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Summary: On the road with First Recon
Review: "Generation Kill: Devil Dogs, Iceman, Captain America, and the New Face of American War," by Evan Wright, is a story of the Iraq War as told from the perspective of an embedded reporter. A pre-title page review excerpt notes that this book is "a greatly expanded version" of a three-part series that the author contributed to "Rolling Stone" magazine. Wright's narrative follows the adventures of the First Reconnaissance Battalion of the United States Marine Corps as they make war across Iraq.
I found it hard to put down this gripping book. Wright is a superb writer who really brings these Marines to life; they emerge as complex, fully-realized individuals. Wright vividly renders the Marines' dialogue; they argue and insult one another but also express words of tenderness and admiration. The dialogue is often profane, sexual, and charged with ethnic comments, and is peppered with a smorgasbord of pop culture references. Wright reveals how the Marines struggle with moral and ethical issues, challenge their own leaders, agonize over civilian casualties, and worry about losing their own humanity in the brutal nightmare of war.
The book is full of graphic depictions of violence, destruction, gore, and human suffering. But there are also a lot of absurd and funny interludes. An important recurring theme is the ambiguity and controversy surrounding ROE (Rules of Engagement, which provide guidelines as to whether or not a military person can use deadly force).
This book struck me as being balanced and fair; I think it would be hard to accuse Wright of any political agenda. He's also not afraid to relate events that make himself look foolish. As a storyteller he is humane and attentive, and fills the book with fascinating details about life in an active combat zone. This book belongs on the shelf with all the great classics of war literature.
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Summary: A great 1st person account of the spearhead to Baghdad
Review: By Evan Wright. About the first days of the gulf war. Wright was a reporter embedded with the 1st Recon Marines (which takes some heavy testicular mass to put yourself in the spearhead) during the initial assault. He tells the story from the point of view of a humvee team in 2nd platoon of Bravo Co. Wright does a great job of letting the story tell itsesf and there is plenty to tell. General Mattis used 1Recon to rush past defenses and ambushes which threw the Iraqi defenses into chaos. This was only accomplished by the professionalism and the complete trust the US Military places in its smallest units. The captain of Bravo "Encino Man", a staff sergeant "Kasey Kasem", and a Lt "Captain America" (Wright tries to hide their identities and rank but it ain't hard to figure out) come off as incompetent idiots but you also understand how the redundancy of the military mitigates incompetency by instilling independence of operation in its units and the dedication to mission and not to rank. At one point in a heated battle, a major from the Air Force pulls rank on Encino Man and takes his radio from him (Pirate will like that). I can't imagine that this won't hurt several people and their careers and this is not the way to ferret out incompetence but I'm glad that Wright didn't gloss it over. It reinforced in my mind that this is the greatest military the earth has ever seen. That the reform that the military went through after 1980 wasn't so much about weapons but rather about tactics, unit organization, and higher standards for a full volunteer army.
There are, of course, some accounts of the terrible face of battle and the innocents who inevitably get swept up in the conflict but you can't help but understand that the US tries its best to avoid unnecessary casualties to the point where they take casualties themselves. Contrast this with the way the Russians and the former IRG operated where rank was everything and destroying whole cities was not out of the question.
Great book. Highly recommended.
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Summary: The most accurate account I have read.
Review: During the events of this book I was serving with a nearby aviation unit. Several of my friends were in support of 1st Regimental Combat Team. I also served with several of the Marines in the book during OEF in Afghanistan. We have all read the book and agree that this is one of the most accurate accounts of young Marines and wartime chaos we have read. There are a few events that seem to contradict our memories,such as how long RCT-1 waited outside An Nasiriyah, but that is to be expected. The contrast between the author's conversations with the Division Commander, MGEN Mattis, and the perceptions of the Recon Marines who carried out the missions, is one of the best examples of recent military history I know of. This is a book I have recommended to many going over to Iraq for the first time.
