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Jarhead
Slightly off-mint
272 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 764 reviews
August 11, 2011
Ahoy. So listen up grunts...
I'm lying on my rack in my skivvies and I'm paging through this book with my dick-skinners while occasionally stopping to pop a rhubarb and custard sweet into my cum receptacle. This is not the suck. It is merely a book about the suck. You'll be able to tell the difference because you will not be getting friendly fucked whilst reading this book and there should be a distinct lack of sand, gasoline or a 120 degree temperature. Obviously if you have chosen to read this book in a sand pit, a gas station or a microwave then you may disregard this last statement.
And whether you regard Gulf one and Gulf two as valid military action (and many in the UK do not), or as a total 100% boondoggle as a result of some serious bum scoop it would still pay to read this book. For one thing Swofford was there which means that he has more of a right to an opinion on the action than many who gained the status of officer chairborne and still passed judgement. The book is awash with a tidal wave of bravado, a hint of madness and two boots worth of piss - yes men in battle piss themselves because bravado is a mask not a diaper - but it canters along at double time and you'll have covered a click before you even realise it.
Another thing you might come to realise is that although this is a book about war it is not a book about war. At least not for the first 178 pages because up until this point the war is still theoretical and the marines are merely the patient, bored guests of the Kingdom of Saud. The book is only 258 pages long so for 69% of this war story there is no war, unless you count inner turmoil as a microcosmic battle ground. Yet you will still want to read this engaging text and that is without someone pointing a M40A1 rifle system at your head which can be a preferred method of military style persuasion . When you finish this you might wish you were dark green or light green and you will recognise that this is Swoffords own exercise in field expendiency because you have to work with what you've got and write about what you know.
I'm lying on my rack in my skivvies and I'm paging through this book with my dick-skinners while occasionally stopping to pop a rhubarb and custard sweet into my cum receptacle. This is not the suck. It is merely a book about the suck. You'll be able to tell the difference because you will not be getting friendly fucked whilst reading this book and there should be a distinct lack of sand, gasoline or a 120 degree temperature. Obviously if you have chosen to read this book in a sand pit, a gas station or a microwave then you may disregard this last statement.
And whether you regard Gulf one and Gulf two as valid military action (and many in the UK do not), or as a total 100% boondoggle as a result of some serious bum scoop it would still pay to read this book. For one thing Swofford was there which means that he has more of a right to an opinion on the action than many who gained the status of officer chairborne and still passed judgement. The book is awash with a tidal wave of bravado, a hint of madness and two boots worth of piss - yes men in battle piss themselves because bravado is a mask not a diaper - but it canters along at double time and you'll have covered a click before you even realise it.
Another thing you might come to realise is that although this is a book about war it is not a book about war. At least not for the first 178 pages because up until this point the war is still theoretical and the marines are merely the patient, bored guests of the Kingdom of Saud. The book is only 258 pages long so for 69% of this war story there is no war, unless you count inner turmoil as a microcosmic battle ground. Yet you will still want to read this engaging text and that is without someone pointing a M40A1 rifle system at your head which can be a preferred method of military style persuasion . When you finish this you might wish you were dark green or light green and you will recognise that this is Swoffords own exercise in field expendiency because you have to work with what you've got and write about what you know.
August 7, 2015
'Jumpin' Jack Flash, it's a gas, gas, gas...'
- The Rolling Stones
'GAS! GAS! GAS!'
- Soldier's warning cry
Ex-US Marine and author Anthony Swofford says in this book that he hated it when the 'flyboys' would play rock 'n' roll songs at full blast to intimidate the enemy and bolster their own morale. This music, he says, is a relic of another era and another war and has no place in 'his' war. Fuck the Doors, he says, this already is the other side.
I can understand this feeling. The gung ho Hollywood image of war in general, and particularly the Viet Nam war, has been sold to a couple of generations of kids and bears little resemblance to modern warfare. He makes a good point about how ostensibly anti-war movies such as 'Full Metal Jacket', 'Platoon' and 'Apocalypse Now' are actually anything but to thousands of youngsters whose blood they get pumping.
It's virtually impossible for me to review this book. I've never served in the armed forces and, thanks to all that's holy, probably never will. Even if I wanted to join up, I wouldn't be accepted, thanks to my small legion of medical conditions, not the least of which is being more than half blind. With this in mind, who the fuck am I to judge anybody who has been in combat? I've been punched, kicked, stabbed and had a gun pulled on me in my time but I've never been under heavy fire and I've never had to lug a hundred plus pound pack of gear across miles of desert. Who am I to judge how authentically expressed an experience this book represents?
I work with a lot of military folks and some of them have mentioned this book. Some have said Swofford is a whiny brat totally misrepresenting what it was like to serve in Iraq in the '90s and others have said this book is the most accurate representation of what it's actually like to operate in these conditions they've ever read. So... what's a non-military chap like me to believe?
Well, for what it's worth, it seemed authentic to me. Perhaps it's because it never feels like Swofford is trying to make himself out to be a hero. Perhaps it's because he presents myriad small details that make his story feel very real. Authentic or not, it's a powerful book and very moving in places.
The depiction of how the Marine Corps breaks young men down until there's hardly any of their original personalities left and then rebuilds them into killers is truly horrifying. The picture Swofford paints of the war itself is one that it's incredibly difficult not to be affected by. The timeline of this book is haphazard but I imagine that is a reflection of how it feels to live through the events recounted here. It's often difficult to like the man Swofford presents himself to be but that merely adds to the believability of this account.
I get the feeling I'm rambling here, so I'm going to shut up... and count my blessings that this wasn't my life.
- The Rolling Stones
'GAS! GAS! GAS!'
- Soldier's warning cry
Ex-US Marine and author Anthony Swofford says in this book that he hated it when the 'flyboys' would play rock 'n' roll songs at full blast to intimidate the enemy and bolster their own morale. This music, he says, is a relic of another era and another war and has no place in 'his' war. Fuck the Doors, he says, this already is the other side.
