Synopses & Reviews
Fast off the success of his devastating Vietnam War novel, Karl Marlantes gives us his incredibly readable treatise on soldier psychology, Reflections on Combat: Psyche, Soul, and Consciousness in Modern Warfare. Writing in a personal address to youths considering military service, soldiers facing imminent combat, government policy-makes, and anyone with an interest in reforming the nature of war or better understanding a society that fosters it, Marlantes approaches this difficult and divisive subject with a raw practicality and honesty informed by his years of sober thought and personal struggle. He is unwilling to take the moral high ground and adopt an idealistic pacifism, and instead addresses a future that will inevitably harbor further wars and create untold further generations of soldiers; with his personal discoveries and wealth of historical and psychological thought, Marlantes explores ways of reforming soldier training, counseling for soldiers and veterans, and military law that will help avoid the unnecessary spiritual and literal casualties of wars past.
The book is divided into many chapters covering such topics as Atrocities,” Numbness and the Rapture of Violent Transcendence,” and Heroism.” Each chapter begins with the effective thesis for the sectiona frank statement of a serious problem like the fusing of civilian life and war or the lack of empathy in soldiers and a broad-scale way to approach its rectification. What follows is then a hybrid of essay and memoir that leads the reader to both a personal and technical (as much as this can apply to matters of human consciousness) understanding of the chapters thesis. Marlantes recounts engaging, gritty, tense, and unflinchingly truthful personal experiences from his deployment in Vietnam: how his laziness in checking a mortar stand resulted in three friendly casualties, how killing Viet Cong and commanding massive firepower imbued him with a sense of omnipotence, how he put an entire rescue helicopter at risk in order to make his scheduled rest and relaxation, how he executed, going beyond the ordered objective, a merciless rout of enemy soldiers as a form of revenge for a fallen comrade. These incredible stories are then supplemented with personal introspection and rigorous philosophical and sociological examination with frequent appeal to the likes of Jung, Nietzsche, and Yeats in order to discover the structure of the underlying problem in military training, military operating procedure, and even cultural norms.
All of this goes towards understanding problems in soldier psychology that are complex and terrifying. Marlantes is obsessed with how hopelessly unprepared soldiers are for the transcendental experiences of war and he doesnt shy away from this construal of the transcendental. While fully affirming the horror of war and death, Marlantes fearlessly asserts that these experiences nonetheless force soldiers into all-too-real contact with that notoriously indescribable quality of humanhood: the unknowable, the intangible, the dark mystery of existence. One of the overarching themes of his book is that military culture discourages soldiers from confronting these sorts of psycho-spiritual conflicts, when in fact the proper course of action is to do the exact opposite confront these tough issues and experiences head on, before, during, and after combat.
While the book cruises comfortably in the dual tones of the memoirist and the psychoanalyst, it is perhaps most potent when it dips into the truly confessional. At points Marlantes steps back and addresses the problems he had writing this very book his battles to confront self-deceit, personal trauma, and deep seeded denial and we see the author laid bare: a brutally honest, sometimes distraught figure hunched over the keyboard, writing with almost sacrificial sincerity. The result is one mans attempt to help future generations in the inevitable event of war, where human beings are forced to witness and carry out the obliteration of life.
