War by Sebastian Junger
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War by Sebastian Junger
Compulsive reading:
From the Providence Journal:
Junger spent months in 2007 and 2008 embedded with Battle Company, part of the 173rd Airborne Brigade, now on the front lines of the fight against the Taliban. They were in hostile territory, dug into the steep hillsides at the foot of the Hindu Kush mountains and surrounded by Afghan Taliban, where soldiers ate one hot meal a day, showered once a week, burned their feces and alternated between weeks of unbearable boredom and as many as 13 gun battles a day. He calls it the “Afghanistan of Afghanistan,” remote and unconquerable, a place that previous units had said could “alter your mind in terrible and irreversible ways.”
The resulting book is written in the first person, but it is observational, offering no critique of the combat he witnessed, taking no position on the efficiency, logic or value of the war.
He offers a close-up view of men and the raw elements of war: fear and courage, killing and death, love and brotherhood. “I wanted to understand it unburdened by the very important but confusing and complicated political and moral issues that usually surround a discussion of war,” he says.
Soldiers, he discovered, generally don’t worry about the politics or moral basis for war, or even necessarily the long-term prospects for its success. They are consumed with the job they’ve been sent to do.
From the Providence Journal:
Junger spent months in 2007 and 2008 embedded with Battle Company, part of the 173rd Airborne Brigade, now on the front lines of the fight against the Taliban. They were in hostile territory, dug into the steep hillsides at the foot of the Hindu Kush mountains and surrounded by Afghan Taliban, where soldiers ate one hot meal a day, showered once a week, burned their feces and alternated between weeks of unbearable boredom and as many as 13 gun battles a day. He calls it the “Afghanistan of Afghanistan,” remote and unconquerable, a place that previous units had said could “alter your mind in terrible and irreversible ways.”
The resulting book is written in the first person, but it is observational, offering no critique of the combat he witnessed, taking no position on the efficiency, logic or value of the war.
He offers a close-up view of men and the raw elements of war: fear and courage, killing and death, love and brotherhood. “I wanted to understand it unburdened by the very important but confusing and complicated political and moral issues that usually surround a discussion of war,” he says.
Soldiers, he discovered, generally don’t worry about the politics or moral basis for war, or even necessarily the long-term prospects for its success. They are consumed with the job they’ve been sent to do.

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Re: War by Sebastian Junger
About half way through it now. Really good read.
"I am the author of my own misfortune, I don't need a ghost writer" - Ian Dury
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Re: War by Sebastian Junger
Been looking forward to this since I first read about it.
Re: War by Sebastian Junger
Hadn`t heard about this book.I will order it,sounds interesting.I just ordered a book (in swedish unforunately) called "Sovjet invaderar Afghanistan" by Zigmas Stankus from Lithuania.
He served in 345th airborne regiment and took part in the invasion in 1979.It will be really interesting to read them one after the other.
He served in 345th airborne regiment and took part in the invasion in 1979.It will be really interesting to read them one after the other.
You`ll toughen up.Unless you have a serious medical condition commonly refered to as
"being a pussy".
"being a pussy".
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Re: War by Sebastian Junger
The Herd kicked major ass in Vietnam.
Thanks for the heads up about this Tim. I read Jungers article in Vanity Fair back in 08 and have been waiting for this book to come out.
Thanks for the heads up about this Tim. I read Jungers article in Vanity Fair back in 08 and have been waiting for this book to come out.
“Wherever the crowd goes, run the other direction. They’re always wrong.” Bukowski
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Re: War by Sebastian Junger
I just finished this and it was a fucking amazing read. Thanks for the recommendation guys.
DVD Pimp wrote:Furthermore, it's pretty hard to crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentations of their women while sitting on the couch eating cheetos and watching reality shows.
Re: War by Sebastian Junger
I'll bump it up the list. Thanks !
Kazuya Mishima wrote:they can pry the bacon from my cold dead hand.
Re: War by Sebastian Junger
BTW, for any pirates: I found a good audiobook version of this on a torrent just a week or so ago. You should have good luck finding it now, since the book was recently published, but I imagine that once it wanes in popularity it may be harder to find.