I can understand this feeling. The gung ho Hollywood image of war in general, and particularly the Viet Nam war, has been sold to a couple of generations of kids and bears little resemblance to modern warfare. He makes a good point about how ostensibly anti-war movies such as 'Full Metal Jacket', 'Platoon' and 'Apocalypse Now' are actually anything but to thousands of youngsters whose blood they get pumping.
It's virtually impossible for me to review this book. I've never served in the armed forces and, thanks to all that's holy, probably never will. Even if I wanted to join up, I wouldn't be accepted, thanks to my small legion of medical conditions, not the least of which is being more than half blind. With this in mind, who the fuck am I to judge anybody who has been in combat? I've been punched, kicked, stabbed and had a gun pulled on me in my time but I've never been under heavy fire and I've never had to lug a hundred plus pound pack of gear across miles of desert. Who am I to judge how authentically expressed an experience this book represents?
I work with a lot of military folks and some of them have mentioned this book. Some have said Swofford is a whiny brat totally misrepresenting what it was like to serve in Iraq in the '90s and others have said this book is the most accurate representation of what it's actually like to operate in these conditions they've ever read. So... what's a non-military chap like me to believe?
Well, for what it's worth, it seemed authentic to me. Perhaps it's because it never feels like Swofford is trying to make himself out to be a hero. Perhaps it's because he presents myriad small details that make his story feel very real. Authentic or not, it's a powerful book and very moving in places.
The depiction of how the Marine Corps breaks young men down until there's hardly any of their original personalities left and then rebuilds them into killers is truly horrifying. The picture Swofford paints of the war itself is one that it's incredibly difficult not to be affected by. The timeline of this book is haphazard but I imagine that is a reflection of how it feels to live through the events recounted here. It's often difficult to like the man Swofford presents himself to be but that merely adds to the believability of this account.
I get the feeling I'm rambling here, so I'm going to shut up... and count my blessings that this wasn't my life.
Want to Read
April 25, 2020A US marine's account of his experiences in the first Gulf War of 1991.
Movie review :
The boot camp training scenes reminded me of the opening sequence in Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket,in which there is plenty of abuse by drill instructors.
Moving on to the desert for the war,there is plenty of boredom for the soldiers and lots of profanity.Lots of shots of oil wells burning and Iraqi corpses.
Good action but the movie doesn't quite convey the emotional toll on the soldiers and their subsequent struggles in later life.
Still,it was difficult to watch for me,as the two US invasions of Iraq took a massive toll of Iraqi lives.
Movie review :
The boot camp training scenes reminded me of the opening sequence in Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket,in which there is plenty of abuse by drill instructors.
Moving on to the desert for the war,there is plenty of boredom for the soldiers and lots of profanity.Lots of shots of oil wells burning and Iraqi corpses.
Good action but the movie doesn't quite convey the emotional toll on the soldiers and their subsequent struggles in later life.
Still,it was difficult to watch for me,as the two US invasions of Iraq took a massive toll of Iraqi lives.
December 3, 2008
A few years ago I watched the movie Jarhead and was pleased to find the book was much better. I don't think this book is for everyone, but speaking for myself it is among the best autobiographies I have come across, regardless of the style or subject matter. Rather than sell his story or this work, I'd like to respond to two of the general themes that I see in the reviews.
First, I feel the book was very carefully organized, perhaps I could say crafted. Swofford does not tell his story strictly chronologically, nor does he try to balance accounts of the characters or explain their background in the stories. People appear and disappear, stories are left "unfinished," some people are given more balanced or fair accounts than others. I think this was intentional rather than sloppy writing, and personally it worked for me. Furthermore, chapters do not flow neatly together and use different formats; again, I think Swofford does this for effect.
Second, several reviewers and critics have complained about the authenticity of his experiences (or how generalizable they are to other Marines' experiences) and about his "whining" tone. I have never served so I cannot comment on how true or accurate his accounts are. However, he strongly gives me the impression he was writing sincerely about his feelings and experiences, both in combat and in the rest of his life in and outside the military. It is really rare that anyone, regardless of whether he or she has served, writes with such transparency and self-disclosure. I wonder if he had written an entirely different book about his life experiences without any mention or his service whether he would have the same charges of whining put to him. Certainly there are plenty of autobiographies printed every year that escape that criticism but do not approach this level of writing.
First, I feel the book was very carefully organized, perhaps I could say crafted. Swofford does not tell his story strictly chronologically, nor does he try to balance accounts of the characters or explain their background in the stories. People appear and disappear, stories are left "unfinished," some people are given more balanced or fair accounts than others. I think this was intentional rather than sloppy writing, and personally it worked for me. Furthermore, chapters do not flow neatly together and use different formats; again, I think Swofford does this for effect.
Second, several reviewers and critics have complained about the authenticity of his experiences (or how generalizable they are to other Marines' experiences) and about his "whining" tone. I have never served so I cannot comment on how true or accurate his accounts are. However, he strongly gives me the impression he was writing sincerely about his feelings and experiences, both in combat and in the rest of his life in and outside the military. It is really rare that anyone, regardless of whether he or she has served, writes with such transparency and self-disclosure. I wonder if he had written an entirely different book about his life experiences without any mention or his service whether he would have the same charges of whining put to him. Certainly there are plenty of autobiographies printed every year that escape that criticism but do not approach this level of writing.
March 31, 2013
Anthony Swofford's memoir of being a Marine grunt/sniper in the Gulf War is a tedious read. The depiction of the Gulf War feels correct: an over-hyped, oil-driven war that turned out to be completely anti-climactic. Swofford and his fellow marines (did I almost write "machines"?) felt cheated, in the end, because instead of the death, danger, and glory they were promised, the Gulf War didn't end up being an infantry war at all — it was an air-and-armor turkey-shoot, and ended in far less time than it took to prepare for. Swofford's group gets shot at one single time by enemy forces, with no casualties. The only real carnage Swofford sees first-hand comes from friendly fire. He isn't sure whether this is a good thing or a bad thing; he didn't want to die, after all. This ambivalence is the most interesting part of the book, and makes it potentially an important snapshot of post-Cold War American military ennui.
