Jarhead: A Marine's Chronicle of the Gulf War and Other Battles

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Jarhead: A Marine's Chronicle of the Gulf War and Other Battles

3.55 of 5 stars 3.55 · rating details · 4,705 ratings · 394 reviews

Anthony Swofford's Jarhead is the first Gulf War memoir by a frontline infantry marine, and it is a searing, unforgettable narrative.

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Anthony Swofford's Jarhead is the first Gulf War memoir by a frontline infantry marine, and it is a searing, unforgettable narrative.

When the marines -- or "jarheads," as they call themselves -- were sent in 1990 to Saudi Arabia to fight the Iraqis, Swofford was there, with a hundred-pound pack on his shoulders and a sniper's rifle in his hands. It was one misery upon another. He lived in sand for six months, his girlfriend back home betrayed him for a scrawny hotel clerk, he was punished by boredom and fear, he considered suicide, he pulled a gun on one of his fellow marines, and he was shot at by both Iraqis and Americans. At the end of the war, Swofford hiked for miles through a landscape of incinerated Iraqi soldiers and later was nearly killed in a booby-trapped Iraqi bunker.

Swofford weaves this experience of war with vivid accounts of boot camp (which included physical abuse by his drill instructor), reflections on the mythos of the marines, and remembrances of battles with lovers and family. As engagement with the Iraqis draws closer, he is forced to consider what it is to be an American, a soldier, a son of a soldier, and a man.

Unlike the real-time print and television coverage of the Gulf War, which was highly scripted by the Pentagon, Swofford's account subverts the conventional wisdom that U.S. military interventions are now merely surgical insertions of superior forces that result in few American casualties. Jarhead insists we remember the Americans who are in fact wounded or killed, the fields of smoking enemy corpses left behind, and the continuing difficulty that American soldiers have reentering civilian life.

A harrowing yet inspiring portrait of a tormented consciousness struggling for inner peace, Jarhead will elbow for room on that short shelf of American war classics that includes Philip Caputo's A Rumor of War and Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried, and be admired not only for the raw beauty of its prose but also for the depth of its pained heart.

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Paperback, 260 pages

Published October 18th 2005 by Scribner (first published January 1st 2003)

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Dec 21, 2010 Aaron rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: sets-the-standard, life-story, military

A few years ago I watched the movie Jarhead and was pleased to find the book was much better. I don't think this book is for everyone, but speaking for myself it is among the best autobiographies I have come across, regardless of the style or subject matter. Rather than sell his story or this work, I'd like to respond to two of the general themes that I see in the reviews.

First, I feel the book was very carefully organized, perhaps I could say crafted. Swofford does not tell his story strictly...more

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Dec 07, 2007 Silvana rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: everyone

Shelves: nonfiction, military-espionage, history, biography, used-to-own

Welcome to the Suck.

Being a jarhead is frustrating. At least, that's what been described so vividly by Anthony Swofford.

Jarhead means a member of the United States Marine Corps. When used by civilians it could be considered derogatory, but it is used often among Marines. The term originates from the "high and tight" haircut that many Marines have, which makes their head look like a jar. It did NOT originate from their uniform or cover.

This book reminded me of another novel, Catch-22, although no...more

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Jul 30, 2007 Renee rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

{Warning: Strong language} Once upon a time I read a review of the book Jarhead, by Anthony Swofford, which peaked my interest. DH Jeff was thoughtful enough to pick me up a copy. I'm glad he's not a marine, or at least anyone like Mr. Swofford. Honestly, I kept thinking, "what a horse's a-- this guy (Swofford) is." And, did I need any reminders that so many of our young marines will screw anything around - and I do mean anything? Especially while they're bemoaning their unfaithful women at home...more

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Aug 29, 2011 Terri rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: modern-war, american-military-and-foreign-polic