Review
Karl Marlantes has written a staggeringly beautiful book on combat . . . In my eyes he has become the preeminent literary voice on war of our generation. He is a natural storyteller and a deeply profound thinker . . . As this generation of warriors comes home, they will be enormously helped by what Marlantes has writtenIm sure he will literally save lives.”Sebastian Junger
Marlantes is the best American writer right now on war and the extreme costs to society of sending young men and women off to combat without much of a safety net for them when they land back home. . . . With What It Is Like to Go to War a second Marlantes book resides on the top shelf of American literature.”Anthony Swofford, author of Jarhead
Marlantes brings candor and wrenching self-analysis to bear on his combat experiences in Vietnam, in a memoir-based meditation whose intentions are three-fold: to help soldiers-to-be understand what theyre in for; to help veterans come to terms with what theyve seen and done; and to help policymakers know what theyre asking of the men they send into combat.”The New Yorker
A precisely crafted and bracingly honest book.”The Atlantic
What It Is Like to Go to War is a well-crafted and forcefully argued work that contains fresh and important insights into what its like to be in a war and what it does to the human psyche.”The Washington Post
With an intellect as sharp and critical as Marlantes, and a temperament not afraid to display confusion or remorse, What It Is Like” is more than worth the effort of any reader.”Los Angeles Times
What It Is Like to Go to War ought to be mandatory reading by potential infantry recruits and by residents of any nation that sends its kidsMarlantess wordinto combat.”San Francisco Chronicle
Marlantes delivers one of the most powerful meditations on the meaning of war and its impact. A necessary book as America welcomes home a new generation of veterans.”The Daily Beast
A gripping, first-person plea to consider the impact on the human spirit of being a soldier.”Huffington Post
To say that this book is brilliant it an understatement . . . I have read many, many books on war and this is the first time that Ive read exactly what the combat veteran thinks and feelsnothing I have ever read before has hit home in my heart like this book.”Gunnery Sergeant Terence DAlesandro, 3rd Batallion, 5th Marines, U.S. Marine Corps
What It Is Like to Go to War offers profound insight on how we must prepare our youth who become our warriors for their hard and uncompromising journey through wars hell and back home again.”Vietnam Magazine
Marlantes knows what he writes. . . Raw, unsettling honesty pervades the work.”Time.com
In this thoughtful, literate work of self-exorcism, Marlantes tells tales of incredible bravery as well as brutality.”People Magazine
A gutting look into the psyche of a soldier, adding flesh to the often flat and stereotypes personage. Humanizing, empathetic, and wise, this reading experience will light corners in the human experience often judged dark.”Library Journal
[I]ntense, thoughtful. . . vivid and hair-raising. . . indelible and cinematic. . . For anyone civilian or otherwise interested in gaining a more thorough and nuanced understanding of the role of the military in American society, What It Is Like” is required reading.”The Capital Times
Marlantes has written a sparklingly provocative nonfiction book. . . He is an exceptional writer and his depictions here are vivid.”BookPage
With war such a part of contemporary American life, this book is deeply important, as timely and urgent as contemporary on-the-ground reporting from Afghanistan and Iraq.”The Minneapolis Star Tribune
A sound debunking of anything smacking of the glory of warfarebut written with compassion, honest and wit for men and now women who fight and for all of those who care about them.”St. Louis Dispatch
A slim spiritual guide. . . Marlantess book is a sincere plea for better soldiers and veterans.”Seattle Weekly
[Marlantess] research and rationale form a voice of reason with a reason to be heard . . . Those who support the troops will read this book and will better understand what it is like to go toand come back fromwar.”Air Force Times
[C]athartic . . . I remember learning about how to go to war, but there was little discussion about what it was like to go to war and its place in the human experience. . . . [A] compelling testimony for the contemporary warrior.”US Naval Institute
Karl Marlantes seeks to tell the truth about combat . . . What It Is Like to Go to War is both a memoir and a meditation. . . Its also peppered with heartfelt stories about his fellow Marines.”Boulder Daily Camera
With unflinching honesty, bestselling author Karl Marlantes tells us What It Is Like to Go to War in his compassionate, powerful narrative on Vietnam. Marlantes does not shy away from recounting experiences that, outside the arena of war, are horrifying or embarrassing . . . He tempers the brutal truths of fear, power games, and courage with a thoughtful prescription for our soldiers well-being; caring for our soldiers and their families differently will benefit society as a whole. Marlantes sets a new standard for understanding the experience of war.”Amazon.com
Wrenchingly honest. . . . Digging as deeply into his own life as he does into the larger sociological and moral issues, Marlantes presents a riveting, powerfully written account of how, after being taught to kill, he learned to deal with the aftermath.”Publishers Weekly (starred review)
A valiant effort to explain and make peace with wars awesome consequences for human beings.”Kirkus Reviews
What It Is Like to Go to War is a courageous, noble and intelligent grapple with myth, history, and spirituality that beautifully elevates the cultural conversation on the role of the military in todays world. It is an emotional, honest, and affecting primer for all Americans on war and the national psyche, and we ignore this book at our own peril.”Ed Conklin, Chaucers Books, Santa Barbara
Review
Karl Marlantes has written a staggeringly beautiful book on combatwhat it feels like, what the consequences are and above all, what society must do to understand it. In my eyes he has become the preeminent literary voice on war of our generation. He is a natural storyteller and a deeply profound thinker who not only illuminates war for civilians, but also offers a kind of spiritual guidance to veterans themselves. As this generation of warriors comes home, they will be enormously helped by what Marlantes has writtenIm sure he will literally save lives.”
