There's plenty of history and geopolitics for the War Nerd fans, but the real delight of this book is in following long-suffering podcast host John DoThere's plenty of history and geopolitics for the War Nerd fans, but the real delight of this book is in following long-suffering podcast host John Dolan as he traipse across the last frontiers of the affordable world. A picaresque, anti-travel memoir, an antidote to FOMO-inducing, pixel perfect Instagram fantasies....more
Better than the movie, which surprised me because I like Kubrick. There's actually two separate sniper scenes in this which get merged to one in the fBetter than the movie, which surprised me because I like Kubrick. There's actually two separate sniper scenes in this which get merged to one in the film, and the training stuff is over relatively quicker in the novel.
The novel, at its best, feels like it has a drumbeat under it, propelling you forward. At its worst it's just a bunch of jarhead dialogue, collections of sayings from psycho-killers and guys just trying to survive the war, not always as pithy as the speakers think. But there's some really great stuff in here, especially how the ethical dilemma of the novel's climax, when the enemy sniper is taking out their friends. I can't remember if the movie has the same resolution or not, but damn, what an ending.
Also, finally, the bit where he's confronted about his peace pin is better in the novel. I don't think they'd be allowed to show what happens onscreen, even though it's not that violent or shocking, but it's subversive in a way that very little in American culture is ever allowed to be....more
This starts as over-the-top as The Short Timers and keeps ramping up until it reaches a sort of CélineaA poetic and action-packed critique of empire.
This starts as over-the-top as The Short Timers and keeps ramping up until it reaches a sort of Célinean hysteria with the Black Confederacy leading a mutiny just as the Vietcong overrun the base. But after that comes the real shock: a sort of softness you would not have expected Gustav Hasford to exhibit. It becomes a non-SF Avatar, literally just Private Joker healing himself with life among the Vietcong. But that peacefulness can't last, and caring about people on both sides of the war is only going to rip you apart....more
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