But the book is a chore. The reason is that Swofford is an incredibly mediocre writer who is trying to appear sophisticated. He cribs liberally from the standard war-memoir tropes, mixing pseudo-erudite language with profanity, giving us long stream-of-consciousness passages when action is involved, zooming back and forth between his military-base childhood and his present surroundings in the desert. It feels affected, artificial. He is not a natural storyteller, and every sentence feels painfully wrought. It is over-written, but by somebody with no great presence of natural talent and what seems to be only a high school education. Its voice does not "ring true." I wish he had just written it straight, with less pretensions.
Swofford's insecurity comes out the most when he tries to convince us that, despite his “dumb jarhead” moniker (which he half embraces, half objects to), he is actually more literate than your average marine. During the build-up to the war, he read The Illiad and The Stranger... again and again, apparently. They are the only two books he ever references, and he references his reading of those two books repeatedly. But he never tells us why these books are the ones he reads. He never tells us whether he finds Homer a relatable soul or a foreign one. What does he think about Camus' killing of an Arab, as he anticipates killing many Arabs? It goes unaddressed, and the books feel like just name-checks to make us try and respect him more. But in and of themselves, the reading of these two classics — both staples of high school English class — isn't as impressive as he thinks they are. It just feels forced, like so much else here. It's too bad.
But the book is a chore. The reason is that Swofford is an incredibly mediocre writer who is trying to appear sophisticated. He cribs liberally from the standard war-memoir tropes, mixing pseudo-erudite language with profanity, giving us long stream-of-consciousness passages when action is involved, zooming back and forth between his military-base childhood and his present surroundings in the desert. It feels affected, artificial. He is not a natural storyteller, and every sentence feels painfully wrought. It is over-written, but by somebody with no great presence of natural talent and what seems to be only a high school education. Its voice does not "ring true." I wish he had just written it straight, with less pretensions.
Swofford's insecurity comes out the most when he tries to convince us that, despite his “dumb jarhead” moniker (which he half embraces, half objects to), he is actually more literate than your average marine. During the build-up to the war, he read The Illiad and The Stranger... again and again, apparently. They are the only two books he ever references, and he references his reading of those two books repeatedly. But he never tells us why these books are the ones he reads. He never tells us whether he finds Homer a relatable soul or a foreign one. What does he think about Camus' killing of an Arab, as he anticipates killing many Arabs? It goes unaddressed, and the books feel like just name-checks to make us try and respect him more. But in and of themselves, the reading of these two classics — both staples of high school English class — isn't as impressive as he thinks they are. It just feels forced, like so much else here. It's too bad.
January 21, 2021
A brutal and depressing account of a brutal and depressing occupation.
I finally read this 30 years after the events depicted. A healthy distance from which to observe and evaluate.
This book gets a lot of things right: The boredom, the confusion, the love/hate relationship between the jarhead and the Corps, the pendulum swing between fear and fatalism, the loneliness, the rumors, the wolf pack aggression between members.
If it gets anything wrong, it is blanket amorality attributed to everyone the author encounters. It was a messed up situation but not everyone was losing the battle with their inner demons.
You have to be at least a little dysfunctional to function in the Marine Corps, but the people in this book are high water marks on that scale. Most of us were healthier.
At least I like to think so.
I finally read this 30 years after the events depicted. A healthy distance from which to observe and evaluate.
This book gets a lot of things right: The boredom, the confusion, the love/hate relationship between the jarhead and the Corps, the pendulum swing between fear and fatalism, the loneliness, the rumors, the wolf pack aggression between members.
If it gets anything wrong, it is blanket amorality attributed to everyone the author encounters. It was a messed up situation but not everyone was losing the battle with their inner demons.
You have to be at least a little dysfunctional to function in the Marine Corps, but the people in this book are high water marks on that scale. Most of us were healthier.
At least I like to think so.
January 22, 2017
Although it's possible that the Marine Corps is "different" now, and of course I know that this book does not represent the experience of all Marines, I have it on good authority that it tells the story of many Marines, and it's an important story.
The Marines I know- plagued by nightmares, handicapped in relationships, fighting addictions - corroborate. They are sure two conflicting things are absolutely true: they are the most special of all- the elitist of elite, and they are utterly disposable - worthless.
This is what an industry has to do to create a fighting force of robots that are still people: they must sell them the prize of glory of everyone's admiration, and demand that they participate in their own dehumanization until they are able to kill. If they are not as explicitly informed that they are completely disposable as Swofford experiences in the Corps, they will learn when they are dumped back into society.
The Corps cares nothing about them beyond the service they have given, and releases them full of "skills", ideas and culture completely mal-adapted to civilian life, to put it mildly. So fucking what about the rest of your life, you were a successful Marine! You can oorah with the other drunk Devil Dogs and stroke your cammies while your marriage collapses and kids hate you. Who cares about your happiness, you were a robotic tool in the supreme defense of life, liberty, and happiness for the American people! In other words, Die for Oil, Sucker! Because it's hard for even the boots on the ground to miss that what they are most likely protecting is the "economic interests" of the USA.
Powerful book. Everyone should read it. Oh and HTF did the movie manage to misrepresent the book SO badly? That was terrible!
The Marines I know- plagued by nightmares, handicapped in relationships, fighting addictions - corroborate. They are sure two conflicting things are absolutely true: they are the most special of all- the elitist of elite, and they are utterly disposable - worthless.
This is what an industry has to do to create a fighting force of robots that are still people: they must sell them the prize of glory of everyone's admiration, and demand that they participate in their own dehumanization until they are able to kill. If they are not as explicitly informed that they are completely disposable as Swofford experiences in the Corps, they will learn when they are dumped back into society.
