Click on a thumbnail to go to Google Books.
Loading... Imperial Grunts: On the Ground with the American Military, from Mongolia to the Philippines to Iraq and Beyondby Robert D. Kaplan
Loading...
Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. In the tradition of John Reed, this book is journalism that clearly skews towards its subject. The fact that Kaplan is an engaging writer makes up for his sometime sycophantic writing on the military. I found it odd that in all his travels for this book he met only one member of the military he found mildly annoying. In an organization as large as the US military there are going to be great guys and a$%holes. The chapters not having to do with Afghanistan and Iraq are the most interesting, because they are more obscure. I think few Americans realize we have forces in Columbia, the Philippines. Although I disagree with some of the authors view points I do feel this is an important book that illuminates the lives of the military men and women and the military's global reach. Originally gave it three stars but changed upon further reflection. I appreciate Kaplan's critcisms of our military as a bureaucracy while still praising it profusely for its good people. I enjoyed the focus on the geopolitical and strategic aspect of today's American "empire." Kaplan remains one of my favorites. no reviews | add a review
Distinctions
Veteran correspondent Kaplan shows how American imperialism and the Global War on Terrorism are implemented on the ground, mission by mission, in the most exotic landscapes around the world. Kaplan takes us from the jungles of the southern Philippines to the dust bowls of Mongolia, from the forts of Afghanistan to the forests of South America--not to mention Iraq--to show us Army Special Forces, Marines, and other uniformed Americans carrying out the many facets of U.S. foreign policy: negotiating with tribal factions, storming terrorist redoubts, performing humanitarian missions and training foreign soldiers. Kaplan provides an insider's account of where America, including the culture of its officers and enlisted men, is headed. This book has the potential to change the way readers view the men and women of the military, war, and the global reach of America today.--From publisher description. No library descriptions found.
|
Current DiscussionsNonePopular covers
Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)973.931History and Geography North America United States 1901- Bush Administration And Beyond George W. BushLC ClassificationRatingAverage:
Is this you?Become a LibraryThing Author. |
VERY interesting insight into some forgotten (by me) areas of the world (Yemen, Columbia, Mongolia...), what has happened there in the past, and what's going on around the world today.
Changed my mind about the U.S. as an imperialist nation and what that means.
Surprisingly the author keeps making some major grammatical errors (he's not trying to be Elmore Leonard) and for a geography geek has made one glaring error in locations. ( )