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Jarhead: A Marine's Chronicle of the Gulf War and Other Battles | 
 enlarge | Author: Anthony Swofford
Publisher: Scribner
Category: Book
List Price: $15.00
Buy Used: $0.01
You Save: $14.99 (100%)
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Rating:  425 reviews
Sales Rank: 79740
Media: Paperback
Pages: 272
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.9
ISBN: 0743287215
Dewey Decimal Number: 956.7044245
EAN: 9780743287210
ASIN: 0743287215
Publication Date: October 18, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. spine slightly torn
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Product Description
In his New York Times bestselling chronicle of military life, Anthony Swofford weaves his experiences in war with vivid accounts of boot camp, reflections on the mythos of the marines, and remembrances of battles with lovers and family.When the U.S. Marines--or "jarheads"--were sent to Saudi Arabia in 1990 for the Gulf War, Anthony Swofford was there. He lived in sand for six months; he was punished by boredom and fear; he considered suicide, pulled a gun on a fellow marine, and was targeted by both enemy and friendly fire. As engagement with the Iraqis drew near, he was forced to consider what it means to be an American, a soldier, a son of a soldier, and a man.
Download Description
"Anthony Swofford's Jarhead is the first Gulf War memoir by a frontline infantry marine, and it is a searing, unforgettable narrative. When the marines -- or ""jarheads,"" as they call themselves -- were sent in 1990 to Saudi Arabia to fight the Iraqis, Swofford was there, with a hundred-pound pack on his shoulders and a sniper's rifle in his hands. It was one misery upon another. He lived in sand for six months, his girlfriend back home betrayed him for a scrawny hotel clerk, he was punished by boredom and fear, he considered suicide, he pulled a gun on one of his fellow marines, and he was shot at by both Iraqis and Americans. At the end of the war, Swofford hiked for miles through a landscape of incinerated Iraqi soldiers and later was nearly killed in a booby-trapped Iraqi bunker. Swofford weaves this experience of war with vivid accounts of boot camp (which included physical abuse by his drill instructor), reflections on the mythos of the marines, and remembrances of battles with lovers and family. As engagement with the Iraqis draws closer, he is forced to consider what it is to be an American, a soldier, a son of a soldier, and a man.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 5 more reviews...
 Jarhead, an honest look at war August 12, 2008
N. Evans (Sugar Hill, GA)
Jarhead is a fantastic read! It is a glimpse into the everyday life of Marine in Desert Storm. The book is pure raw emotion. You get the chance to move to the front lines with a Marine Corps Surveillance and Target Acquisition or S.T.A sniper and see the war through his eyes. It provides an honest glimpse into what sometimes happens to these heroes after the war, the forgotten part of most war books. This book also has some hilarious parts.
it's worth a read July 2, 2008
M. H. Levenson (Boston, MA USA)
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
Jarhead by Anthony Swofford, is the memoir of a former U.S. Marine sniper during the first Gulf War in 1991. It's a very intelligent and humorous look at military life for a new generation. Swofford was stationed in Saudi Arabia, at the northern most area right behind Kuwait for more than six months before the short-lived combat started. This was called "Operation Desert Shield", as to shield the massive oil wells of Saudi Arabia from the Iraqi Republic Guard. As you know, the actual combat, "Operation Desert Storm" started in January and was over in late February.
Historical Review; Jarhead June 4, 2008
Jessica Abell
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
Text Review: Jarhead
Reviewer: Jessica
This historical fiction novel, Jarhead by Anthony Swofford, is in part historically accurate but also embellished in the detail for story sake. The recollection of the events of the war in the story, when the main character Anthony told them, mentioned Saddam Hussein's overrun of Kuwait and their oil, mentioned the massive international deployment to the Arabian Peninsula and the air raid against Iraq. Anthony chronologically reiterated these historical events, but at the same time detailed aspects of his life. Jarhead is more of the story about Anthony in the war as a soldier than about the war itself.
This novel is written from the perspective of a marine. From start to finish the reader follows Anthony on his journey through boot camp to the frontline and back home. As a reader we connect with his emotions and understand the emotional and physical pressure subdued to these men that sign over their lives to fight for US safety. By having this perspective the historical event of the Gulf War is brought down to a level that is more understandable to the mass public. The public can connect with the chain of events through Anthony's character. The only down fall is that there is a biased on how to view the war. To Anthony he was very apprehensive about going to war a felt he was obligated to enlist; through a historians perspective we are only given the facts and not personal feelings.
A historical fiction novel gives a reader a very basic understanding of history. Unlike that of a text book, in novels the focus is on the characters and their reactions and their emotion struggles. Usually these types of novels are about specific moments in history and cover very brief time frames and specific events. Jarhead is one of those novels; we obtain the basic idea of the gulf war and its reasoning behind it, but mainly are focused on Anthony's life and his adventure through the desert. The reader will connect with the situation and understand more what a marine feels and thinks as they walk through the harsh desert, withstand the brutally cold nights and push through the open fire dodging bullets. If the reader does not know about the war prior to reading this novel the most they will be educated on is what and when the war happened. Historically the events are accurate but not a main focus.
This book is highly acclaimed and gratefully appreciated. The connection with Anthony develops throughout the story and the reader grows to love and care for this marine. I would recommend this book to those who have been through what Anthony has and to those who want to further understand the life of a marine. On a scale of 1-5, I would rate this book a 3 for the detail and the emotional bond built while reading.
 I love war books, but hate this one May 7, 2008
The World's Greatest (Worcester,MA)
0 out of 3 found this review helpful
Boring, laced with profanity, raunchiness, whiny, so I find it difficult to relate to this author. He seems like a cry baby to me, and not very intelligent. The book is written to make it seem more than it is, which isn't very much at all. And the constant attempt to make everything poetic is very annoying and an obvious filler technique. This book just sucks! The worst personal perspective war book I think exist. I have no idea how this became a movie, but then there are plenty of stupid movies made all the time.
 its the truth March 15, 2008
john vogel
personally, i like the fact he admits to not enjoying the corp, he told the truth, instead of writing a book about how much he was toughest guy in the world and he loved everyday of the corp, he admitted to fear and hate.he curses non stop in the book, but it is written by a marine. he's a real man, he told the truth. he dident wright this book for praise, he wrote it cause he loves to wright.
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