The Corps cares nothing about them beyond the service they have given, and releases them full of "skills", ideas and culture completely mal-adapted to civilian life, to put it mildly. So fucking what about the rest of your life, you were a successful Marine! You can oorah with the other drunk Devil Dogs and stroke your cammies while your marriage collapses and kids hate you. Who cares about your happiness, you were a robotic tool in the supreme defense of life, liberty, and happiness for the American people! In other words, Die for Oil, Sucker! Because it's hard for even the boots on the ground to miss that what they are most likely protecting is the "economic interests" of the USA.
Powerful book. Everyone should read it. Oh and HTF did the movie manage to misrepresent the book SO badly? That was terrible!
October 26, 2008
A very effective, intimate story of war as told from the point of view of a grunt.
February 10, 2021
One of the defining formative books of my early life. I probably read this twice in high school.
Undeniably poetic, philosophical, rebellious, and uncannily insightful, reading Jarhead is like devouring the book form of a film like American Beauty except from the perspective of a Marine grunt living in the hurry-up-and-wait atmosphere of the US war machine. If this isn't in the library of congress, it absolutely should be. Swofford paints the everyday experiences of a grunt in brilliant introspective prose that will easily withstand the test of time.
Undeniably poetic, philosophical, rebellious, and uncannily insightful, reading Jarhead is like devouring the book form of a film like American Beauty except from the perspective of a Marine grunt living in the hurry-up-and-wait atmosphere of the US war machine. If this isn't in the library of congress, it absolutely should be. Swofford paints the everyday experiences of a grunt in brilliant introspective prose that will easily withstand the test of time.
December 7, 2007
Welcome to the Suck.
Being a jarhead is frustrating. At least, that's what been described so vividly by Anthony Swofford.
Jarhead means a member of the United States Marine Corps. When used by civilians it could be considered derogatory, but it is used often among Marines. The term originates from the "high and tight" haircut that many Marines have, which makes their head look like a jar. It did NOT originate from their uniform or cover.
This book reminded me of another novel, Catch-22, although not as witty as that famous satire. Jarhead is non-fiction. The writer, a former Marine from the Surveillance and Target Acquisition (STA, pronounced "stay") Scout/Sniper Platoon, deployed in Iraq during the First Gulf War.
Oh and this book also reminds me of Full Metal Jacket. Nasty boot camps, vicious "battlefield", and battlefield here includes the unfriendly desert weather, heavy, overloaded dysfunctional gears that have to be carried all the way during patrols, stupid COs who wanted their own glory, and of course, inevitable loneliness.
Loneliness is an important issue here. Although by being a Marine - which means you got the chance of lots of foreign "encounters" with women all around the globe, depends where you'll be stationed at - there is still longing for true love for those macho grunts. They have this "Hall of Shame" board where they put the photos of unfaithful wives and girlfriends.
The frustration in war (even before any combat is started) makes the Marines prone to sudden outburst of emotion. Suicidal attempt is not uncommon. The author described his own experience which made me shiver. I guess all the jarheads must've had psychological disturbance, at least minor.
Like most of war memoirs, this book provides a number of stories on heroic acts. Such acts must not necessarily being performed in battle, mind you. There's this one time, that a fellow jarhead sniper offered a hug for anyone who wanted it, before they went on a dangerous combat patrol. Firstly, only a number of people accepted this offer, but eventually, all the platoon members ended up hugging each other. Why? They need such comfort and the soldier who started it made all his comrades felt better by just a simple act of hugging.
One thing that tickled me when reading this book is that the author, as a member of an "elite" platoon, NEVER fired his weapon to kill an enemy, just because he's not given the chance to do that. The Marines believes their own saying that the most dangerous thing is the world is a Marine and his rifle. STA platoon is probably the most skilled and equipped sniper unit in the whole theater. However, the author does not regret it. Good for him, since I don't think I'll be able to accept it (with all those training and you got to shoot camels? what a pity....)
Another interesting issue is unnecessary errors in war, such as friendly fire, are STILL occur despite all the technology development. Imagine if you're in your fighting hole (that's a marine term for the army's foxhole), then you're being blasted by M60A1 tanks. Your own goddamn tanks. The sad thing is, I still hear news about friendly fires until now. What a stupid way to die. However, to err is human, right?
Finally, I've come to understand the feeling of these jarheads, after the war is over, they who have fathers, uncles, grandpas that served in previous wars (WW II, Korea, Vietnam, etc), came up with these questions: Did we fight? Was that combat? Why I feel nothing happened?
Well, because the definition of war has changed. First Gulf War, as the first major war fought after the end of the Cold War, is an operation, not a war. I concur with that opinion.
All in all, this is a good book. Brutal. Honest. Ferocious. Semper Fi!
Being a jarhead is frustrating. At least, that's what been described so vividly by Anthony Swofford.
Jarhead means a member of the United States Marine Corps. When used by civilians it could be considered derogatory, but it is used often among Marines. The term originates from the "high and tight" haircut that many Marines have, which makes their head look like a jar. It did NOT originate from their uniform or cover.
This book reminded me of another novel, Catch-22, although not as witty as that famous satire. Jarhead is non-fiction. The writer, a former Marine from the Surveillance and Target Acquisition (STA, pronounced "stay") Scout/Sniper Platoon, deployed in Iraq during the First Gulf War.
Oh and this book also reminds me of Full Metal Jacket. Nasty boot camps, vicious "battlefield", and battlefield here includes the unfriendly desert weather, heavy, overloaded dysfunctional gears that have to be carried all the way during patrols, stupid COs who wanted their own glory, and of course, inevitable loneliness.
Loneliness is an important issue here. Although by being a Marine - which means you got the chance of lots of foreign "encounters" with women all around the globe, depends where you'll be stationed at - there is still longing for true love for those macho grunts. They have this "Hall of Shame" board where they put the photos of unfaithful wives and girlfriends.
The frustration in war (even before any combat is started) makes the Marines prone to sudden outburst of emotion. Suicidal attempt is not uncommon. The author described his own experience which made me shiver. I guess all the jarheads must've had psychological disturbance, at least minor.