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Summary: A very admirable piece of wartime journalism
Review: Following in the footsteps of Black Hawk Down, Generation Kill is a brutally honest account of elite American soldiers in modern war. Evan Wright even surpasses Mark Bowden's work in that he had the opportunity to ride alongside the troops while the events described in this book were taking place. He relates most of the events in Generation Kill from a very personal first hand perspective, whereas Bowden had to research the battle of Mogadishu after the fact. One cannot help but admire Wright's commitment to this project. He rode right in front, at the focal point of firefights and ambushes, and never lost his courage to see it through to the end. In doing so, I believe he won many of the Marines' respect, which is probably a large reason why they opened up to him so much (altho I'm sure a few of them didn't mind being in the spotlight of Wright's story, either). The unit involved in Generation Kill is the USMC's 1st Recon Battalion. Recon is a special commando type unit within the Marine Corps, surpassed in the pecking order only by its elite wing, known as Force Recon. Recon Marines share the same level of specialization and capability as many of the more generally well known American special ops units. By doctrine of training and mission parameters, they are somewhat of a cross between Army Rangers and Navy SEALs. 1st Recon Battalion was often spearheading the assault and dangling itself in front of the enemy to draw out ambushes during the OIF invasion. They operated very aggressively and willingly put themselves in some of the most dangerous situations faced by any unit during the war. Generation Kill will undoubtedly prove to be one of the essential accounts of the OIF invasion, and a classic account of American war. What makes Wright's book so engrossing is the fact that it is brutally honest in its depiction of all aspects of 1st Recon's experience. He admires the Marines, but he does not glorify them. Some are idealistic men who believe in their mission. Some are stone cold killers (As one Marine chaplain puts it, the men in Recon "use Jesus as a door mat"). One particular marine sees himself as a "tool of the white man". In one instance they are struggling to give emergency medical aid to injured civilians. In another instance someone recites gangsta rap lyrics as he ecstatically sprays machine gun fire on the enemy. Although Wright praises 1st Recon's victories, he pulls no punches in relating some very serious mistakes and internal failings within the unit as well. There are several instances where innocent civilians are mistakenly killed in the fog of war. Some of the Marines seem to lose all confidence in their leadership. Many of the officers in 1st Recon are fine leaders who enjoy the trust and affection of their men. On the other hand, one company commander is a trigger happy glory hunter who would have his men search for random fights and conduct unauthorized raids rather than regroup with the battalion, as they were ordered. Then there's an officer in another company who turns out to be a sadistic imbecile, and his incompetence and instability in the field earns him the contempt of his men. All in all, Evan Wright's perspective is detailed and truthful without being judgmental. He succeeds in creating an honest depiction and well rounded depiction of one unit's experience. Wright does not fabricate heroes, nor does he vilify the military. Generation Kill is an insightful account of modern war, and a valuable study of the internal dynamics of an American combat unit.
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Summary: Generation Kill: Devil Dogs, Iceman, Captain America, and th
Review: Generation Kill follows the twenty-three Marines of First Recon, in a platoon that spearheaded the blitzkrieg on Iraq. This elite unit, nicknamed "First Suicide Battalion," took the fight directly to the enemy by racing ahead of American battle forces, literally driving into suspected ambush points from the opening days of the invasion until after the fall of Baghdad. Author Evan Wright was embedded for two months with this group and saw frequent action, never leaving the side of the battle-hardened team. In one thirty-day stretch they participated in violent engagement nearly every day. He was welcomed into their ranks - even offered a weapon. From this bird's-eye perspective Wright tells the unsettling story of young men trained by their country to become ruthless killers. He chronicles all the triumph and horror - physical, moral, emotional and spiritual - that these Marines endured." "Like such works as Michael Herr's Dispatches and Stephen Ambrose's Band of Brothers, Wright's book is a portrait of a generation. There is Sergeant Colbert, the icy professional who somehow manages to keep this ragged fraternity together; Corporal Trombley, the shy one who develops a taste for killing; Lieutenant Fick, the Ivy League graduate who would challenge his commander but never break faith with his men; and Captain America, the swaggering, out-of-control commander who is later investigated for war crimes
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Summary: Must buy book
Review: I am a 12-year veteran of the Marine Corps and was in Beirut with two different infantry Battalions. I am not a fan of the Iraq war and I despise George Bush. However I am still very connected to the Marine Corps and follow their activities. This book is a must have for anyone interested in the Marine Corps or the Iraq war. Its an excellent first hand account of raw combat. For the big picture buy "The March Up".
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Summary: This Review From A Combat Vet US Marine
Review: I served in Desert Storm as the assault section leader on the ground and that's about all I'm going to say about my background here. I think that alone is enough said about that.
From the perspective of my experience, in and out of the USMC, before, during and since, (and be warned if you're a member of another force, for I've been there too), this is an excellent read. It's a very lucid and informative account about how things actually end up happening on the ground. Personally, I believe Wright tells it plainly, in a matter-of-fact unbiased way, even though he doubtlessly became pretty tight with these Marines.
From start to finish, there's so much exposed regarding almost all manner of things ground combat ops-wise, it's scary. I especially love the back cover excerpt,
"For some of them, rolling into an ambush was almost an answered prayer."
