WAR

By: Sebastian Junger

Narrated by: Sebastian Junger

Length: 7 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

In his breakout best seller, The Perfect Storm, Sebastian Junger created "a wild ride that brilliantly captures the awesome power of the raging sea and the often futile attempts of humans to withstand it" (Los Angeles Times Book Review). Now, Junger turns his brilliant and empathetic eye to the reality of combat - the fear, the honor, and the trust among men in an extreme situation whose survival depends on their absolute commitment to one another.

His on-the-ground account follows a single platoon through a 15-month tour of duty in the most dangerous outpost in Afghanistan's Korengal Valley. Through the experiences of these young men at war, he shows what it means to fight, to serve, and to face down mortal danger on a daily basis.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©2010 Sebastian Junger (P)2010 Hachette

Critic reviews

"Junger mixes visceral combat scenes-raptly aware of his own fear and exhaustion-with quieter reportage and insightful discussions of the physiology, social psychology, and even genetics of soldiering. The result is an unforgettable portrait of men under fire." ( Publishers Weekly)

Great perspective of life for soldiers

I thought this was an excellent glimpse into what US soldiers have to go through, both in daily activities and in their minds. It gave me an even greater appreciation for what troops do, the conditions they live in, and the expectations set on them.
There are some unique and very intriguing statements for how things like bravery are viewed by the men we consider to be brave. I thought the best parts of the book were quotes from soldiers talking about the bonds that they have with one another.
All in all, a great perspective of war, focused on the men who are tasked with carrying out the action.

The Infantryman’s life in Afghanistan

In War, Sebastian Junger describes the life of junior infantry soldiers in the most dangerous region and most active periods of the Afghanistan conflict. Junger avoided the trap many journalists fall into of moralizing on whether the U.S should be there. There is no plot to this book. It tells the story of one platoon of American soldiers during their 15-month combat tour.

As an old artilleryman, I salute these young infantry soldiers. In a ground war, the infantry always take the brunt of the fighting. That these soldiers live and fought in such primitive conditions speaks highly of their professionalism and dedication to the members of their platoon. I have never read a better example of the effectiveness of unit cohesion. They truly lived the concept that there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for a friend.

The lack of “down time” or relief provides a good picture of how so many front-line soldiers might end up with PTSD. Despite the constant threats, many of these young men would do it all again. Because they are volunteer professional soldiers, many will have multiple combat tours during their careers.

I applaud Junger for his dedication to telling the real story instead of the headquarters version.

best written piece ever

I have read the book 1/2 a dozen times and listened to it countless other. maybe because I have been there and can identify I love it so much. it is real and accurate.

A great feel for what our troops experience

I never had the sense of what our troops were against in Afghanistan and now I do. Junger brought the parties into my living room so they could tell me what their lives were like. Getting to know what hardships they endured, the difficulty in trying to work in that terrain, and the PTSD that automatically comes home with them was amazing. It is somewhat mind boggling that Junger and his photographer voluntarily returned time and time again to the same shooting gallery - but than all the men who were there had volunteered for the military, if not for Afghanistan. A very comprehensive telling of this current conflict.

Good and important book

If you could sum up WAR in three words, what would they be?

Very difficult war

What was one of the most memorable moments of WAR?

The emotional challenges that are faced by our troops because of this very difficult method of war.

Have you listened to any of Sebastian Junger’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not listened to another performance by Sebastian Junger.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

War: Afghanistan Terror

Any additional comments?

This is a powerful and insightful book into the lives of the American 2nd Platoon in the Korengal of Afghanistan. This book helped me to see inside the consequences of war in the lives of the young men who are fighting it from the front lines. While reading this book I have found myself telling nearly anyone who would listen about some of the difficulties that these men faced. War is an unbelievably difficult thing and we would be wise to pursue it with extreme caution. Sebastian Junger takes his reader into the lives and psyche of these men to find men who are serving with courage and distinction, but are not really concerned with the political issues or broader military issues of the war. They mostly care about the men that they serve with, and they love one another in a way that is difficult or nearly impossible to duplicate outside of the difficulties of war. This book should be read by people far and wide if for no other reason than to understand more about the consequences of sending young men to war.

Combat Veteran Approved

Would you consider the audio edition of WAR to be better than the print version?

I have never read the print version due to my busy schedule.

What was one of the most memorable moments of WAR?

The most memorable moments of WAR is the fact that the author could put into words the emotions and experiences of war that I have experienced, yet could never define. I find it difficult for those that have never served to understand. This would be a book I would recommend for those that never served and are trying to understand.

What about Sebastian Junger’s performance did you like?

I liked the fact that he experienced this book first hand, a very good narrator and author, and knows how to use words to define the difficult concepts, experiences, and emotions of war.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, it is a book that had me addicted.

Visceral and Provocative

How does anyone walk out of such any experience dramatically unchanged? How does any reader of this book not be moved and awakened? Sebastian Junger’s words and description of his time spent with these young men is a real tribute. Told, unapologetically with graphic imagery, riveting detail and heartfelt respect, the author tares back the curtains to reveal an authentic and disturbing experience. Every civilian with an opinion about our troops and every politician who makes decisions that impact our military personnel should read this book; and if possible especially listen to the final discussion between the author and the producer of the audiobook. His insights on love, brotherhood, and PTSD are profound.

A captivating insight into what war actually is

If you really want to understand why wars are fought, this isn't the book for you. However, if you desire to know why servicemen and servicewomen choose to fight in them, this will illuminate that for you, at least in some small way. It's short and concise, but still puts you, as close as can be hoped for, into the minds of the men of Battle Company. Real and raw on-the-ground experiences from the spectrum of warfare, mindnumbing downtime to feverish firefights, are documented and recounted for you, but then analyzed and dissected. It's interwoven so well, and so smoothly. Can't recommend enough.

The Korengal Valley

Listening to this book actually made me feel as though I was actually there in combat. It is the most feeling that anyone could get other than being with those men fighting in the valley.
Being a veteran is so different than being a combat veteran.
The closeness is felt deeply between those guys who fought together in the Korengal Valley.
The love between those men will be felt for a lifetime as will those reprocessing symptoms of battle.

The Cost Needs to Be Acknowledged

Junger's WAR puts you on the front line of Afghanistan, where he was embedded with soldiers from 2nd Platoon, Battle Company, stationed in the Korengal Valley for a year. There are no hot meals or red meat, no running water, and no women. The men have each other, and combat.

Best of all, it doesn't take sides - it doesn't attempt to justify the war, or condemn it. It simply puts you next to the soldiers and lets you observe their lives and duty.

There's a couple of passages toward the middle of the book where Junger and the troops barely survive a roadside bomb. There's terror, and justified rage. This is contrasted almost immediately with an incident where an enemy combatant's leg is blown off, and he dies crawling around trying to find it while the 2nd Platoon cheers. The complexity of war - and all the emotions it brings out in the men who serve in the military - is staggering, and I often sat riveted in my car, trying to take it all in.

It's an unflinching, and amazingly apolitical look at what happens on the front lines of war, and how the men are affected. It was particularly insightful listening to how meaningful their life is in combat, and how when they return home, their lives don't quite have that same purpose, and how traumatic that can be.

Junger is not the most exceptional reader I've heard, but I am glad he read this. Hearing his voice, knowing that he experienced all this and is telling it to us, adds a certain amount of gravity that would be loss if it were coming from someone else's mouth.

An incredible and thought-provoking book.