If you go into this book expecting fire fights, skirmishes, battles and sorties, then you are coming at this book from the wrong direction, or you have the wrong book.
Jarhead is what the title says it is. A book about a Jarhead. A young man in the service of the United States Marine Corp. Don't go into the book expecting anything but that. It concerns a Marine's journey towards becoming a Marine and a Sniper and who then joins the boots on the ground in the Middle east for the Gulf War conflict...more If you go into this book expecting fire fights, skirmishes, battles and sorties, then you are coming at this book from the wrong direction, or you have the wrong book.
Jarhead is what the title says it is. A book about a Jarhead. A young man in the service of the United States Marine Corp. Don't go into the book expecting anything but that. It concerns a Marine's journey towards becoming a Marine and a Sniper and who then joins the boots on the ground in the Middle east for the Gulf War conflict.
It is also about a boy becoming a man, but you should expect that from a book such as this. A book that has been a literary triumph for the author. Literary triumphs usually include some form of angst and evolution.
I wanted to give this book 5 stars as the writing took my breath away, but in the end I was turned off by the authors constant preoccupation with sex and sexual metaphors.
Anthony Swofford seems to have a major sex fixation issue which goes beyond the mention of the frequent prostitutes and veneral diseases. He sure does fixate on sex. Half of it wasn't necessary. Most people are not new to the 19/20/21 year old's obsession with sex and chasing his next sexual encounter. It's no secret. Men will be men, boys will be boys.
I am not a prude, anyone who knows me knows that I am far from it, but comparing things, for example, to the 'tight insides of a woman' twice in one paragraph, seems more inserted (no pun intended) for it's shock value and not it's relevance value.
So, this made me drop a star from an otherwise fantastic book. I would recommend it though. Even to people who don't usually read war non fiction.

As a side note, it was quite interesting to get up close and personal with the introduction of the very first Barrett sniper rifles as they were released in a small number to all branches of the military, (SF, SEAL, Sniper teams etc) before the Gulf war officially kicked off. Hard to imagine that it was only in the early 90's that the military started equipping their elite teams with a bonafide sniper rifle.
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Mar 22, 2009 Benjamin Solah rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is by no means an explicitly anti-war novel. It’s more an honest account and because the honest truth is that war is vicious and atrocious, an anti-war message cannot be hidden except through lies.

Anthony Swofford was a U.S. sniper during the first Gulf War and Jarhead tells his story of life in the Marines and fighting in this war. His whole experience in coloured by power-hungry and vicious officers, rowdy nights out with fellow Marines and of course, the in your face brutality of killing...more

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Mar 31, 2013 Alex rated it 1 of 5 stars

Anthony Swofford's memoir of being a Marine grunt/sniper in the Gulf War is a tedious read. The depiction of the Gulf War feels correct: an over-hyped, oil-driven war that turned out to be completely anti-climactic. Swofford and his fellow marines (did I almost write "machines"?) felt cheated, in the end, because instead of the death, danger, and glory they were promised, the Gulf War didn't end up being an infantry war at all —it was an air-and-armor turkey-shoot, and ended in far less time tha...more Anthony Swofford's memoir of being a Marine grunt/sniper in the Gulf War is a tedious read. The depiction of the Gulf War feels correct: an over-hyped, oil-driven war that turned out to be completely anti-climactic. Swofford and his fellow marines (did I almost write "machines"?) felt cheated, in the end, because instead of the death, danger, and glory they were promised, the Gulf War didn't end up being an infantry war at all — it was an air-and-armor turkey-shoot, and ended in far less time than it took to prepare for. Swofford's group gets shot at one single time by enemy forces, with no casualties. The only real carnage Swofford sees first-hand comes from friendly fire. He isn't sure whether this is a good thing or a bad thing; he didn't want to die, after all. This ambivalence is the most interesting part of the book, and makes it potentially an important snapshot of post-Cold War American military ennui.

But the book is a chore. The reason is that Swofford is an incredibly mediocre writer who is trying to appear sophisticated. He cribs liberally from the standard war-memoir tropes, mixing pseudo-erudite language with profanity, giving us long stream-of-consciousness passages when action is involved, zooming back and forth between his military-base childhood and his present surroundings in the desert. It feels affected, artificial. He is not a natural storyteller, and every sentence feels painfully wrought. It is over-written, but by somebody with no great presence of natural talent and what seems to be only a high school education. Its voice does not "ring true." I wish he had just written it straight, with less pretensions.