By actually spending time with the Marines on the ground, especially a unit like recon, Wright gets it right with their attitudes, their personalities, characters, and even little personality quirks and such. And, he doesn't paint a biased picture of things. It's war-things get confusing. Mistakes are made. Bad things happen. Trying to make sense of it all...doesn't make much sense, because war is pretty stupid to begin with. Is it necessary? I don't judge. If I say no, a conservative will come on here, most probably with no combat experience of his or her own, and call me a panzy peacenik coward, even though I'm a vet here. If I say yes, some millionaire limosine liberal like Mike Moore, also doubtlessly with no combat experience, will tear me up as a neo-nazi right wing nut job. So, for me, this book was pretty refreshing coming from a neutral side-Wright seemed neither pro nor anti war, neither for or against US or coalition policy or for or against the Iraqi, Arab, or whomever else or whatever else-he just reports what he saw in a pretty artistic manner that entertains and enlightens. Sometimes you won't know whether to feel spite or pity for these Marines, or just leave them to their own devices.
I would highly recommend this book to current and future soldiers everywhere, as they can take a glimpse into some elements of beauracracy, like, as some recon dudes may expect me to point out, how commanders constantly mis-use recon.
On a technical side, he writes often in present tense, instead of boring you to death by reporting things properly in the past tense, when relating most stories of observations on the ground. I myself liked it. By comparison I would pick this over "Jarhead" which is a Desert Storm account of a USMC recon unit written by a recon Marine. Generation Kill covers a lot more ground on a lot more issues and events without the perspective of the actual Marine getting in the way.
Rating: 
Summary: Solid
Review: I wouldn't call this brilliant writing, but it is a great story, and it makes for enjoyable reading. Also, I think the author delivers on his promise of a portrait of America's newest batch of war veterans. The picture that emerges is one of a generation that views society, government, and culture cynically, but who through the vehicle of the Marine Corps come to believe in the truth of the common human experience. Like many similar works of military journalism, it provides powerful depictions of the importance of leadership in war.
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Summary: No Boyscouts Here
Review: I'm glad to read a story about the Marines that is uncensored - with the high expectations of the American people set by the greatest generation that ever lived I found it impossible to live up to Steven Spielberg's version of "Band of Brothers". Being a Marine in 1st Recon Bn, Evan Wright's interpretation of our daily lives and experiences are extremely accurate. While reading the book almost a year later I had forgotten some of the details of my own experiences that Wright brought back to life. It was almost like I was living through the war again. Simply put, if you want to know what it is like to be a Marine during this campaign there is no better book at this time. It seems to me that Evan Wright was influenced by nothing but the experiences and the personalities that he absorbed during the war. No one is over exaggerated.
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Summary: The one embed account you should read
Review: If you can only read one account of the Iraq War, this should be it. Wright spent about a month with a squad of recon Marines -- essentially the special forces of the corps -- and his account is nothing short of gripping.
It is also exhausting, as Wright subjects the reader to a full range of emotion -- from joy to appalling horror to pride. Wright has a keen eye for the details that bring the stories of the war to life. The banter between the soldiers is fascinating and frequently hilarious, and is definitely a highlight of the book. No other account brings you closer to the men who slugged this thing out as they barreled across the Iraqi desert.
It is useful to keep in mind that this book calls the shots as they are seen from a small group of soldiers on the frontline of the war. What this book is not is a comprehensive overview of the run-up to the war or of the overall strategy employed by the U.S. military. The soldiers often gripe about certain officers and decisions taken at the higher levels. Some of the complaints are balanced out with alternate views. Wright's account is valuable not for its even-handed treatment of every side in a particular issue, but for giving insight into how the men on the ground met and dealt with problems that cropped up during their historic mission.
The book does dwell on a lot of the mishaps encountered by the soldiers. Among the headaches endured by Wright's squad: a lack of lubricating oil to keep their weapons functioning properly, muffed radio communication thanks to incompatible encryption, and general cluelessness about the true nature of their mission, which was basically to drive through enemy positions to draw fire so their position/size/strength could be estimated.
As with any good reporter, Wright plays the facts pretty straight. There isn't much here that is partisan one way or the other. He doesn't shy away from showing the sheer horror of war, such as the case of the Iraqi driver who had the top of his head scooped out by a bullet, leaving braindead but technicaly alive, with a beating heart and working lungs as he sat at the wheel of his vehicle. Nor does Wright paper over Saddam's brutal regime, and there are several scenes in which cheering crowds lined the streets to joyously welcome the Marines.
The book's title is outrageously sensationalistic, and while at the start Wright seems poised to cast the entire adventure as a tale of ultra-violent American youth numbed by years of Hollywood action flicks and bloody video games, that theme is quickly left behind.
Indeed, it would be difficult to make generalizations about American troops based on this book. On the one hand, you have extremely intelligent and upright men that represent the best of America, such as the guys who essentially shame an officer into authorizing a helicopter evacuation for an Iraqi kid who was accidentally shot. On the other hand, there are examples of sheer incandescent idiocy, such as the guy who remarks how cool it would have been to drop the atomic bombs on Japan and kill a quarter million people.
Highly recommended.
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