Chasing Alexander: A Marine's Journey Across Iraq and Afghanistan

by Christopher Martin

A haunting, fast-paced war memoir, Chasing Alexander is Christopher Martin's account of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

A failing college student obsessed with Alexander the Great, Martin enlists in the US Marines to become a different sort of man, a man like Alexander. From his difficulty at boot camp to his disappointing deployment to Iraq, Martin fears he may never follow in Alexander's footsteps.

Then, after a strategy change, Martin and his unit arrive in Marjah, "the bleeding ulcer" of Afghanistan. There he faces heat, fleas, and a hidden enemy. As the casualties mount, Martin struggles to control his emotions and his newfound sense of power. Chasing Alexander looks unflinchingly at the seductive side of war, and its awful consequences.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Military Fiction, Ebooks, Military History, Biography, War

310 pages, Hardcover

Published September 28, 2021

About the author

Christopher Martin enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 2007 and served until 2011. He deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan as a mortarman with 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines. After leaving the Marines, he attended Denison University, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa. He currently lives in Colorado.

Reviews

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not being a big history fan in school, probably because of the way it was taught, I am catching up now, drinking in knowledge from historical fiction novels and nonfiction reads. Having read a ton of WWII historical fiction novels, I am now ready to branch out and learn more about other wars of the world. When I saw this book on Net Galley, I grabbed it immediately. I want to know more about the Middle East conflicts, especially the day-to-day details of the soldiers’ lives.

Chris Martin has written a book about an “everyman” US Marine assigned to Iraq and subsequently Afghanistan from 2007 to 2011. Chris is a smart guy. He does well in school up until high school when things change for him. He spends school days not in the classroom, but in the library reading about his hero Alexander the Great and other war heroes. He developes a deep desire to become like Alexander—to be a military leader and to be on the front lines doing the “grunt” work. He is inspired enough to enlist into the Marines right after graduation.

Chris wrote this book as he wants people to know the life of a “regular” soldier as opposed to the stories of famous highly-decorated war personnel. We follow Chris from boot camp to Iraq and then Afghanistan; the narrative takes place from 2007 to 2011. Chris changes considerably during this time as he experiences excitement, frustration, fear, friendship, determination, feelings of power, feelings of helplessness, disappointment, anxiety, and ultimately a feeling of peace. This book gives you the nitty gritty—the details of life for a frontline Marine in the Middle East. The everyday business of the everyman soldier. The ups, the downs, the heat, the filthiness, the boredom, the ubiquitous feelings of impending death. Then there’s the downside of the wonderful camaraderie with other soldiers and mentors in the form of disappointment from being split up from friends who are reassigned and the dread of a buddy getting killed. There is the elation of a successful firefight, the thrill of an elicit bath in a dirty canal, the long chats over smokes and coffee, the delivering of chocolate to the native children. Overall, however, one cannot avoid the realization of the awful details and the sacrifices of so many that are so inherent in the cost of war.

The book is easy to read; the pace is excellent. At the beginning of each chapter is a bit of history about the conquests of Alexander the Great. I knew little about this warrior before reading this book and was appreciative of this info.

I found Chris Martin to be a very determined, courageous, never-give-up sort of guy. Except for a couple of “human moments,” I found him to be an exemplary soldier and a man who I thought could do well in whatever he set out to do. I appreciated the epilogue but wished it covered time after his discharge. I know that part of Chris’ life is not the point of the book, but I came to admire him not only as a soldier but as a man and hoped to learn more about his postmilitary life. There is a bit about this in his short Goodreads bio, but it barely scratches the surface.

This book is a timely read what with the current news about the devastating consequences of the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan. Chris’ book has greatly kindled my interest in this disaster, and I will continue to seek out information regarding my country’s time in Afghanistan. I highly recommend Chris’ book for all interested in a good look into the day to day lives and sacrifices made by our brave American Marines during their time in the Middle East.

I’d like to thank Net Galley, Notional Books, and Christopher Martin for an ARC of Chasing Alexander. Opinions stated are mine alone and are not biased in any way.

