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Redeployment by Phil Klay
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Redeployment (original 2014; edition 2015)

by Phil Klay (Author)

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1,4577112,587 (3.99)130
"Phil Klay's Redeployment takes readers to the frontlines of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, asking us to understand what happened there, and what happened to the soldiers who returned. Interwoven with themes of brutality and faith, guilt and fear, helplessness and survival, the characters in these stories struggle to make meaning out of chaos. In "Redeployment", a soldier who has had to shoot dogs because they were eating human corpses must learn what it is like to return to domestic life in suburbia, surrounded by people "who have no idea where Fallujah is, where three members of your platoon died." In "After Action Report", a Lance Corporal seeks expiation for a killing he didn't commit, in order that his best friend will be unburdened. A Morturary Affairs Marine tells about his experiences collecting remains-of U.S. and Iraqi soldiers both. A chaplain sees his understanding of Christianity, and his ability to provide solace through religion, tested by the actions of a ferocious Colonel. And in the darkly comic "Money as a Weapons System", a young Foreign Service Officer is given the absurd task of helping Iraqis improve their lives by teaching them to play baseball. These stories reveal the intricate combination of monotony, bureaucracy, comradeship and violence that make up a soldier's daily life at war, and the isolation, remorse, and despair that can accompany a soldier's homecoming. Redeployment is poised to become a classic in the tradition of war writing. Across nations and continents, Klay sets in devastating relief the two worlds a soldier inhabits: one of extremes and one of loss. Written with a hard-eyed realism and stunning emotional depth, this work marks Phil Klay as one of the most talented new voices of his generation"--… (more)
Member:yooperprof
Title:Redeployment
Authors:Phil Klay (Author)
Info:Penguin Books (2015), Edition: Reprint, 304 pages
Collections:Your library
Rating:
Tags:American lit, Iraq War

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Redeployment by Phil Klay (2014)

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English (68)  Danish (1)  Norwegian (1)  All languages (70)
Showing 1-5 of 68 (next | show all)
The essays in the first half of the book kept my interest and attention and opened my eyes to new perspectives about the ongoing war in the Middle East. Many were a mix of hard-to-take grittiness and honesty and seen-it-before soldier life. I especially liked Prayer in the Furnace, which showed the meaningful and meaningless sides of being a chaplain under such brutal conditions.

The latter half of the book was populated with stories that were more about the issues facing returned vets. I know there are real issues here that need to be addressed, but maybe my patience for the stories had just worn out. I skimmed through these with little interest in them.

All-in-all a three star book. Four stars for the good stories in the first half. Two stars for the rest. ( )
  zot79 | Aug 20, 2023 |
A collection of well written angry vet stories. My favorite story "Money as a weapons system" reminded me of Catch-22 and was the only story that I saw my own life and civilian job in. ( )
  markm2315 | Jul 1, 2023 |
A great book. Sent me into a rage at several points thinking about American hubris ( )
  squealermusic | Mar 16, 2023 |
It took me a few chapters to figure this out but it turns out this a series of short fictional stories by people who are in Iraq or were posted there, each a first person account. Given the truly awful things that have happened there, a lot of this is deeply shocking. The anger and confusion of the Marines who have to go through this appalling experience will stay with me for a long time. Not a pleasant read but deserves its top recommendation. ( )
  Matt_B | Oct 3, 2022 |
Beautifully crafted stories, deceptively straight-forward, giving an important and illuminating picture of the contemporary military experience. ( )
  wordloversf | Aug 14, 2021 |
Showing 1-5 of 68 (next | show all)
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For my mother and father,

who had three sons join the military

in a time of war
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We shot dogs.
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Wikipedia in English (1)

"Phil Klay's Redeployment takes readers to the frontlines of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, asking us to understand what happened there, and what happened to the soldiers who returned. Interwoven with themes of brutality and faith, guilt and fear, helplessness and survival, the characters in these stories struggle to make meaning out of chaos. In "Redeployment", a soldier who has had to shoot dogs because they were eating human corpses must learn what it is like to return to domestic life in suburbia, surrounded by people "who have no idea where Fallujah is, where three members of your platoon died." In "After Action Report", a Lance Corporal seeks expiation for a killing he didn't commit, in order that his best friend will be unburdened. A Morturary Affairs Marine tells about his experiences collecting remains-of U.S. and Iraqi soldiers both. A chaplain sees his understanding of Christianity, and his ability to provide solace through religion, tested by the actions of a ferocious Colonel. And in the darkly comic "Money as a Weapons System", a young Foreign Service Officer is given the absurd task of helping Iraqis improve their lives by teaching them to play baseball. These stories reveal the intricate combination of monotony, bureaucracy, comradeship and violence that make up a soldier's daily life at war, and the isolation, remorse, and despair that can accompany a soldier's homecoming. Redeployment is poised to become a classic in the tradition of war writing. Across nations and continents, Klay sets in devastating relief the two worlds a soldier inhabits: one of extremes and one of loss. Written with a hard-eyed realism and stunning emotional depth, this work marks Phil Klay as one of the most talented new voices of his generation"--

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