Like most of war memoirs, this book provides a number of stories on heroic acts. Such acts must not necessarily being performed in battle, mind you. There's this one time, that a fellow jarhead sniper offered a hug for anyone who wanted it, before they went on a dangerous combat patrol. Firstly, only a number of people accepted this offer, but eventually, all the platoon members ended up hugging each other. Why? They need such comfort and the soldier who started it made all his comrades felt better by just a simple act of hugging.
One thing that tickled me when reading this book is that the author, as a member of an "elite" platoon, NEVER fired his weapon to kill an enemy, just because he's not given the chance to do that. The Marines believes their own saying that the most dangerous thing is the world is a Marine and his rifle. STA platoon is probably the most skilled and equipped sniper unit in the whole theater. However, the author does not regret it. Good for him, since I don't think I'll be able to accept it (with all those training and you got to shoot camels? what a pity....)
Another interesting issue is unnecessary errors in war, such as friendly fire, are STILL occur despite all the technology development. Imagine if you're in your fighting hole (that's a marine term for the army's foxhole), then you're being blasted by M60A1 tanks. Your own goddamn tanks. The sad thing is, I still hear news about friendly fires until now. What a stupid way to die. However, to err is human, right?
Finally, I've come to understand the feeling of these jarheads, after the war is over, they who have fathers, uncles, grandpas that served in previous wars (WW II, Korea, Vietnam, etc), came up with these questions: Did we fight? Was that combat? Why I feel nothing happened?
Well, because the definition of war has changed. First Gulf War, as the first major war fought after the end of the Cold War, is an operation, not a war. I concur with that opinion.
All in all, this is a good book. Brutal. Honest. Ferocious. Semper Fi!
May 23, 2015
7/16/20 - another quarantine reread. This book really opened my eyes when I first read it. I still find it pretty stunning.
***
This book really shook me. I read it very quickly, almost in a single sitting. I honestly had trouble getting out of bed the next day. It felt like I'd been inducted into an inhuman order. My boyfriend is a veteran, but otherwise I confess to having little personal experience with the military. In this I'm like the majority of the US. Sentimental tributes to the "troops" abound in our culture; sadly I think these tributes are often based on widespread guilt and ignorance. On some level I think many would agree it's kind of fucked up that a small minority is asked to kill and die for the rest of us. As I read it, Jarhead is the story of 18 year old boys being systematically kidnapped and raped. Swofford's voice comes through clear and dignified throughout.
***
This book really shook me. I read it very quickly, almost in a single sitting. I honestly had trouble getting out of bed the next day. It felt like I'd been inducted into an inhuman order. My boyfriend is a veteran, but otherwise I confess to having little personal experience with the military. In this I'm like the majority of the US. Sentimental tributes to the "troops" abound in our culture; sadly I think these tributes are often based on widespread guilt and ignorance. On some level I think many would agree it's kind of fucked up that a small minority is asked to kill and die for the rest of us. As I read it, Jarhead is the story of 18 year old boys being systematically kidnapped and raped. Swofford's voice comes through clear and dignified throughout.
May 27, 2019
The M40A1 magazine holds five rounds. The trigger pull, at three to five pounds, varies from rifle to rifle. Some shooters might liken the trigger to a clitoris, and the well-placed shot to the female’s orgasm, but in STA 2/7 we refrain from anthropomorphizing our weapons. To do so would introduce a human element to an entirely mechanical relationship. To do so might humanize an enemy, a certainly fatal mistake. Trigger pull is trigger pull. Period.
Occasional glimpses of good writing do not make up for the tedium of Jarhead.
Occasional glimpses of good writing do not make up for the tedium of Jarhead.
June 16, 2010
If I could give this book zero stars I would. This has nothing to do with the 1st gulf war. It has to do with the ramblings of an immoral, narcissistic misogynist with a chip on his shoulder who should have been kicked out of the Marine Corps during 1st phase. He comes across as being one of those Marines we called the bottom 10% who made life hard for everyone else.
Swofford exaggerates or flat-out lies about many of his experiences, i.e. peeing his pants multiple times in boot camp, holding a gun to his own head and his fellow Marines, cussing out officers and having them laugh about it, and having explosive rounds land 15 feet away from his fighting hole and having him live to tell the tale.
The author seems to focus on all the seedier aspects that are present in Marine Corps life - at least the life of some Marines such as drinking, drugs, violence, sleeping around with prostitutes, and people serving for God knows what reason (nothing patriotic or even as practical as money for college) and presents this as the way the whole Marine Corps organization is designed to function. This is dishonest.
I served in a different Marine Corps and I feel that the discipline I learned has helped me succeed in the real world. I served with many good men and women and a few questionable ones. This book is worthless as a chronicle of the gulf war. It only serves to reveal how much of a whiny crybaby the author is about his experiences and makes you wonder how on earth he ever managed to be a sniper (unless he is lying about that too).
Swofford exaggerates or flat-out lies about many of his experiences, i.e. peeing his pants multiple times in boot camp, holding a gun to his own head and his fellow Marines, cussing out officers and having them laugh about it, and having explosive rounds land 15 feet away from his fighting hole and having him live to tell the tale.
The author seems to focus on all the seedier aspects that are present in Marine Corps life - at least the life of some Marines such as drinking, drugs, violence, sleeping around with prostitutes, and people serving for God knows what reason (nothing patriotic or even as practical as money for college) and presents this as the way the whole Marine Corps organization is designed to function. This is dishonest.
I served in a different Marine Corps and I feel that the discipline I learned has helped me succeed in the real world. I served with many good men and women and a few questionable ones. This book is worthless as a chronicle of the gulf war. It only serves to reveal how much of a whiny crybaby the author is about his experiences and makes you wonder how on earth he ever managed to be a sniper (unless he is lying about that too).