[Sleepy Boy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free via Netgalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. My sincerest thanks to the publisher and author. :)

This is an excellent, honest, and often visceral account of one Marine's journey through boot camp, then on to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Martin has the combat record and the writing chops to bring his time in these places, the vagaries of the USMC, command, combat, boredom, and horror to almost palpable life.

I appreciated his honesty, the times where he felt he didn't measure up, the times where he succeeded, and the times he outright failed. All these things while reading, you felt shoulder to shoulder with the man as he wove for you a glimpse into his reality.

All in all a great combat memoir.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chris Martin had been obsessed with Alexander the Great for as long as he could remember, and with itchy feet and failing grades, he decided to join the US Marines. His family, especially his parents, couldn’t understand his desire, so he wasn’t completely honest with them. As he trained, he went from a chubby, pudgy young man to a fit, active and confident man. He found boot camp difficult, but he was determined to see action and eventually they were bound for Iraq. Always he was trying to follow in Alexander’s footsteps.

After Iraq they were bound for Marjah in Afghanistan – and he saw more action there than he wanted or needed. He was a good leader to his unit, and they helped each other out of many a tight spot. The oppressive heat and humidity, the millions of fleas which crawled all over them, and the Taliban always just around the corner made their deployment of seven months in Afghanistan both emotional and hard. There were casualties and shattering consequences, sadness and horror. But eventually they were taken back to American soil and home again.

Chasing Alexander is a fast-paced memoir by Christopher Martin, telling of his four-year tours of duty while in the US Marines. It changed his life – as one would expect – and the horrors of war which he and his unit and close friends, as well as men he didn’t know well, all went through. I hope he doesn’t contract lung cancer from the amount of smoking he did while on tour!! Chasing Alexander is a poignant, moving and powerful memoir which I recommend highly.

With thanks to NetGalley and Notional Books for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

[Christopher Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

It seems like most recent military memoirs are only written by aspiring politicians or Medal of Honor winners. I wrote this book to show what the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were like for regular Americans, without some kind of myth making agenda.
If you're interested in seeing what it was like in the last days of the Iraq War, or the absolute peak of the Afghanistan War, this book is for you.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coincidental that I finsihed this on today’s date and of course very topical re the situation in Afghanistan at the moment
This book charts Christopher Martin’s life and focuses on his main tours as a marine in Iraq and Afghanistan
Every chapter starts with a small preface about Alexander The Great, the historical figure Martin focused on as a boy and that drew him into being a marine
Not a typical marine, in his own words overweight and with big glasses, he really did strive to be the best in training and deployment and all that entailed and he tells it ‘as it was’ no fancy words or descriptions re his journey inc his difficult tours into the war zones
I still find it difficult to understand the rank system in the American Marines but that aside it is a honest, frank and emotional story, told from the heart and mind of someone who set out to be a Marine and achieved his goal
For this kind of read it would be impossible to give anything but a

10/10
5 Stars

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

In homage to the great warrior Alexander the Great, who conquered practically the entire civilized world in a short two decades before his empire collapsed upon his death, Christopher Martin opens each chapter of his memoir with a bit of Alexander’s history. Martin, an overweight vision-impaired young man, enlisted in the United States Marine, survived basic training, and tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan from 2007 through 2011. Without regard to the politics of the wars or the recent botched withdrawal from Kabul, Martin offers us a ground-level front seat view of what it felt like to be on these deployments from day to day. Quite telling is Martin’s realization between deployments and upon his return that most Americans were not connected to either war and went about their lives as if nothing had been going on over there and without regard for the sacrifices and personal losses.

[Pooja Peravali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chris Martin drops out of college to become a marine, inspired by the warrior life of Alexander the Great. Over several years, he goes through training, gets deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, and faces combat.

This was a very interesting read. The author does a good job of capturing the atmosphere of his training and deployments, so that it feels very surreal to the reader who is comfortably far away from his experience. I liked that the author seems to have had quite ordinary experiences, a 'grunt's' life, so that the reader gets a grassroots level view of the war.

My main complaint is that there was sometimes a lack of self-reflection in the writing about his experiences, more merely just a recounting (though certainly a fascinating one). I also would have liked to see in the epilogue what the author did after his enlistment was over.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Netgalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[Ola G · Rating 4 out of 5]

8/10 stars

My full review on my blog.