Re: War by Sebastian Junger
Outstanding book and thoroughly depressing. Thanks for the recommendation-score another one for IGX. The valley they write of stopped the Alexander the Great, the Russians and countless others in their tracks. So agonizingly clear that we are in for the same.
Did any of you that read the book finish it feeling we're either 1. There for the right reasons or 2. Have a hope in hell of "winning"?
Also, if you enjoyed the book, it looks like the movie they made at the same time (Restrepo) will be out soon.
Did any of you that read the book finish it feeling we're either 1. There for the right reasons or 2. Have a hope in hell of "winning"?
Also, if you enjoyed the book, it looks like the movie they made at the same time (Restrepo) will be out soon.
Re: War by Sebastian Junger
Alexander in the end killed off a shitload of tribes, the loss of Afghanistan did not hapen when he was alive, it happend (with the rest of the divission or loss of his empire after he died.)lasalle wrote:Outstanding book and thoroughly depressing. Thanks for the recommendation-score another one for IGX. The valley they write of stopped the Alexander the Great, the Russians and countless others in their tracks. So agonizingly clear that we are in for the same.
Did any of you that read the book finish it feeling we're either 1. There for the right reasons or 2. Have a hope in hell of "winning"?
Also, if you enjoyed the book, it looks like the movie they made at the same time (Restrepo) will be out soon.
Ghangis Khan did very well there, but he did about everywhere because he was ruthless after you refussed to surrender to him.
White tent- let's talk about you paying tribute but keeping your city.
Red Tent- Let's talk about you surrendering and staying alive.
Black tent - Your fucking done for.
"God forbid we tell the savages to go fuck themselves." Batboy
Re: War by Sebastian Junger
OK, that one confused the hell out of me. Not up to speed on my Genghis Kahn tactics. I learned that:SNAKE EYES wrote: Ghangis Khan did very well there, but he did about everywhere because he was ruthless after you refussed to surrender to him.
White tent- let's talk about you paying tribute but keeping your city.
Red Tent- Let's talk about you surrendering and staying alive.
Black tent - Your fucking done for.
http://redhatrob.com/2009/03/terrorism- ... tian-west/Genghis Khan was famous for his use of terror. During the Mongol conquest of China, his forces would arrive at a Chinese city and erect a large white tent for Genghis. If the city submitted to his rule, it might be looted, but the lives of the inhabitants would be spared. if there was no response to the white tent, then a red tent was erected in its place. If the city now fell the soldiers and male inhabitants of the city would be executed, but the women and children would be spared. If the city continued to resist, a black tent would be put up – signifying that when the city fell, all of it’s inhabitants would be executed. And they were. It’s difficult to calculate numbers 800 years after the fact, but rough estimates indicate that 30 million people were killed in China by Genghis and the Mongols. Terrorism worked.
Genghis’s grandson, Hulagu Khan (brother to Kublai Khan) used precisely these tactics in his conquest of the Middle East in 1258. He besieged Baghdad, and when it fell after a one-month siege, the Mongols executed almost the entire population of the city. Estimates range from 100,000 to one million. In 1260, Damascus surrendered to the Mongols rather than suffer the same fate.
Re: War by Sebastian Junger
Khan, Sherman, Cromwell, Caesar, taken it to the people.
"God forbid we tell the savages to go fuck themselves." Batboy
Re: War by Sebastian Junger
Ordered the book and can`t wait to see the movie.
You`ll toughen up.Unless you have a serious medical condition commonly refered to as
"being a pussy".
"being a pussy".
Re: War by Sebastian Junger
Ghengis Khan was a badass in the purest form possible.

"That rifle on the wall of the labourer's cottage or working class flat is the symbol of democracy.
It is our job to see that it stays there." - George Orwell
Re: War by Sebastian Junger
Wonder how long it would have taken Mr Khan to sort out the present mess in Afghanistan?
Black tent maybe?
Black tent maybe?
You`ll toughen up.Unless you have a serious medical condition commonly refered to as
"being a pussy".
"being a pussy".