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March 24, 2012This book and the movie it inspired will always be at the top of my list. This is the most realistic look at war from the viewpoint of any service member. You join the military thinking I'm gonna go kick doors in, blow stuff up, and end human lives when in all actuality most service members never see combat of any type. Mind you in this book and in the movie the author and his unit get mortared and shot at a couple of times but nothing major. The biggest thing that I love to point out about this story is that the Marine Corp wasted thousands and thousands of dollars to train the author to be a sniper and then when he got his opportunity to take a shot, they said no. That is a testament to the way most of the military operates today. You will get the training but you will never be allowed to use it. This man goes to war all geared up and ready to go. Motivated and ready to die if needs be just to get told sorry you're just gonna have to go on ahead and sit this one out while still going through the torture of being semi-involved. This is one of the most truthful war stories I've ever read.
January 13, 2013
Having seen the film years ago, I'd always wanted to read the book. Would it bring a different perspective? Would it add to what I saw and understood from the film?
Yes. Yes it would. Yes it did.
I've always been one of those girls who's pretty vocal about not understanding why men choose to join the military; who tries to argue that surely there's a better way out of whatever it is you're escaping than fighting other men? I never understood what was going through a man's head to want to kill.
But this book brought me into the mind of a man who made that choice. And for the first time, I saw clearly from a distinct male perspective, because Anthony Swofford writes with such power and honesty, that I felt like I understood for the first time. And when male friends were talking about conflicts in their younger lives at school, I saw that Swofford was truly showing a male perspective, because there were similarities in motivations and reactions and group behaviour.
I read this book fast. I wrote in the margins. I underlined sentences. I turned corners of pages. I finished the book almost breathless, having felt the fear and anger and frustration these men experienced. I was spent by the end.
I need to see the film again. And I will read this book again. Lest we forget...
Yes. Yes it would. Yes it did.
I've always been one of those girls who's pretty vocal about not understanding why men choose to join the military; who tries to argue that surely there's a better way out of whatever it is you're escaping than fighting other men? I never understood what was going through a man's head to want to kill.
But this book brought me into the mind of a man who made that choice. And for the first time, I saw clearly from a distinct male perspective, because Anthony Swofford writes with such power and honesty, that I felt like I understood for the first time. And when male friends were talking about conflicts in their younger lives at school, I saw that Swofford was truly showing a male perspective, because there were similarities in motivations and reactions and group behaviour.
I read this book fast. I wrote in the margins. I underlined sentences. I turned corners of pages. I finished the book almost breathless, having felt the fear and anger and frustration these men experienced. I was spent by the end.
I need to see the film again. And I will read this book again. Lest we forget...
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May 16, 2023This book has just been banned by the Hudsonville, Michigan Board of Education, overturning the book review panel (made up of teachers, administrators and parents) who voted to keep the book. The book was removed for “not honoring the military” and was pulled in a 5-4 vote. Last year this same board banned Half of a Yellow Sun and The Kite Runner.
April 17, 2016
I didn’t expect to love Jarhead as much as I did but holy shit, this book was a spoonful of brilliant.
Swofford’s lyrical prose fused in with his profanity-laced philosophical musings and descriptions of day to day life in the marines was a riveting read. I had loved the movie adaptation with Jake Gyllenhaal playing the lead but I loved the book even more.
Just…no words for this. None at all. It was that amazing.
Swofford’s lyrical prose fused in with his profanity-laced philosophical musings and descriptions of day to day life in the marines was a riveting read. I had loved the movie adaptation with Jake Gyllenhaal playing the lead but I loved the book even more.
Just…no words for this. None at all. It was that amazing.
June 25, 2018
I liked both the book and the movie.
December 30, 2025
“Jarhead” by Anthony Swofford has been one of those books I’ll eventually get around to reading. For years it sat collecting dust on my to be read shelf. A book club I’m a member of chose it for January and I figured now’s as good a time as any to finally read this book. As the case with most books I procrastinate reading, I chastised myself afterwards for waiting so long. This memoir reads like fiction, in a good way. It’s both reflective and poetic. Swofford does an excellent job sharing the mind of a marine at war, especially when the war wasn’t what he’d hoped for. For those of us who served in our generation’s war this memoir feels familiar. It’s a universal feeling of pride in service and dissonance with having come home from a war you really can’t explain or justify. This ranks among one of the best war memoirs I’ve read in some time.
August 17, 2011
If you go into this book expecting fire fights, skirmishes, battles and sorties, then you are coming at this book from the wrong direction, or you have the wrong book.
Jarhead is what the title says it is. A book about a Jarhead. A young man in the service of the United States Marine Corp. Don't go into the book expecting anything but that. It concerns a Marine's journey towards becoming a Marine and a Sniper and who then joins the boots on the ground in the Middle east for the Gulf War conflict.
It is also about a boy becoming a man, but you should expect that from a book such as this. A book that has been a literary triumph for the author. Literary triumphs usually include some form of angst and evolution.
I wanted to give this book 5 stars as the writing took my breath away, but in the end I was turned off by the authors constant preoccupation with sex and sexual metaphors.
Anthony Swofford seems to have a major sex fixation issue which goes beyond the mention of the frequent prostitutes and veneral diseases. He sure does fixate on sex. Half of it wasn't necessary. Most people are not new to the 19/20/21 year old's obsession with sex and chasing his next sexual encounter. It's no secret. Men will be men, boys will be boys.
I am not a prude, anyone who knows me knows that I am far from it, but comparing things, for example, to the 'tight insides of a woman' twice in one paragraph, seems more inserted (no pun intended) for it's shock value and not it's relevance value.
So, this made me drop a star from an otherwise fantastic book. I would recommend it though. Even to people who don't usually read war non fiction.
As a side note, it was quite interesting to get up close and personal with the introduction of the very first Barrett sniper rifles as they were released in a small number to all branches of the military, (SF, SEAL, Sniper teams etc) before the Gulf war officially kicked off. Hard to imagine that it was only in the early 90's that the military started equipping their elite teams with a bonafide sniper rifle.
Jarhead is what the title says it is. A book about a Jarhead. A young man in the service of the United States Marine Corp. Don't go into the book expecting anything but that. It concerns a Marine's journey towards becoming a Marine and a Sniper and who then joins the boots on the ground in the Middle east for the Gulf War conflict.
