Reviews

• イラク戦争の最初の一ヶ月間

  米"Rolling Stone"誌の記者エヴァン・ライトが2003年3月、米軍のイタク侵攻の先鋒となった米海兵隊・1st Recon Battalionに同行した際の約四週間の記録です。 ライト氏はその部隊でも最も先頭を行く小隊の最先端のハンビーの後部座席に乗り、未知の領域に乗り込み、未知の作戦に挑む海兵隊員たちの生の声を記録していきます。 口の悪い下士官たちのおしゃべりは、米国国内で安寧と暮らす一般市民、無能な上官、マスメデイアや敵であるイラク兵、サダム・フセインまでと、ネタに事欠かきません。 上官の命令には絶対服従で無感情に行動するというのが、兵士に対する一般的なイメージでしょうが、この本に登場する海兵たちの感情表現の豊かさや思慮の深さには驚かされます。 先日、オバマ大統領が、イラク撤退時期を明言しましたが、この機会に、誰もここまで長期化すると思っていなかった"イラク戦争"の最初の四週間を振り返ってみてはどうでしょうか。 追記：この本は、2008年8月に米HBOで放送されたドラマ"Generation Kill"(全七話のミニ・シリーズ)の原作です。この本もドラマも、どちらも素晴らしい作品です。余裕のある方は両方同時に手に入れることをオススメします。 更に余裕がある方、この本に登場するFick大尉(ライト氏が同行した小隊の小隊長、当時、中尉)の著書"One Bullet Away"もどうぞ。

• Les scénarios de chacun des 7 épisodes de cette série sont redoutables d'intelligence , de précisions, de refus d'idées reçues, ils vont à l'encontre des clichés et servent magnifiquement par une subtile critique de la stupidité de l'armée en marche et de la politique de Busch, les valeurs de la démocratie sui sont profondément ancrées dans les individus eux-mêmes lorsqu'elles sont bafoués par un gouvernement au service des industries de guerre. La télévision ne mérite pas autant d'intelligence... À quand en France une telle série sur les événements d'Algérie?

• a

• I found this book very enjoyable, and I'm a fan of the HBO series. There are some who seem to feel that the author is somehow denigrating the USMC, First Recon, or the US Military in general in this book, but I don't find that to be the case at all. There is always going to be some subjectivity in reporting like this. So much of it is based on Wright's memory, etc. What I think this captures very well is the devastating nature of modern warfare and the logistical impossibilities of major military operations, especially when multiple branches are involved. It is truly amazing that there weren't more friendly fire deaths during this operation, considering the many close calls First Recon seemed to have. This book does not glamorize war, nor does it place an unfair moral burden on the young men tasked with the invasion of Iraq. It's so difficult to generalize about a book like this. The enlisted marines come across as very brave, sometimes foolish, often conflicted, and very human. Officers get less coverage, and though the decisions of the higher-ups at times seem to border on the absurd, I feel that this book gives the reader the very real sense that the person giving the order is usually just the messenger, and that messenger may be at odds with what they're expected to do. Also, and perhaps most importantly, this book really gives a sense of how random and tragic modern warfare is. Civilians get killed constantly. I don't see this as a reflection on the marines portrayed in the book - they are put in an impossible situation with regards to how to execute their orders while keeping themselves and their comrades safe, while accurately identifying military threats - but rather the nature of the modern war machine. Politically, it doesn't matter where you sit. Regardless of the Rolling Stone byline, I don't think Evan Wright brought any particular agenda to the table with this book. It is not intended as 100% accurate history, but rather his perceptions of things as they happened. I found that I was in the position of rooting for the marines and for the safety of the innocents caught up in brutality, as well.

• Sinceramente, Generation Kill es uno de los mejores libros que he leído este año. Está basado en hechos reales y se nota desde el principio, ya sea por los personajes y su contexto político-social, la ineptitud de muchos de los altos mandos de la Marina, el caos absoluto de la guerra y, no menos importante, el humor contagioso y las extrañas costumbres del primer batallón de reconocimiento. Muchos libros sobre la guerra tienden a exagerar innecesariamente los detalles o se centran en aspectos que no tienen mucha importancia. Este no es el caso de Generation Kill. Evan Wright opta por una representación directa y sin filtros, demostrando un que entiende a las personas que se tienen que enfrentan a la falta de sueño, el estrés constante, sus malas decisiones y la de sus superiores, la falta de información y de recursos, entre muchas otras cosas. Si buscas un libro que retrate cómo viven realmente los marines en situaciones de conflicto, hay pocos que igualen a Generation Kill.

• Great story and book which is a very easy read, I got through the book in 2 sittings, it is a great companion to the TV series adaptation that was very well done, well worth a read to see the perspective of the Iraq invasion through the eyes of the troops who were the tip of the spear in the ground offensive, the perspective of the author who was on the ground with the unit during the events of the book make the book thought provoking on a few levels, well worth a read if you're interested in the topic of the Iraq war or the Premise of the events that see a Rolling Stone reporter accompany an elite unit on a front line mission.

Purchase links