Swofford's insecurity comes out the most when he tries to convince us that, despite his “dumb jarhead” moniker (which he half embraces, half objects to), he is actually more literate than your average marine. During the build-up to the war, he read The Illiad and The Stranger... again and again, apparently. They are the only two books he ever references, and he references his reading of those two books repeatedly. But he never tells us why these books are the ones he reads. He never tells us whether he finds Homer a relatable soul or a foreign one. What does he think about Camus' killing of an Arab, as he anticipates killing many Arabs? It goes unaddressed, and the books feel like just name-checks to make us try and respect him more. But in and of themselves, the reading of these two classics — both staples of high school English class — isn't as impressive as he thinks they are. It just feels forced, like so much else here. It's too bad. (less)

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Jan 20, 2013 Jaymz H. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Anthony Swofford, a former U.S. Marine, offers a relentless and honest memoir that shows the heart of a soldier, "Jarhead". Along with war’s drama and horror, the aftermath and psychosis of war are under study in his reflections. He explains the difficulty of the marine readapting to everyday life after the first Gulf War. He talks about what a soldier sees, does, and feels and how all of it makes the transition to pre-war life nearly impossible. The experience of soldiering never leaves the sol...more Anthony Swofford, a former U.S. Marine, offers a relentless and honest memoir that shows the heart of a soldier, "Jarhead". Along with war’s drama and horror, the aftermath and psychosis of war are under study in his reflections. He explains the difficulty of the marine readapting to everyday life after the first Gulf War. He talks about what a soldier sees, does, and feels and how all of it makes the transition to pre-war life nearly impossible. The experience of soldiering never leaves the soldier’s mind. He forever lives with a haunting awareness of what he has done and seen, and various indelible images can never be lived away. Jarhead can be compared to Tim O’Brien’s "The Things They Carried", along with Philip Caputo’s "A Rumor of War".

Anthony reflects back to when he used to dream about being what he stands as today. However, he realizes throughout the time in war that there is a lot more to it than he thought. He witnesses things that he refers to as things "no man should ever see". At the end of the memoir, he makes us infer that because of his experiences in the war environment, he has grown up more than most people ever will and is forever changed for maybe not the best, but not necessarily the worst either.

Swofford goes through a huge change and knows that not everyone is worthy of this kind of shift. Knowing this, he doesn't really hold back his language, or details for that matter. His primary audiences are adults and mature young adults because of the purpose of writing, and the lack of his moderation. I believe that he wrote this book to show how much tougher it is being a soldier in war than what we really think it is, and how the movies portray it.

I haven't ever read a memoir till now, and I think that because I liked this book as much as I did, I will consider more books from this genre. I rate "Jarhead" a 4 out of 5 stars. The reason I didn't rate it a perfect 5 is because of the over-explanation of events that really didn't need it. These include the tape that was sent to Anthony's friend and the fake rape if front of the reporter. Overall though, I really did enjoy reading this book and recommend this book, but only to those who are very mature.(less)

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Jan 13, 2013 Damson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Having seen the film years ago, I'd always wanted to read the book. Would it bring a different perspective? Would it add to what I saw and understood from the film?

Yes. Yes it would. Yes it did.

I've always been one of those girls who's pretty vocal about not understanding why men choose to join the military; who tries to argue that surely there's a better way out of whatever it is you're escaping than fighting other men? I never understood what was going through a man's head to want to kill.

But...more

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Nov 05, 2012 Karim rated it 3 of 5 stars

I tried to like Jarhead, I really did.

Swofford's book is a description of Marines heading into the Persian Gulf War of 1991. It's something of a cliché in military books of a young idealist who joins to export the Marine ideology of purity of the individual abroad to other nations through war, only to find that war itself is a dark and twisted place.

In some sense, Swofford seeks absolution for the sins of others (Understandably, he omits his own pretty much exclusively), but the faux moralizing...more

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Nov 02, 2012 Ian A rated it 5 of 5 stars

From the very first page Anthony Swofford or, "Swoff” as his fellow jarheads call him, had me hooked on his novel "Jarhead: A Marine’s Chronicle of the Gulf War and Other Battles". The way he said things like: “The sad truth is that when you’re a jarhead, you’re incapable of not being a jarhead” (111). He emphasized certain things that I think would be pretty accurate in a marine’s life. For example, near the end he often talks about how he started feel compassion and realize that the Iraqi sold...more From the very first page Anthony Swofford or, "Swoff” as his fellow jarheads call him, had me hooked on his novel "Jarhead: A Marine’s Chronicle of the Gulf War and Other Battles". The way he said things like: “The sad truth is that when you’re a jarhead, you’re incapable of not being a jarhead” (111). He emphasized certain things that I think would be pretty accurate in a marine’s life. For example, near the end he often talks about how he started feel compassion and realize that the Iraqi soldiers were human beings and had a life and a family; “It would be silly to speak, but I’d like to. I want to ask the dead men their names and identification numbers and tell them this will soon end.” (225)

The baseline for the story is Swoff and his platoon mates are in Saudi Arabia waiting for the Gulf War to begin.

