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Journal Entry 1 by SpeedyTuft from London , Greater London United Kingdom on Thursday, November 16, 2006
 From Patrick D Cannie's amazon review:
In 'Jarhead: A Soldier's Story of Modern War,' it seems that Swofford has tried to balance his account of the (1st Gulf) war with anecdotes about his personal life before and after it. This is a perfectly fine idea, and would work if the reader were not confused by the frequent changes that destroy the fluidity of the book.
Anthony Swofford surprised me with the quality and thoughtfulness of his prose, which was indeed at times very moving and unexpectedly deep, but the great disappointment of this book is that it does not really say anything. It meanders from his childhood, to basic training, to the war, to his adolescence and finally the end of the war. Unfortunately, he fails to explore more thoughroughly the impact that the war had on him, as this is perhaps the most interesting section of the book. When the last page has been turned, the reader has gained a small measure of understanding about what being a soldier is really like, but that is all.
I would recommend this book to a casual reader seeking an insight into the workings of modern warfare and the psychological profile of a highly trained soldier. However, this book is not so much a story as a collection of events in the author's life.
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Journal Entry 2 by SpeedyTuft at The Clarence, Whitehall (OBCZ) in City of Westminster, Greater London United Kingdom on Thursday, November 16, 2006
Released 5 yrs ago (11/16/2006 UTC) at The Clarence, Whitehall (OBCZ) in City of Westminster, Greater London United Kingdom WILD RELEASE NOTES:
RELEASE NOTES:
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Journal Entry 4 by Rivercassini at Royal Mail in By Post, a postal release -- Controlled Releases on Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Released 4 yrs ago (1/1/2008 UTC) at Royal Mail in By Post, a postal release -- Controlled Releases WILD RELEASE NOTES:
RELEASE NOTES:
Popping this one in the post to a fellow bookcrosser who is keen to read it.
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Journal Entry 5 by Iojima from Nyons, Rhône-Alpes France on Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Arrived today, thank you very much. (The "postcard" was just fine. :-) )
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Journal Entry 6 by Iojima from Nyons, Rhône-Alpes France on Tuesday, September 16, 2008
I do believe Patrick D. Cannie read a different book to the one I've just read. Perhaps I got more out of it because I read it as a companion piece to Lt. Col. Jay Kopelman's "From Baghdad With Love." Kopelman's book is about the humanising effect a puppy has on him after half a life-time immersed in the Marine Corps' ethic of "Don't feel; kill." "Jarhead" filled in the background beautifully -- as in "fully" and "beautifully written": the boy drawn to the Corps; what the training is designed to do and how it succeeds; the life of the warrior. And the warriors are different to you and me. The wonder is not that so many leave the services and have trouble adjusting to civilian life; the wonder is that anyone ever recovers.
Thank you so much, Rivercassini.
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Jarhead: A Soldier''s Story of Modern War
