The Forever War

NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD WINNER

De: Dexter Filkins

Narrado por: Robertson Dean

From the front lines of the battle against Islamic fundamentalism, a searing, unforgettable audiobook that captures the human essence of the greatest conflict of our time. Through the eyes of Dexter Filkins, the prize-winning New York Times correspondent, we witness the remarkable chain of events that began with the rise of the Taliban in the 1990s, continued with the attacks of 9/11, and moved on to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Filkins’s narrative moves across a vast and various landscape of amazing characters and astonishing scenes: a public amputation performed by the Taliban, children frolicking in minefields, skies streaked white by the contrails of B-52’s, a night’s sleep in the rubble of Ground Zero. We venture into a torture chamber run by Saddam Hussein. We go into the homes of suicide bombers, meet Iraqi insurgents, and an American captain who loses a quarter of his men in eight days.

The Forever War allows us a visceral understanding of today’s battlefields and of the experiences of the people on the ground, warriors and innocents alike. It is a brilliant, fearless work, not just about America’s wars after 9/11, but ultimately about the nature of war itself.©2008 Dexter Filkins; (P)2008 Books on Tape

A great book, but a "difficult listen"

While I'm enjoying the book immensely, I find it jumps around in time and location, which makes it difficult to follow - especially since I listen while commuting and can be easily distracted. I think it would have been better as a "read" than a listen. A cheat sheet with a calendar of events and a map of the area would be helpful (but admittedly not a great idea when one is driving!).

Read this book

This book is the closest one can come to living in Iraq and Afghanistan during the war. Collins is fair to everyone he profiles, whether they are American soldiers or Iranians or Afghanis.

Interesting perspective

The author was on the ground in Iraq and witnessed the demise of the country. I thought it odd when he referred to America and Americans in the third person. Perhaps a little too much about him in the book. It may just have been cathartic for him as he tried to make sense out of a brutal and dystopian environment. Worth listening to if you are interested in the second Iraq war and the aftermath.

A horrifying description of current day Iraq

An interesting and a clear description of the chaos the U.S. Inflicted on Iraq, told through personal anecdotes and observations of the author.

Like actually being there.

I'm not usually a fan of war books or movies, but this one was real. Gives a glimpse of the realities of war. Made me even more sensitive to the fact that these are not just brave soldiers, but regular young Americans fighting in foreign countries with families left behind hoping and praying for their safe return.