Another aspect of the book that I think Swofford did amazing on was the way he set up the chapters. It wasn’t necessarily in chronological order; he would tell part of the story when he was in Saudi and then have a flashback to his childhood and explain some of his reasoning for joining the Marine Corps. This style of writing only added to the intensity of the novel, and made it that much more enjoyable to read. “Before joining the Marine Corps I’d fired two weapons-a bow and arrow and a .22-caliber rifle, both at Boy Scout camp, at the age of twelve.”(127). This is a flashback moment recounting the first time he shot a rifle, he goes on to talk about the attack on marine barracks and how he felt somewhat obligated to help heal the country after this had happened. That is one of the reasons he joined the Corps.

Last but not least he talks about war and how demoralizing it was and how going through all of this he felt so not human. This is part of the bigger idea of the novel about how war is necessary but definitely not fun. Throughout the book you kind of get a sense of what it must be like to serve your country and go to war but at the same time he shows you the darker side to serving your country.
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Aug 02, 2012 Crystal rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love - repeat LOVE - this book. And not in the overused, flighty sense of the word. What's not to love in a book with nonstop action with blood-boiling gunfights? But that is not Swofford's story. I have read many books that recount the exciting details of war but lack the pure human drama Swofford brings to the page. We go inside the mind of a soldier impatiently waiting for action, yet fearing and dreading when that moment will find him - and we wait with him, knowing he will tell us the tru...more

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Jun 11, 2012 Helen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Anyone who knows me at all can tell you that I don’t like watching people punch each other, trash-talk, explode things with people in them, or even abuse animals. So Jarhead isn’t a book I would ever pick up without compelling reason.

At the 2012 Disabled American Veterans Winter Sports Clinic (I was there with my brother) I attended a session on how to start a veteran’s writing group by Anthony Swofford. And therein lay the compelling evidence that I needed to read this book.

Firstly, I was impre...more Anyone who knows me at all can tell you that I don’t like watching people punch each other, trash-talk, explode things with people in them, or even abuse animals. So Jarhead isn’t a book I would ever pick up without compelling reason.

At the 2012 Disabled American Veterans Winter Sports Clinic (I was there with my brother) I attended a session on how to start a veteran’s writing group by Anthony Swofford. And therein lay the compelling evidence that I needed to read this book.

Firstly, I was impressed by Swofford’s intelligence. Now, I’m not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but that doesn’t mean I don’t recognize extreme smarts when I see it. He was articulate, interesting, self-aware and probably the most intelligent person I have ever been within 20 feet of.

Secondly, I was moved by his motivations for writing. He was twenty-two when he left the marines and he spoke of the fear and isolation of re-integration and how hard it was to adjust to civilian life. By comparison, at twenty-two if I wasn’t drunk I was hungover and still hadn’t declared a major…I felt I owed it to him, the vets I had met at the clinic, and the military men and women still serving my country to read his story.

I’m glad I did, although it wasn’t always easy. Swofford writes beautifully about difficult subjects. “I go to the basement and open my ruck….I’ve opened my ruck and now I must open myself….I remember about myself a loneliness and poverty of spirit; mental collapse; brief jovial moments after weeks of exhaustion; discomfiting bodily pain; constant ringing in my ears; sleeplessness and drunkenness and desperation; fits of rage and despondency; mutiny of the self; lovers to whom I lied; lovers who lied to me. I remember going in one end and coming out the other. I remember being told I must remember and then for many years forgetting.”

