Title: Jarhead: A Marine’s Chronicle of the Gulf War and Other Battles
Author: Anthony Swofford
Summary: Anthony Swofford served in the first Gulf War as a Marine sniper and describes his time in Kuwait and Iraq, as well as his training and life after the conflict in this original, unsettling memoir. If you are looking for a heroic tale of the glories of combat, you won’t find it here – this book is free from many of the stereotypes you might associate with American war stories. For Swoff and company, the most difficult part of the war is the waiting – for battle, for news from home, and for a chance to use their training. When the fighting starts it seems to be over before it begins.
Operation Desert Storm was a short conflict. But it was brutal. The author doesn’t pull any punches (or leave much to the imagination) when describing battle, his comrades, or his personal life. This unique perspective on life as a solider is one you won’t soon forget.
Who will like this book?: Mature readers interested in military and war stories. People who like intense personal stories.
If you like this, try this: The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien. Kipling’s Choice by Geert Spillbeen. Fallen Angels and Sunrise Over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers.
Recommended by: Nicole, Teen Librarian