Sebastian JungerMarlantes brings candor and wrenching self-analysis to bear on his combat experiences in Vietnam, in a memoir-based meditation whose intentions are three-fold: to help soldiers-to-be understand what theyre in for; to help veterans come to terms with what theyve seen and done; and to help policymakers know what theyre asking of the men they send into combat.”The New Yorker
What It Is Like to Go to War is a well-crafted and forcefully argued work that contains fresh and important insights into what its like to be in a war and what it does to the human psyche.”The Washington Post
Marlantes is the best American writer right now on war . . . With What It Is Like to Go to War a second Marlantes book resides on the top shelf of American literature.”Anthony Swofford, author of Jarhead
What It Is Like to Go to War ought to be mandatory reading by potential infantry recruits and by residents of any nation that sends its kidsMarlantess wordinto combat.”San Francisco Chronicle
In this thoughtful, literate work of self-exorcism, Marlantes tells tales of incredible bravery as well as brutality.”People Magazine
A precisely crafted and bracingly honest book."The Atlantic
Marlantes knows what he writes. . . Raw, unsettling honesty pervades the work.”Time.com
Marlantes has written a sparklingly provocative nonfiction book. . . He is an exceptional writer and his depictions here are vivid.”BookPage
A gripping, first-person plea to consider the impact on the human spirit of being a soldier.”Huffington Post
Karl Marlantes, author of the excellent What It Is Like To Go To War, cautions his audience to understand the cost to the human psyche in sending others to kill in our names or for policies decided by politicians determined to use (and abuse) the power entrusted to their office.”Daily Planet
Karl Marlantes What It Is Like to Go to War is a deeply personal account of dealing with his harrowing time as a Marine Corps officer in Vietnam. . . . Marlantes fiction might be just too wrenching for some readers to believe.”Logos
This absolutely unique and lucid personal account and analysis will be read with profit by scholars, general readers, and most particularly, by veterans of close combat. . . . The author is qualified by experience, education, temperament, and skill as a writer to make penetrating observations. Many are graphic, bold, and shocking. Some are erudite; some are ethereal; all are worthy of careful consideration. . . . His method is to reflect on a point important to him, to illustrate it with an anecdote or a combat experience, and to mull it over in sparkling prose that has the reader hanging on every word. . . . Mastery of our language and the creative use of poetic devices and images make his pronouncements memorable. . . . Marlantes has joined a short list of authors whose experience, sensitivity, and skill enable them to share wisdom with those among us who would understand.”Parameters
What it is Like to Go to War is already considered by many a modern classic. . . . The former Marine has three main goals in this unflinchingly honest look at what it means to be a soldier in a war: to let potential soldiers understand what to expect, to help veterans better cope with what theyve experienced, and to help policy makers truly comprehend what it means when they send combat troops into a war zone.”Bradenton Herald
To say that this book is brilliant is an understatementMarlantes is the absolute master of taking the psyche of the combat veteran and translating it into words that the civilian or non-veteran can understand. I have read many, many books on war and this is the first time that I've ever read exactly what the combat veteran thinks and feelsnothing I have ever read before has hit home in my heart like this book.”Gunnery Sergeant Terence DAlesandro, 3rd Batallion, 5th Marines, U.S. Marine Corps
Wrenchingly honest. . . . Digging as deeply into his own life as he does into the larger sociological and moral issues, Marlantes presents a riveting, powerfully written account of how, after being taught to kill, he learned to deal with the aftermath.”Publishers Weekly (starred review)
