ackerman’s description of his Fallujah experience with excerpts from the Silver Star citation that honored him for “a level of bravery, composure under fire, and combat leadership that is beyond expectations.” His goal in fashioning the account was to provide “the kind of things that don’t make it into formal government documents, the personal reflections that fill the lines between them,” and he succeeds masterfully in that task.
The contrast between the often bloodless bureaucratic jargon of the citation and the sheer terror of Ackerman’s retelling is jarring. His is a collection of picture postcards from a trip to hell, focusing on the frantic first few days of the battle, in which he was wounded, followed by house-to-house engagement in a hostile urban environment that at times felt like “a month-long game of Russian roulette.” The vivid descriptions of how he and his comrades fought for survival on unimaginably perilous terrain are as close as one can come on the page to the reality of combat.
Though there’s heroism described on the pages of PLACES AND NAMES, the book’s tone is pensive. Even as he recognizes that “if purpose is the drug that induces happiness, there are few stronger doses than the wartime experience,” Ackerman is weary of battle and grateful to have survived. His verdict on the experience is that contradiction is “hardwired into war too: feeling fear to express courage, forfeiting freedoms to protect them, and, of course, killing for peace.”
With works of fiction like Kevin Powers’ THE YELLOW BIRDS and Phil Klay’s REDEPLOYMENT, and nonfiction that includes Sebastian Junger’s WAR, the seemingly endless conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan already have spawned an impressive body of literature. To that collection of excellence, add Elliot Ackerman’s unforgettable PLACES AND NAMES.
Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg
November 11, 2019
An interesting and informative collection of pieces that delve into his experiences at war with the Marines in Afghanistan and Iraq, both as combatant and advisor, as well as on his later journalistic career in the region. Some heartbreaking insights into some of the losses he experienced. Some of the reporting pertinent to Trump's removal of US forces from Syrian and the betrayal of our Kurdish allies. I think it would be a good book for young officers to read and add to their bookshelf. I liked how he fleshed out the report delivered for his award.
February 17, 2020
Nothing Ackerman has written equals Waiting for Eden...a profound meditation on life and death, especially getting to death. This book is, essentially, the non-fiction version of Dark at the Crossing. He is a talented writer.
December 12, 2021
I personally prefer Elliot's another book which is a novel acorn the next world war. Maybe the stories about Iraq and Afghanistan wars are too heavy for me, and I never fully understand whether they are worth fighting.
July 5, 2024
A spare, detatched, thoughtful but ultimately unilluminating look at war in the Middle East, this book was A Hard Read, and one that poses many questions but provides no answers.
June 18, 2024
This book is a veteran’s story of war and return to the site of his battles in Iraq. He gives a deeply moving first person experience of both. While doing so, he invites you to ask and sit with profound questions of war, peace, and humanity.
February 21, 2022
He wants to know why I chose to come back [to Fallujah]. “To see what it was like now, I guess.” He looks at me, perplexed. “It is just as you left it.”
Places and Names has been the best book I have ever read on people at war. The writing is elegant. It is smooth as silk but heavy as lead. It is a meditation on America’s experiences, perhaps sin, in Iraq. Ackerman is our guide as we venture together into the violence of the past that remains a constant present for Americans, Arabs, and Kurds who fought in Iraq. He takes us places with which most Americans are unconcerned and learn the names of people they will never meet. The reality is that every American has had an unwitting and profound impact on these places and the lives attached to each name in this book. For eight years, we brought only death and destruction to Iraq while setting into motion things that we did not foresee and things to come that we still cannot see. Places and Names is a carousel in a sense. It takes us on a journey in place as the world outside changes. It shows us things that have been, but like the cyclical path of a rider on a carousel, the things to come are predictable.
Places and Names has been the best book I have ever read on people at war. The writing is elegant. It is smooth as silk but heavy as lead. It is a meditation on America’s experiences, perhaps sin, in Iraq. Ackerman is our guide as we venture together into the violence of the past that remains a constant present for Americans, Arabs, and Kurds who fought in Iraq. He takes us places with which most Americans are unconcerned and learn the names of people they will never meet. The reality is that every American has had an unwitting and profound impact on these places and the lives attached to each name in this book. For eight years, we brought only death and destruction to Iraq while setting into motion things that we did not foresee and things to come that we still cannot see. Places and Names is a carousel in a sense. It takes us on a journey in place as the world outside changes. It shows us things that have been, but like the cyclical path of a rider on a carousel, the things to come are predictable.
June 23, 2023
Places and Names: On War, Revolution, and Returning by Elliot Ackerman is simultaneously one of the best war stories I have read and a big disappointment. I heard an interview with the author on the PBS show Fresh Air and was impressed with his intelligence, sincerity, and thoughtfulness when describing what it is like to lead men in combat, the effects of war on warriors both during and after battle, and the challenges of talking about it all with civilians. When I saw that he had written a memoir, I downloaded it on Audible.
To my great disappointment, the bulk of the book is about the author’s journey through Syria, Iraq, Egypt, and Turkey as a journalist during the battles against ISIS. Only briefly did the author touch on his personal experience with war as a Marine 2nd lieutenant in Iraq during the second battle of Fallujah in 2004, and on several more tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Perhaps due to my American bias or prejudice, I find the whole ISIS thing very confusing and, probably due to war fatigue and the fact that the US was not much involved, a bit uninteresting. Therefore, I had little interest in a great portion of this book.