It is also about a boy becoming a man, but you should expect that from a book such as this. A book that has been a literary triumph for the author. Literary triumphs usually include some form of angst and evolution.
I wanted to give this book 5 stars as the writing took my breath away, but in the end I was turned off by the authors constant preoccupation with sex and sexual metaphors.
Anthony Swofford seems to have a major sex fixation issue which goes beyond the mention of the frequent prostitutes and veneral diseases. He sure does fixate on sex. Half of it wasn't necessary. Most people are not new to the 19/20/21 year old's obsession with sex and chasing his next sexual encounter. It's no secret. Men will be men, boys will be boys.
I am not a prude, anyone who knows me knows that I am far from it, but comparing things, for example, to the 'tight insides of a woman' twice in one paragraph, seems more inserted (no pun intended) for it's shock value and not it's relevance value.
So, this made me drop a star from an otherwise fantastic book. I would recommend it though. Even to people who don't usually read war non fiction.
As a side note, it was quite interesting to get up close and personal with the introduction of the very first Barrett sniper rifles as they were released in a small number to all branches of the military, (SF, SEAL, Sniper teams etc) before the Gulf war officially kicked off. Hard to imagine that it was only in the early 90's that the military started equipping their elite teams with a bonafide sniper rifle.
November 23, 2020
A classic war novel, though unlike other combat fiction there is never much war going on in this one and in that sense it mimics the Persian Gulf War, well, at least there was never much war going on for the Americans, the Iraqis were brutally slaughtered and this book paints an accurate seeming picture of what became known as the highway of death. One thing the author, Anthony Swafford does that separates his book from the pack is really mine the depths of the complex emotions involved in joining the military and the contradictory desire for combat and peace that seems to simultaneously reside in the hearts of these men.
May 30, 2024
This is a fascinating look into the life of a Marine before, during and after the Gulf War. The good, the bad, and the ugly—Swofford leaves nothing out. It's extremely well written. It's touching, appalling, crude, hilarious, and thoughtful. As a "civvie," this is the closest I'll get to a real life education on the day-to-day life of a United States Marine.
June 16, 2025
***1/2
The movie captures the book perfectly. Glad I read it, but not on repeat.
The movie captures the book perfectly. Glad I read it, but not on repeat.
August 6, 2026
cant believe this is the man helping me write a gay hockey book
March 16, 2021
Neurotic ramblings interspersed with occasional gripping, insightful moments. Hazy and inconsistent themes, but strong mood.
The film is more effective because it focuses on the painstakingly slow and indeterminate buildup to the brief war, and the moments of intensity (such as Swofford pulling a gun on a fellow marine and himself, scenes highlighted on the back cover) are more believable. The book wanders way too much. While some of his stories about training around the world, particularly in Japan, were quite interesting, there wasn't enough tying together the various narrative threads in a meaningful way and the result is that there's no clear answer to questions like "what is the point of the book/what does it say?" And the moments of intensity feel so intrusive, like he wrote the complete minimum describing what happened with nothing leading into them or examining the aftereffects. It's like if you take them out you wouldn't be able to tell the difference with the rest of the book.
Maybe that's because Swofford still hasn't processed, idk, but it reflects a bigger problem, that the thoroughness and earnestness in exploring issues in detail are inconsistent. He goes on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on about drinking and prostitutes and porn and cheating and talking with his marine buddies about drinking and prostitutes and porn and cheating etc etc, yet gives us only a page or 2 about letting his marine buddy mutilate in Iraqi corpse day after day after day after day.
So there's a lot more detail to Swofford's life and thoughts about war, military etc than the film, but it's not worth reading imo, though the prose is fine, because it is an extremely fractured, self-censored view into a fractured person, which makes any takeaways not very meaningful.
((And that's ignoring the politics - like it's fine that Swofford tells you the war was only to protect oil, but when he complains that he didn't get to kill any communists... gimme a break, the guy's ignorant, accidental voluntary imperialism bootlicking is disgusting (not to mention his deranged justifications for rampant toxic masculinity, misogyny etc etc the "problematic" issues go on and on lol)))
The film is more effective because it focuses on the painstakingly slow and indeterminate buildup to the brief war, and the moments of intensity (such as Swofford pulling a gun on a fellow marine and himself, scenes highlighted on the back cover) are more believable. The book wanders way too much. While some of his stories about training around the world, particularly in Japan, were quite interesting, there wasn't enough tying together the various narrative threads in a meaningful way and the result is that there's no clear answer to questions like "what is the point of the book/what does it say?" And the moments of intensity feel so intrusive, like he wrote the complete minimum describing what happened with nothing leading into them or examining the aftereffects. It's like if you take them out you wouldn't be able to tell the difference with the rest of the book.
Maybe that's because Swofford still hasn't processed, idk, but it reflects a bigger problem, that the thoroughness and earnestness in exploring issues in detail are inconsistent. He goes on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on about drinking and prostitutes and porn and cheating and talking with his marine buddies about drinking and prostitutes and porn and cheating etc etc, yet gives us only a page or 2 about letting his marine buddy mutilate in Iraqi corpse day after day after day after day.
So there's a lot more detail to Swofford's life and thoughts about war, military etc than the film, but it's not worth reading imo, though the prose is fine, because it is an extremely fractured, self-censored view into a fractured person, which makes any takeaways not very meaningful.
((And that's ignoring the politics - like it's fine that Swofford tells you the war was only to protect oil, but when he complains that he didn't get to kill any communists... gimme a break, the guy's ignorant, accidental voluntary imperialism bootlicking is disgusting (not to mention his deranged justifications for rampant toxic masculinity, misogyny etc etc the "problematic" issues go on and on lol)))
March 23, 2009
This is by no means an explicitly anti-war novel. It’s more an honest account and because the honest truth is that war is vicious and atrocious, an anti-war message cannot be hidden except through lies.
Anthony Swofford was a U.S. sniper during the first Gulf War and Jarhead tells his story of life in the Marines and fighting in this war. His whole experience in coloured by power-hungry and vicious officers, rowdy nights out with fellow Marines and of course, the in your face brutality of killing innocent people in Iraq.