A valiant effort to explain and make peace with wars awesome consequences for human beings.”Kirkus Reviews
What It Is Like to Go to War offers profound insight on how we must prepare our youth who become our warriors for their hard and uncompromising journey through wars hell and back home again.”Vietnam Magazine
With war such a part of contemporary American life, this book is deeply important, as timely and urgent as contemporary on-the-ground reporting from Afghanistan and Iraq.”The Minneapolis Star Tribune
A sound debunking of anything smacking of the glory of warfarebut written with compassion, honest and wit for men and now women who fight and for all of those who care about them.”St. Louis Dispatch
A slim spiritual guide. . . Marlantess book is a sincere plea for better soldiers and veterans.”Seattle Weekly
What It Is Like to Go to War is a courageous, noble and intelligent grapple with myth, history, and spirituality that beautifully elevates the cultural conversation on the role of the military in todays world. It is an emotional, honest, and affecting primer for all Americans on war and the national psyche, and we ignore this book at our own peril.”Ed Conklin, Chaucers Books, Santa Barbara
Synopsis
From the author of the
New York Times Bestseller
Matterhorn, this is a powerful nonfiction book about the experience of combat and how inadequately we prepare our young men and women for war.
War is as old as humankind, but in the past, warriors were prepared for battle by ritual, religion and literature — which also helped bring them home. In a compelling narrative, Marlantes weaves riveting accounts of his combat experiences with thoughtful analysis, self-examination and his readings — from Homer to the Mahabharata to Jung. He talks frankly about how he is haunted by the face of the young North Vietnamese soldier he killed at close quarters and how he finally finds a way to make peace with his past. Marlantes discusses the daily contradictions that warriors face in the grind of war, where each battle requires them to take life or spare life, and where they enter a state he likens to the fervor of religious ecstasy.
Just as Matterhorn is already being acclaimed as a classic of war literature, What It Is Like To Go To War is set to become required reading for anyone — soldier or civilian — interested in this visceral and all too essential part of the human experience.
Synopsis
#3 on Amazon.coms 10 Best Books of 2011
The New Yorker Favorite Books from 2011
Hudson Booksellers Best Books of 2011
Barnes and Noble Best Nonfiction Books of 2011
St. Louis Post Dispatch Favorite Books of 2011
A Shelf Awareness Reviewers Top Pick of 2011
One of the most important and highly-praised books of 2011, Karl Marlantes's What It Is Like to Go to War is set to become just as much of a classic as his epic novel Matterhorn.
In What It Is Like to Go to War, Marlantes takes a deeply personal and candid look at the experience and ordeal of combat, critically examining how we might better prepare our young soldiers for war. War is as old as humankind, but in the past, warriors were prepared for battle by ritual, religion, and literature — which also helped bring them home. In a compelling narrative, Marlantes weaves riveting accounts of his combat experiences with thoughtful analysis, self-examination, and his readings — from Homer to the Mahabharata to Jung. He makes it clear just how poorly prepared our nineteen-year-old warriors — mainly men but increasingly women — are for the psychological and spiritual aspects of their journey.
About the Author
A graduate of Yale University and a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, Karl Marlantes served as a Marine in Vietnam, where he was awarded the Navy Cross, the Bronze Star, two Navy Commendation medals for valor, two Purple Hearts, and ten air medals. He is the author of the best-selling and prize-winning Matterhorn.