Birding Babylon: A Soldier's Journal from Iraq

by Jonathan Trouern-Trend

Early in 2004, Sergeant First Class Jonathan Trouern-Trend of the Connecticut National Guard began a year’s deployment in Iraq. He had been a birder from the age of 12, so naturally he looked for birds during his free time on base and on trips “outside the wire.” From nearly day one until he left Iraq, Trouern-Trend wrote about his sightings in an online journal that attracted thousands of readers.
Now some of the highlights of his “Birding Babylon” blog are collected in this small, beautiful volume, designed to resemble a birder’s journal. Cutting through the politics of war like birdsong, it reminds us of our imperishable connection with nature; of how birds and their journeys tie the world together; of the persistence of life even in a wasted land.

Genres: Nature, Birds, Nonfiction

80 pages, Hardcover

First published April 11, 2006

Reviews

[نوري · Rating 3 out of 5]

مذكرات جندي أمريكي مهتم بالطيور، والملاحظ من الكتاب كم هي العراق جميلة تحتوي على أنواع عديدة من الطيور النادرة، ما يعيب الكتاب حقا قلة صور الطيور المذكورة، فيما عدا ذلك فهو مرجع هام.

[Steve S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Neat. Literally just a journal of good bird watching, but with allusions to the war around him, even having to bird watch in full army gear.

[Robyn V. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I couldn't stop thinking, as I read each passage, that he was writing these while serving as a medic in Iraq durig war time, on an army base. How remarkable that he took time to take in the nature that was around him. Even though he was not at all descriptive about his every day life on the base, it was not lost on me.

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely only for birders, but worth the read. Snippets of natures beauty amidst horror and tragedy.

[Grrlscientist · Rating 3 out of 5]

Birding Babylon — does the title of this book sound familiar to you? If so, then you, like me, are one of thousands of people who have been reading the author’s blog with the same name. Birding Babylon: A Soldier’s Journal from Iraq by Jonathan Trouern-Trend (Sierra Club Books; 2006), is one of only a handful of published books out there that began as a series of entries posted on a public blog instead of a proposal sitting on an agent’s desk. But even when it was “only” a blog, excerpts were quoted in the media and the author was interviewed at least once (by National Public Radio) while he was still in Iraq.

This small book, designed to resemble a birder’s notebook, is barely larger than a wallet, so it fits easily into a purse, backpack or large coat pocket. Inside its covers is a compilation of selected messages from the author’s blog, arranged in chronological order (blogs are published in reverse chronological order) and edited somewhat for publication purposes. The book is similar to many online bird watcher’s journals that detail their daily or weekly bird sightings. Well, except for two differences; first, the birds listed in this book are not the typical North American species and second, this book was written during the year when the author was stationed at the largest American military base in Iraq, Camp Anaconda, which is just north of Baghdad.

I read this book solely while I was on the subway, and the bite-sized blog essays, consisting of one or two discrete observations per entry, was well-suited for that situation. I was especially intrigued by the subtle but omnipresent life-death dichotomy of a soldier watching birds; observing and learning about the abundant birdlife in this war-torn country; talking to the local people about the animals that inhabit the area. Unfortunately, I found myself wishing the author would provide some details about the story behind this story; the local Iraqis who befriended him, his fellow soldiers, and his favorite birds and their daily behaviors that he observed while he was stationed at Camp Anaconda. I also wished he would have said more about what he saw and experienced while visiting the ruins of the ancient city of Ur. But overall, this little book was an enjoyable glimpse into the natural history of an ancient land. (But perhaps my wishes are the basis for his second book?)


NOTE: Originally published on ScienceBlogs.com. Archived at Medium.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This slim little book was a refreshing read. I’m not sure why exactly. Perhaps the idea that someone immersed in war and death is still willing and able to notice the beauty of nature in his environment. The little snippets of information about life on the base were so interesting in relation to the common behavior of the birds he saw. I only wish this was much longer!

[Amelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I have been blessed with the opportunity to be here, doing a mission I believe in. Because of my job and places I visited, I had perhaps more opportunity to see and appreciate Iraq's natural world than some. One day I hope to return with binoculars but without a weapon."

[لطيفة الحاج · Rating 5 out of 5]

أمتعني جدا
وذكرني بمساق field ecology حيث كنا نراقب طيور "هازجة القصب الصياحة"
❤️

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely for birders only. You won't find much about the experience of being deployed for the war in Iraq in this book, though that is what the author is doing there. It's basically a recounting of the birds he was able to see during his tour, written in very plain language. It was excerpted from a blog, so is disjointed and diary-style for the most part. Don't bother if you aren't seriously interested in birds!

[Carl Whithaus · Rating 4 out of 5]

oh, I just finished reading _Birding Babylon: A Soldier's Journal from Iraq_ about bird watching over there. A friend--who is a pretty serious bird watcher--loaned it to me. It's a pretty cool book--and a very quick read. I finished it in two sittings--one taking my daughter's class to the pool (2 hrs) and a few moments in the early evening. It's based on Trend's blog posts.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little book about bird watching while on a tour of duty in Iraq. There is a great diversity of birds to observe in Iraq!
The author writes:
"I have often been struck by how differently people see the same place."
Trouern-Trend definitely saw Iraq a bit differently than other soldiers. His interest in natural history aided him in making it through military service.

[Dennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the birding (and other nature sightings) blog of an American soldier while posted in Iraq (and briefly Kuwait).

The important thing to realize is that this is, instead of what most people expect in a book, a reprint of his blog. With that in mind, it gives a nice flavor of the climate, the workloads, the danger, and of course the birds in Iraq.

[Amol Kaikini]

Delightful diary of a medic in the Iraq war. The author has been birding for 24 years. His notes give a different insight into the daily grind and mayhem of the war.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another book in my accidental attempt to learn more about the war in Iraq. There isn't much to this book, but the beautiful cover and poetic idea make it worthwhile.

[Donald · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a strange little book from a soldier in Iraq who happened to be a birding enthusiast. Except for one or two mentions of mortars, it's as if there is no war.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciated that a soldier in a war zone was able to enjoy his birding hobby, this little piece of his normal life. I also enjoyed looking up images of the birds that he saw, some of which I will likely never see myself.