Christopher Martin is a US Marine veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan during the War on Terror, between 2007 and 2011. His war memoir, Chasing Alexander, is both like and unlike other War on Terror non fiction I’ve read, and I’ve read a lot; the similarities are obvious, and heartbreaking, while the disparities are what makes this book unique.

Firstly, there is a matter of style. I’m pretty sure Martin did his required reading, as his book bears more than a passing resemblance to Hasford’s The Short Timers and yet still retains a bit of the wide-eyed American idealism of West’s The Snake Eaters. It’s clear Martin wanted to write his own book – and in this, he succeeded. The style of Chasing Alexander is simple and direct, and reads very much like a student’s report: an honest, open account of how it was – or, more precisely, how Martin thought it was. And I mean it as a compliment. Many of these new war memoirs are becoming masks; tools, if you will, tailored for the author’s purposes. A common trajectory for modern veterans is to go into business and management after the time in the military; a book doesn’t hurt your chances at an executive position.

But to me, war memoirs are a grand effort to be understood. A doomed effort, always, at least to an extent: war experience is not something that can be fully comprehended second-hand. The authors inevitably know it, all too well in fact, and yet they still write these books as a call out for… not empathy, exactly, but for some form of the recognition of them as fellow human beings. Martin is upfront about it in his book; he tries not to hide behind any mask, and he shares freely his fears, his stupidity, his pride, his loyalty, and his exhaustion. And there is a lot of it in the war zone, frustration and triumph, boredom and adrenaline-fueled moments of lethal action.

"Rolling my neck, I felt the power wash over me. It was like a dark shadow that I could direct, a shadow that could raze fields and level buildings, a shadow of destruction that I could sweep wherever I wanted. I had rifles and grenades and a machine gun at my command. Mortars, rockets, or airplanes dropping bombs if I wanted. I could rain missiles down from the invisible drones. I only had to ask.

The might and power of the US military was behind me. There was no supervision, no one above me. I was twenty-four, and I walked around with the ability to wipe buildings and people off the face of the earth. All that power was intoxicating. With the radio in my backpack, I could decimate everything in sight. I felt all that power running up my neck and down into my fingertips. I flexed my hand and grinned."

This book offers such clear anthropological insights into American culture and its approach to war that I wish it was published earlier, so that I could incorporate it in my research. Martin’s path to the war is so typical of the huge part of the War on Terror generation that it’s almost uncanny. A lost teenager from the middle class, floating aimlessly through menial jobs and looking for a direction in life. An avid reader of legendary war exploits, seduced by the myth of war, wanting to put himself on a trial to see if he’s worthy. A chubby guy in thick glasses, shaped by the US Marines into a killing machine, fiercely loyal to those he considers his own, fiercely proud of the place he earned. Soldier mentality is now a part of Martin, probably forever, and it shows in this book.

[...]

Chasing Alexander doesn’t display the burning rage of Klay’s Redeployment, the toxic despair of Walker’s Cherry, nor the professional veneer of success of Fick’s One Bullet Away. Its aim is way humbler, without any lofty notions of delving into the nature of war, the injustice and absurdity of the War on Terror, the concepts of heroism, patriotism, or modern warfare, or creating an image for the author. Martin is your guy next door, shaped to the core by the American culture, waving hello to the neighbor over the white picket fence while mowing the grass on Saturday, and quietly trying to get back to normal life, to merge his time as a US Marine into his self-image of a typical American citizen.

And, damn, he’s lucky. He went to war and survived. He wasn’t wounded, he didn’t kill anyone, he didn’t watch his close friends die. He escaped almost unscathed, and I’m not sure he knows and appreciates how rare this was. But almost unscathed is not the same as unharmed, nor entirely all right. The break between the reality of war and the world of everyday life is too big.

“For the last seven months, all I wanted was to hear from my family. It killed me that I never got their letters. But now that I was home, I just wanted – needed – to pickle my brain with alcohol and escape from the world. I wasn’t ready to see my dad. I wasn’t ready to put on a normal face and try to pretend that I was okay.”

It’s a good, earnest book. We need more like it.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks.

[Sherwood Smith]

The title gives the reader a pretty good idea of Christopher Martin's goal.