As Swofford dredges up memories he shares things the typical American doesn’t understand about war and the American military. The conflicts aren’t always on the battlefield…they exist between soldiers and soldier, soldier and superior, soldier and his purpose, and they exist between a soldier and himself. “The sad truth is that when you’re a jarhead, you’re incapable of not being a jarhead, you are a symbol, so that in a city like San Diego, where there are more jarheads than windows and the jarheads are embarrassing because of their behavior and dress and you want more than anything not to be associated with the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor, you still are one, one of those things, marine, jarhead, and thus associated with the bad behavior and offensive style of dress of every jarhead walking the boardwalk, drinking excessively, starting fights. Though you might be an individual, first you are a symbol, or part of a larger symbol that some people believe stands for liberty and honor and valor, God and country and Corps. Sometimes this is correct, sometimes this is foolish. But either way, you are a part of the goddamn thing….this is troubling and difficult to admit, and it causes you unending anguish, and you attempt to deny it, but it’s true. Even now.”

Over twenty years has passed since Swofford’s Gulf War experience, yet I suspect it is still relevant today.
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Jun 10, 2012 Salem Abdulkerim rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: jarhead

Jarhead, written by Anthony Swofford,is a biography which talks about the author himself about the first Gulf War he went to back in Saudi Arabia back in 1990. The nickname that the U.S. Marines have is, "jarheads." It was a really hard time for the author because he had to go through some intense training, couldn't even slack of and he also had some trainers that were really strict on him. For instance, since he had a normal life, he had a trainer and the trainer was asking him one day about wh...more
Jarhead, written by Anthony Swofford,is a biography which talks about the author himself about the first Gulf War he went to back in Saudi Arabia back in 1990. The nickname that the U.S. Marines have is, "jarheads." It was a really hard time for the author because he had to go through some intense training, couldn't even slack of and he also had some trainers that were really strict on him. For instance, since he had a normal life, he had a trainer and the trainer was asking him one day about what he liked to do and he said that he liked to play the trumpet but the guy said something very insulting back to him. But at the same time, he did play some games with his friends. While in Asia, he did do some bad stuff such as getting drunk and hanging out with people very late at night. He did know as a fact what a real soldier should be like.

He did miss his family and his friends of whom he loved and that was really hard for him. At the same time, he still had to live with it and still had to go through Boot Camp. He still made some friends and he also had some people that could help him out as well with anything whether it was training or something personally. At the same time, alot of soldiers did get killed by the Iraqis and he was afraid of death as well like as if war is his last and he did know that as a fact that war is barbaric. But after the war was done, he did reflect back on it saying that it was a waste of time and that it was useless for him to go to war.

In my opinion, I think that this book is really intense, emotional, and also sad as well. I honestly thought that it would have been better if he didn't go to war because then, he would not have to worry about death and he also would not have to worry about any kind of injuries he would encounter as well. A country like Asia I think is really treacherous when I sometimes watch the news, I hear that there is usually war going on there but specifically in the south and most of the smaller countries are common such as Israel, Palestine, and even Pakistan. It is obviously emotional whenever anyone comes back from war or even go to war and this book really shows it. I think that going to camp in the military is really treacherous because of all of the hard work that you would have to do and also all of the effort you would have to put in order to prove to yourself and others that you know what it takes to be a true soldier. When you come back, you reflect on all of that and honor those who died in the war.

I would recommend this book for many reasons. My main reason is that it actually gives the audience an idea of what war is really like back in the 1990s and how it can affect history as well. Also, it can even affect parents who even read this book or people who are related to the author because they might be related to him. Also, it would be really good if the readers try to reflect on this in their daily lives and how it could really affect them. Many people would have the feeling that war really is treacherous and it would also give them a little but of some more new background information on the war in Asia but specifically in Saudi Arabia and Iraq.

Basically, this can give a huge impact on many peoples lives despite the fact that he does say a lot of slang and that he is a little bit inappropriate. Many people would obviously know that they should have sympathy for him after reading this book. Also, people should get a little bit understanding about this book and where the author is looking at for his future and what he thinks war is actually about. It can also show a sense of patriotism after reading the book since many American troops do fight for America. Generally, I thought that this book was really interesting and very effective on what kind of information the author had during the war and what he had to go through.
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Salem Abdulkerim Jarhead, written by Anthony Swofford,is a biography which talks about the author himself about the first Gulf War he went to back in Saudi Arabia back...more Jarhead, written by Anthony Swofford,is a biography which talks about the author himself about the first Gulf War he went to back in Saudi Arabia back in 1990. The nickname that the U.S. Marines have is, "jarheads." It was a really hard time for the author because he had to go through some intense training, couldn't even slack of and he also had some trainers that were really strict on him. For instance, since he had a normal life, he had a trainer and the trainer was asking him one day about what he liked to do and he said that he liked to play the trumpet but the guy said something very insulting back to him. But at the same time, he did play some games with his friends. While in Asia, he did do some bad stuff such as getting drunk and hanging out with people very late at night. He did know as a fact what a real soldier should be like.

He did miss his family and his friends of whom he loved and that was really hard for him. At the same time, he still had to live with it and still had to go through Boot Camp. He still made some friends and he also had some people that could help him out as well with anything whether it was training or something personally. At the same time, alot of soldiers did get killed by the Iraqis and he was afraid of death as well like as if war is his last and he did know that as a fact that war is barbaric. But after the war was done, he did reflect back on it saying that it was a waste of time and that it was useless for him to go to war.

In my opinion, I think that this book is really intense, emotional, and also sad as well. I honestly thought that it would have been better if he didn't go to war because then, he would not have to worry about death and he also would not have to worry about any kind of injuries he would encounter as well. A country like Asia I think is really treacherous when I sometimes watch the news, I hear that there is usually war going on there but specifically in the south and most of the smaller countries are common such as Israel, Palestine, and even Pakistan. It is obviously emotional whenever anyone comes back from war or even go to war and this book really shows it. I think that going to camp in the military is really treacherous because of all of the hard work that you would have to do and also all of the effort you would have to put in order to prove to yourself and others that you know what it takes to be a true soldier. When you come back, you reflect on all of that and honor those who died in the war.

I would recommend this book for many reasons. My main reason is that it actually gives the audience an idea of what war is really like back in the 1990s and how it can affect history as well. Also, it can even affect parents who even read this book or people who are related to the author because they might be related to him. Also, it would be really good if the readers try to reflect on this in their daily lives and how it could really affect them. Many people would have the feeling that war really is treacherous and it would also give them a little but of some more new background information on the war in Asia but specifically in Saudi Arabia and Iraq.

Basically, this can give a huge impact on many peoples lives despite the fact that he does say a lot of slang and that he is a little bit inappropriate. Many people would obviously know that they should have sympathy for him after reading this book. Also, people should get a little bit understanding about this book and where the author is looking at for his future and what he thinks war is actually about. It can also show a sense of patriotism after reading the book since many American troops do fight for America. Generally, I thought that this book was really interesting and very effective on what kind of information the author had during the war and what he had to go through.(less)
Jun 10, 2012 07:38pm

Apr 02, 2012 Ron rated it 5 of 5 stars

So many good writers have come from the Iowa Writer's Workshop. Swofford clearly ranks with the best of them. This is a memoir of his military upbringing, his enlistment at 17 1/2 in the marines, his training and a tour of duty in Saudi Arabia, his experience of the Gulf War and its aftermath. Told in a kind of chronological order, with flashbacks and flash-forwards, it captures the disorienting impact of wartime membership in an elite corps that both makes and unmakes him as a man.

While telling...more

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Mar 24, 2012 Jessie Vinson added it

This book and the movie it inspired will always be at the top of my list. This is the most realistic look at war from the viewpoint of any service member. You join the military thinking I'm gonna go kick doors in, blow stuff up, and end human lives when in all actuality most service members never see combat of any type. Mind you in this book and in the movie the author and his unit get mortared and shot at a couple of times but nothing major. The biggest thing that I love to point out about this...more

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Mar 10, 2012 Ensiform rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, war, saw-the-movie

A lucid and brutally honest account by a Marine sniper (who studied at the Iowa Writer’s Workshop!) in the first Gulf War. Swofford’s writing is clear and stark, but his erudition and poetic sense come through on every page; no Hemingway, he. An emotionally draining memoir, this long but incredibly enthralling book not only discusses the actions of the war and its aftermath as seen by an infantryman (walks among charred corpses), but ruminates on the nature of war, of what it means to kill or no...more

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Jan 27, 2012 Roger DeBlanck rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A former U.S. Marine sniper, Anthony Swofford offers an unrelenting, honest, and keen memoir that delves the heart of the soldier. Along with war’s drama and horror, the aftermath and psychosis of war are under study in his reflections and anecdotes. He addresses the difficulty of the marine readapting to everyday life after the first Gulf War. He explains what a soldier sees, does, and feels and how all of it compounds to an overload of emotional instability that makes the transition back to pr...more

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Sep 30, 2011 David Schroeder rated it 3 of 5 stars

Jarhead is a very realistic imagery story about being a Marine during the Gulf War, and the effect the war had on them. I rated Jarhead with a 3 because it was an exciting story, but didn't give a very good image for the Marine Corps. It made all soldiers look like drunks who have no self-control and didn't care about American values in any way, when in reality, most soldiers don't feel this way at all.

This book has quite a few strengths; it is exciting, and catches your attention quickly. The c...more

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Sep 26, 2011 Patrick McCoy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography-autobiography

I picked up a copy of Anthony Swafford's memoir about the First Gulf War called Jarhead. He's a compelling storyteller; I think it gives insight into the mindset of a young soldier. Swafford's story of why he joined is equally interesting, he felt he was part of a tradition, even though his father didn't want him to go. I guess the young have been trying to prove themselves in war for centuries and won't stop doing it anytime soon. I guess it's a bit interesting in that Swafford is roughly my ag...more I picked up a copy of Anthony Swafford's memoir about the First Gulf War called Jarhead. He's a compelling storyteller; I think it gives insight into the mindset of a young soldier. Swafford's story of why he joined is equally interesting, he felt he was part of a tradition, even though his father didn't want him to go. I guess the young have been trying to prove themselves in war for centuries and won't stop doing it anytime soon. I guess it's a bit interesting in that Swafford is roughly my age. I remember protesting the war and thinking that it was all about protecting oil rights, but in retrospect it was more warranted than the current war given that Iraq had invaded Kuwait and America had the support of many nations. However, it was mostly the same men in charge who wanted it. They need to stability in the Middle East to protect our right to cheap gasoline. It looks like that capturing Hussein in the first time around would have prevented this war, but hindsight is 20/20, and I'm sure I would have been against that as well, but it does seems as though some people were left high and dry, when the US refused to march on to Baghdad.

The descriptions of military culture make it seem absolutely intolerable. I can remember a teacher talking about his stint in the navy and how the military is all about reducing you to a number and breaking you down and taking away your identity so that you follow orders, even if they are detrimental to your well being. Blind obedience to superiors, that I have had trouble abiding to, and always have. I can remember being pestered by the local armed forces recruiting offices, since they knew I was in community college in need of financial aid to continue my education, but I would never have submitted to that type of abuse for any amount of money. I remember my mother asking why I wouldn't even consider joining the reserves to get money for college. I was dumbfounded that she could even suggest such a course. I was already a budding liberal who had rebelled against the Catholic church and was against everything the military stood for. I've never had a good image of the military. Every soldier, jarhead, or sailor I ever met was pumped full of testosterone looking for a reason to go off on the nearest person. Not exactly cream of the crop in my opinion. Some of my friends went ROTC, and officers are whole different breed from the vast majority, and from what I've seen almost every soldier, jarhead, or sailor I've come across here in Tokyo, has been completely ignorant and uneducated-usually drunk and out of control as well. It seems to me the military as the last resort for those who cannot escape poverty and ignorance. It is my prejudice, but this book only reinforces it.

I find it interesting to get the details about desert warfare and the way the US approached this particular war. The director David O. Russell did a lot of research for his film based on the Gulf War, Three Kings, which, even though a work of fiction, was highly researched. I found his commentary on the writing/directing of the film fascinating as Swafford confirms many of his observations about the war and soldier life in the desert in his book.
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Aug 03, 2011 James Korsmo added it

This is not an easy book to read. That doesn't mean it isn't well-written, which it is, or that it lacks action, because it doesn't. Instead, it is an often uncomfortable book. It dispels the illusion we all harbor to one degree or another that war is noble and that warriors are likewise noble. Instead, Swofford recounts his own experience in the Marine Corps, first as a line grunt in training and then as a member of the elite Surveillance and Target Acquisition Platoon (that is, a member of the...more

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Sep 07, 2010 Fabio added it

Shelves: 11th-grade-advisory

Jarhead
By: Anthony Swafford
272 pages
Isbn13: 9780743287210

When Marines get sent to war, it can be a very big tragic. Jarheads are what the marines in this book called themselves. In this book, Jarheads were in Iraq fighting a war. Swafford, one of the jarheads, was living a crappy life at the time. He had many near-death experiences, and it didn’t seem as if anything was going right for him. Swafford takes us through the time he had spent at war, through everything he went through and all of hi...more