Although Swofford still holds onto an idea that the Marines are a good thing, he and other Marines still hold this contempt for the officers, whether it’s for their brute discipline or whether it’s taking credit for kills in the battlefield. It brings to mind the contempt for officers during Vietnam when grunts used to frag their officers who tried to send them on virtually suicidal missions. It’s clear from this that despite the cultural indoctrination the army tries to impose on its recruits, the reality of the situation still shines through stronger.
I would’ve thought that the book would deal a lot more with the actual war, but most of it deals with the painful waiting for it to begin. But it is clear the the war was short and still left Swofford and his fellow marines with fucking strong images. The scene that left the biggest impression on me was when he walked into a circle of dead Iraqi soldiers and sat with them. He could really empathise with these men as if they weren’t really his enemy, they were men in the same situation as him.
So although Swofford draws conclusions I would not agree with, like how he hates war but still sees it as necessary, the reality of the story he tells leaves me with facts and anecdotes that hardens my own conclusions in that war is a brutal thing that only benefits the rulers who do not have to go to the front-line to fight it and risk their own lives.
http://www.benjaminsolah.com/blog/?p=456
Anthony Swofford was a U.S. sniper during the first Gulf War and Jarhead tells his story of life in the Marines and fighting in this war. His whole experience in coloured by power-hungry and vicious officers, rowdy nights out with fellow Marines and of course, the in your face brutality of killing innocent people in Iraq.
Although Swofford still holds onto an idea that the Marines are a good thing, he and other Marines still hold this contempt for the officers, whether it’s for their brute discipline or whether it’s taking credit for kills in the battlefield. It brings to mind the contempt for officers during Vietnam when grunts used to frag their officers who tried to send them on virtually suicidal missions. It’s clear from this that despite the cultural indoctrination the army tries to impose on its recruits, the reality of the situation still shines through stronger.
I would’ve thought that the book would deal a lot more with the actual war, but most of it deals with the painful waiting for it to begin. But it is clear the the war was short and still left Swofford and his fellow marines with fucking strong images. The scene that left the biggest impression on me was when he walked into a circle of dead Iraqi soldiers and sat with them. He could really empathise with these men as if they weren’t really his enemy, they were men in the same situation as him.
So although Swofford draws conclusions I would not agree with, like how he hates war but still sees it as necessary, the reality of the story he tells leaves me with facts and anecdotes that hardens my own conclusions in that war is a brutal thing that only benefits the rulers who do not have to go to the front-line to fight it and risk their own lives.
http://www.benjaminsolah.com/blog/?p=456
July 2, 2009
This is some of the very best war writing, and hence reading, I have ever encountered. An added bonus for me was listening to the Recorded Books, LLC version with Swofford himself narrating. Unlike some (even outstanding) authors, Mr. Swofford is a superbly accomplished reader as well, which made hearing the author's presentation of his work doubly enjoyable.
Swofford was a Marine sniper in the first Gulf War. He is unflinchingly honest in examining everything about the whole experience from boot camp to combat, to his experiences as a veteran to his thoughts on life, love, death and getting through each day during the whole time. We see him in his heroic moments and at his worst times as well.
If you want to read more Swofford, you might try his Exit A ( http://chile.las-cruces.org/search/?s...) as well.
Do you want to read another similarly clear eyed and reflective war/military/combat memoir written with the same concise, crackling no holds barred style? Then try Kayla Williams's Love My Rifle More Than You: Young and Female in the U.S. Army .
http://chile.las-cruces.org/search/?s...
Mark Pendleton
http://chile.las-cruces.org/search/t?...
Swofford was a Marine sniper in the first Gulf War. He is unflinchingly honest in examining everything about the whole experience from boot camp to combat, to his experiences as a veteran to his thoughts on life, love, death and getting through each day during the whole time. We see him in his heroic moments and at his worst times as well.
If you want to read more Swofford, you might try his Exit A ( http://chile.las-cruces.org/search/?s...) as well.
Do you want to read another similarly clear eyed and reflective war/military/combat memoir written with the same concise, crackling no holds barred style? Then try Kayla Williams's Love My Rifle More Than You: Young and Female in the U.S. Army .
http://chile.las-cruces.org/search/?s...
Mark Pendleton
http://chile.las-cruces.org/search/t?...
July 30, 2007
{Warning: Strong language} Once upon a time I read a review of the book Jarhead, by Anthony Swofford, which peaked my interest. DH Jeff was thoughtful enough to pick me up a copy. I'm glad he's not a marine, or at least anyone like Mr. Swofford. Honestly, I kept thinking, "what a horse's a-- this guy (Swofford) is." And, did I need any reminders that so many of our young marines will screw anything around - and I do mean anything? Especially while they're bemoaning their unfaithful women at home? But these items paled in comparison to the narrative close to the beginning of the book of what evidently was the desert version of a "code red," only involving the rape of a fellow marine (because he "...[had] recently been a jerk or abused rank or acted antisocial, ignoring the unspoken contracts of brotherhood and camaraderie and esprit de corps and the combat family" - I kid you not) instead of just beating the crap out of him. I sincerely hope I misunderstood this charming narrative and will berate myself for my immediate gut reaction of "these guys are indeed expendable and it's a good thing we have so many stupid, violent, drunk, sexually diseased ones to throw at the enemy," if that is the case. Then the aforementioned promiscuous philosophe whines at the end that he didn't get to kill anyone. At least it was a quick read.
August 8, 2008
I read and listened to this on CD. It makes it so clear how damaging it is to these young men to be kept in such a prolonged state of battle readiness for...nothing! How can they possible not be warped in some way by that. I don't mean they are all coming home crazy, but it just can't be good for the mind or soul of anyone!
February 8, 2020
Gripping. Terrifying. Unabashed and unrelenting, this is an incredible read. I love both the movie and the book for different reasons and encourage anyone who’s enjoyed one to try the other!
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