That, said, perhaps the finest piece of war writing I have read is saved for the epilogue of this book, where the author interweaves his own personal memories and reflections with the actual lines of the “Summary of Action”, a detailed writeup supporting his Silver Star award for valor at Fallujah. His actions at Fallujah were incredibly brave, not least because they took place over several harrowing days and while saddled with the crushing responsibility of leading his marines.
I believe that if Mr. Ackerman wrote a memoir just covering his time in military service and his return home, it would rank at the top of military non-fiction. This was by no means a bad book, just not what I was expecting. I think the issue is one of an author tiptoeing up to writing about some painful memories that he is not yet ready to process.
I am so thankful that the US is finally out of both Iraq and Afghanistan. We need to stop throwing men of this caliber at people who look forward to dying for their god! There is so much to do back home.
To my great disappointment, the bulk of the book is about the author’s journey through Syria, Iraq, Egypt, and Turkey as a journalist during the battles against ISIS. Only briefly did the author touch on his personal experience with war as a Marine 2nd lieutenant in Iraq during the second battle of Fallujah in 2004, and on several more tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Perhaps due to my American bias or prejudice, I find the whole ISIS thing very confusing and, probably due to war fatigue and the fact that the US was not much involved, a bit uninteresting. Therefore, I had little interest in a great portion of this book.
That, said, perhaps the finest piece of war writing I have read is saved for the epilogue of this book, where the author interweaves his own personal memories and reflections with the actual lines of the “Summary of Action”, a detailed writeup supporting his Silver Star award for valor at Fallujah. His actions at Fallujah were incredibly brave, not least because they took place over several harrowing days and while saddled with the crushing responsibility of leading his marines.
I believe that if Mr. Ackerman wrote a memoir just covering his time in military service and his return home, it would rank at the top of military non-fiction. This was by no means a bad book, just not what I was expecting. I think the issue is one of an author tiptoeing up to writing about some painful memories that he is not yet ready to process.
I am so thankful that the US is finally out of both Iraq and Afghanistan. We need to stop throwing men of this caliber at people who look forward to dying for their god! There is so much to do back home.
August 3, 2019
I thought Elliot Ackerman's book Places and Names: On War, Revolution, and Returning would be an excellent choice for rounding out my knowledge of Syria, but I can't say that this is true. Rather it addresses the very 21st century issue of war in the Middle East and specifically the effects on the participants:
"Along the periphery of Syria’s civil war, I often meet veterans of the last decade’s wars, wanderers amidst the Arab Spring’s upheaval. Places like Tahrir, Aleppo, Tunis, and Taksim possess a new and yet familiar allure, promising to replace names we’ve let go: Ramadi, Helmand, Haditha, Khost. When we meet, we talk about the other things we’re doing: field researcher, writer, photojournalist, whatever. Our current “professions” are often described with a shrug of the shoulders, followed by a spell of silence, as if our true profession is the unspoken one—the one we left behind."
Ackerman is very familiar with war in the Middle East as he was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. He has difficulty leaving it and has returned to view the struggle against ISIS in both Syria and Iraq as a journalist. His book is as much a memoir as it is an investigation and we travel with him back and forth through his experiences in the past and present.
Here is a conclusion he makes after observing Iraq's Special Tactical Regiment in action:
"
“What did you think?” Tahrir asks. Before I can answer, he continues, “They’re as good as most Americans.” I can’t disagree, but the conclusion is unsettling. With select units like the Special Tactical Regiment, the United States has managed to create a security apparatus built in its own image. These elite groups are well trained and well equipped and have won decisive battles against the Islamic State in Fallujah and Ramadi. They will do the same in Mosul. But winning battles was never the US military’s problem. The problem was always what came after, the rebuilding."
While this book was not quite what I was expecting , I found it interesting and engaging.
"Along the periphery of Syria’s civil war, I often meet veterans of the last decade’s wars, wanderers amidst the Arab Spring’s upheaval. Places like Tahrir, Aleppo, Tunis, and Taksim possess a new and yet familiar allure, promising to replace names we’ve let go: Ramadi, Helmand, Haditha, Khost. When we meet, we talk about the other things we’re doing: field researcher, writer, photojournalist, whatever. Our current “professions” are often described with a shrug of the shoulders, followed by a spell of silence, as if our true profession is the unspoken one—the one we left behind."
Ackerman is very familiar with war in the Middle East as he was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. He has difficulty leaving it and has returned to view the struggle against ISIS in both Syria and Iraq as a journalist. His book is as much a memoir as it is an investigation and we travel with him back and forth through his experiences in the past and present.
Here is a conclusion he makes after observing Iraq's Special Tactical Regiment in action:
"
“What did you think?” Tahrir asks. Before I can answer, he continues, “They’re as good as most Americans.” I can’t disagree, but the conclusion is unsettling. With select units like the Special Tactical Regiment, the United States has managed to create a security apparatus built in its own image. These elite groups are well trained and well equipped and have won decisive battles against the Islamic State in Fallujah and Ramadi. They will do the same in Mosul. But winning battles was never the US military’s problem. The problem was always what came after, the rebuilding."
While this book was not quite what I was expecting , I found it interesting and engaging.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews