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Rating: Summary: Realistic and touching Review: I'm a Marine myself and I found this book a real description of the life of a gay man in the U.S. Marine Corps.I liked the stories and the way that Zeeland leads the conversations.The only thing I didn't like was that he didn't get the best of each interview and it lacks some intimacy at some point.Nevertheless it's a great book and after read it you will want to read it again and again.
Rating: Summary: A revealing study of Homosexuality Vs. The Marine Corps. Review: Military homophobia has always been somewhat of a paradox. Sex between soldiers is officially strictly forbidden, unofficially tolerated (as long as it does not become public knowledge and the 'offenders' retain their official heterosexual identity), and unconsciously encouraged, by forcing men to live together in close quarters without any substantial privacy, by limiting their access to female partners and by promoting close friendships.That is the reason why military life is a favourite subject of gay pornography, and the military subconscious is keenly aware of it. But consciously, the policy remains "dont' ask, don't tell." Sex, love and relationships between service members remain taboo, and are officially grounds for dismissal. Yet behind the veil of denial and secrecy, there is a small but thriving gay culture within the military. Zeeland has made it his life's work to study this culture, both in theory and in practice - which is to say he has sex with servicemen and then asks them for their life's story. The stories he has so elicited are candid, but do not go into too much sexual detail. The present volume is devoted to the Marine Corps, and it explores the interaction between gay male sexualty and the psychological setup of the marines: hyper-masculinity, elite consciousness and unconditional obedience. It shows how gay marines manage to live under the threat of discovery and dismissal, and hold up to the double pressure of having to hide the secret of being gay in the high-pressure environment of the Marine Corps. This book is a serious psychological study and affords greater insight into military homophobia than well-considered outside accounts. It is erotic at times, but not pornographic. If that's what you are looking for, look elsewhere.
Rating: Summary: Zeeland gets it right Review: Zeeland is an extraordinarily skillful and intimate interviewer who makes you feel like the only people in the room are the Marine and the interviewer ... and the reader. He asks the questions I want to ask these military men and you can tell he is thoroughly enjoying his work. Too bad our society can't handle the truth he uncovers by talking to these guys. This book should be on the Commandant's Reading List -- required reading by all Marines!
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