(posted on my blog: davenichols.net)

Rolling Stone journalist Evan Wright embedded with Bravo Company of the 1st Marine Reconnaissance Battalion just in time for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Spending his time with 2nd Platoon, whose commander Nathaniel Fick published a memoir, One Bullet Away recounting his experiences a year after Generation Kill was published, Wright spent most of his time in the vehicle commanded by Sgt. Brad Colbert. Wright's narrative, which first appeared as a series of Rolling Stone articles, moves fast and presents a grunts-eye view of the first days of the Iraq War.

From crossing the berm and MOPP chemical protection suits, to rolling hot through sheets of gunfire, Wright's experiences are vividly conveyed to the reader in each chapter. I especially appreciated the way he frankly portrayed the men in the platoon. From raunchy jokes in the middle of gunfights to the daily highs and lows of the men, the narrative moves quickly through the whirlwind of battle and brotherhood.

Wright's book makes an excellent addition to the small but growing catalog of works on the Iraq War, and combined with Fick's memoir, the reader can gain a keen insight into small unit actions and the consequences of leadership decisions, superior training, and the frustrating necessity of the chain of command. Four stars. The HBO miniseries based on the book is also recommended and provides a very faithful depiction of Wright's narrative. ( )

Based on the true story of the first marines to arrive in Baghdad, told by Rolling Stone writer Evan Wright, who traveled with them, witnessing the beginning of the war on terrorism.

I never would have thought to pick up this story, mainly because war and true stories about war aren’t always entertaining to me, my attention span is short for them. But after watching the mini-series based off the book, it was hard to avoid.

The focus of the book is on the four guys Wright travels with in a Humvee and their travels through Iraq and into battle, ambushes, road blocks, and feeding children. It is a very emotional rollercoaster that covers all aspects of war, from bonding, depression, strength, laughter, etc.

It’s hard to summarize such a book up in such a short amount of space, especially since the mini-series spanned five 2 hour segments. It’s a great way to find the truth in what happens during war, the uncertainty of everything, the courage of the team, and the strength of inner self.

I must admit am among the growing legions that will read this thanks to the HBO series - and probably wouldn't have touched it otherwise, particularly as a lefty anti-war (and non-American) type (although also as a junior academic who has done some research for a colleague on war journalism, so I guess it all balances out). Wright's book is compelling, exciting, entertaining and heartbreaking, presenting the complexity of experiences of war and the particular cultures (social, ethnic, racial, professional, class etc) from which this particular lot of young men emerge. Given that the embedding of journalists is often a strategic action on the behalf of the military (on the one hand, it is about transparency and freedom of information/speech but on the other, they rely on the development of cameraderie and trust between the journo and the troops to compromise journalistic objectivity), Wright attempts to present as balanced a view as he possibly can but the benefit of hindsight probably landed him back pretty much where he started. As a reader, I emerged with a little more admiration for serving troops than I might have started with but certainly a greater sadness for them and for a society and global political/economic situation that requires such conflict and the perpetuation of a certain militaristic culture. To bring it back to the HBO series where I started, I also have to commend David Simon and Ed Burns (who I already loved for The Wire) for the faithfulness of their production to Wright's book. They might be flawed but I think both this book and its series are important for bringing certain experiences to light on a more popular level, and hopefully getting a few people (myself included) to think a little more critically but perhaps also a little bit more fairly about war and the US military. ( )

I am the first to admit that I was biased as I loved the show. This also gave me a basic understanding of what I was going to be reading. However, I found the book was great on its own and provided even more information on the things these men dealt with on emotional and physical levels. I think if you want a look at the early days of the war in Iraq, this isn't such a bad basis - someone who was with the marines, but yet not bound/sharing their traditions. ( )

Excellent book if you are looking for a grunts view on the invasion of Iraq. The stories that are told by Rolling Stone's reporter Evan Wright not only create excellent characters, but also a great overall read. I would highly suggest reading the book before catching the HBO mini-series of the same name. The mini-series was VERY well done, and follows the book very closely. Reading the book and than watching the mini-series puts a face to name and made the whole "Generation Kill" experience very, very interesting. ( )