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Jul 07, 2009 Amanda added it

Shelves: 11th-grade

"Jarhead," by Anthony Swofford is the memoir of a US Corps Marine. This takes you through the different moments of Anthony Swofford's life during the time when he was in the Marines. He tells you how things really were like for one and how life becomes misery quickly over there. He starts off with how he got into the Marines, (the option for him besides jail time) and ends with why he wrote the book in the first place (the reason for him going to the Marine in the first place was to tell the st...more

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Apr 04, 2009 Hank rated it 1 of 5 stars

I've heard a number of enlisted Marines talk about how "realistic" this movie/ book is. Perhaps I'm a bit idealistic, but I think Mr. Swofford exaggerates in a very sincere seeming way in order to draw the reader to a familiar Vietnam-victimized-unknowing soldier being taken advantage of by the privileged few.

Yes, some of the urban-myths that Swofford claims to have occurred in his unit may have happened over time and among the hundreds of thousands of short & long Marine careers. But I dou...more

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Jun 18, 2010 Greg rated it 1 of 5 stars

If I could give this book zero stars I would. This has nothing to do with the 1st gulf war. It has to do with the ramblings of an immoral, narcissistic misogynist with a chip on his shoulder who should have been kicked out of the Marine Corps during 1st phase. He comes across as being one of those Marines we called the bottom 10% who made life hard for everyone else.

Swofford exaggerates or flat-out lies about many of his experiences, i.e. peeing his pants multiple times in boot camp, holding a g...more

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Feb 06, 2012 Jacob Smith rated it 4 of 5 stars

In Jarhead, Anthony Swofford has written a powerful and riveting memoir of his life, particularly his involvement as a Marine during the first Persian Gulf war. He recounts his experiences in the Marine culture, the blood lust, the alternating boredom and terror, and the absurd moments including wearing camouflage uniforms because their desert ones hadn't arrived yet. He watched the burning wells rain oil on the desert and the desecration of Iraqi corpses. At the same time he became aware that b...more

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Sep 27, 2010 Wsingiser rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Jarhead is story of one marine and his many battles. Anthony Swofford was a marine in the Surveillance and Target Acquisition Platoon (STA pronounced stay). He attended the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop. At this University, he received a Michener-Copernicus Fellowship. He currently lives in New York City where he is at work on a novel. Jarhead gives the reader an idea of what a marine’s life is like.
Anthony Swofford was a scout/sniper in the Surveillance and Target Acquisition Platoon....more

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Sep 15, 2010 Greg Swallow rated it 2 of 5 stars

I read this book because it was mentioned in another book review in the New York Times recently. I probably should have read the other book, instead.

I'm sure that going through the Marines is hell, but at the end of the book I felt that this story was mostly hype. Even with a conflict in Iraq in 1991, being in the armed forces through that two-decade period was mostly a safe proposition, and I don't buy that generally lolling around Kuwait City with nothing to do for a couple of weeks qualifies...more

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Sep 28, 2011 Janina rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biography, non-fiction

Anthony Swofford joined the Marines at age 18, thus becoming a Jarhead. When he was 20 he went to war.

Swofford isn't a dumb loser who joined the marines because he didn't know what to do with his life. While reading the book it becomes clear that he wanted to join the Marines for a long, long time. Barely 18 he finally joined, after his father refused to sign the paper when he was only 17. Ultimately he became a scout sniper.

The language is at times absolutely vulgar - but hey, what did you expe...more

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Jul 09, 2009 TBML rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: anyone

Shelves: adventure-and-travel, biography-and-memoir, current-events-politics-and-socia, history, mark-picks

This is some of the very best war writing, and hence reading, I have ever encountered. An added bonus for me was listening to the Recorded Books, LLC version with Swofford himself narrating. Unlike some (even outstanding) authors, Mr. Swofford is a superbly accomplished reader as well, which made hearing the author's presentation of his work doubly enjoyable.

Swofford was a Marine sniper in the first Gulf War. He is unflinchingly honest in examining everything about the whole experience from boot...more

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Sep 30, 2011 Elisha Geist rated it 1 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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