There are those who admire Alexander of Macedonia for his charisma, his bravery, his grasp of military strategy and tactics (and there's a small coterie I've encountered, mostly in the fanfic world, who admires him for his gay relationship with Hephaiston). Then there are those who regard Alexander as the brutal son of a bully so vicious that he was killed by his own bodyguard before launching yet another purposeless war, a bully who happened to be a prince. Alexander began his career as a teenage prince by having an entire town put to the sword, and went from there to conquer over the next fourteen or fifteen years a vast kingdom that he could not possibly hold. To the cost of thousands, some say upwards of a million, innocent lives.

The admirers of Alexander, calling him The Great, include those who embody the warrior mindset. They see greatness in testing the body to the limits, in the pursuit of their country's wars, the ultimate sport of kings. That mindset is excellently illustrated in this memoir.

Chris Martin prefaces each chapter with a summary of incidents in the life of Alexander, then explains early on how he read biographies of successful war commanders and conquerers instead of studying in college, and how finally he signed up with the Marines because they were the toughest. He wanted to go to Iraq, to see if he could do it.

Iraq turned out to be somewhat jolting, but the real baptism of blood was Afghanistan.

However, first came boot camp. In immensely readable, vivid prose, Martin describes his experiences as a recruit, and the harsh tactics employed there to make fighting Marines out of a bunch of young guys from a wide variety of backgrounds.

After boot camp came deployment, first Iraq, and then the grim killing fields of Afghanistan, which have been the site of war gamers for millennia--with never a winner. Martin doesn't pull punches about how much the Afghanis hated Americans, or how inevitable it was that the Taliban was there to stay, and would eventually remain after the Americans called it quits and went home, as had the British Empire a century ago, and Napoleon the century before that, and so on back to Alexander.

As I was reading, I reflected on the withdrawal of this summer. In some regard the Taliban is the "winner" except I have no doubt they'll soon be fighting each other, and of course against the descendants of the flint-eyed warlords who have held those barren mountains for thousands of years.

As I read, I also compared this memoir to those written by L.C. Dunsterville, who was the real-life model for Stalky in Rudyard Kipling's Stalky and Co. The fragmented alliances, the war lords, the earlier incarnation of the Taliban are all there in Dunsterville's ruefully funny, disarmingly frank, but ultimately uncritical empire-supporting reminiscences, written before World War One. Dunsterville elides in a gentlemanly, stiff-upper-lip manner past the brutality and the horror, otherwise the terrain is the same, the battles similar, only with more sophisticated weapons, the wins and losses as permanent as sand dunes.

Martin lets the reader see the horror. He makes us care about the comrades whose lives were lost back there, and the physical, mental, and spiritual cost to those who were able to return home. There is a certain amount of reflection, but at the very end, even though he's an ex-soldier, he still has the soldier mentality; if you want to try to understand what makes men put themselves through it, this is an excellent book to furnish a glimpse into that mindset.

Copy provided by NetGalley

[Terese · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book can be a tough read in many ways, even though it’s disposition is well planned and sequenced, its language is accessible and the subject matter familiar (from the opposite perspective mind). Like many others who will read this book I know vets who’ve been through the experiences this text deals with and, hopefully, many will agree with me that these experiences should be told. I find it is similar to mental health a few years ago, it is something the people who’ve been through it don’t necessarily want to talk about, partly because of the stigma surrounding it, which makes it all the more important to talk about it.

What haunted me through this book is a feeling I’ve had before when hearing stories from grunts like Martin, namely one of surreality. The experiences are so removed from my daily life that, while you can picture what they are talking about, it is covered by a haze of surrealism where life seems wholly different and as though operating by completely different means.

“When we got back from Iraq, I felt offended that the world hadn’t changed with us, this time I felt like we had been left behind. The world kept going, having fun, and living, while we were hurting and dying.”

It is easy to see how one can get so used to life “over there” with its specific structures and relationships that it becomes impossible to life “here” again, so to speak. You get out or you don’t, in more ways than one,

Another aspect of this book is a feeling of (no disrespect to serving women) “men going to war”. I don’t mean this in a negative manner, but combined with the stories of Alexander the Great, there is a distinct masculinity to this text that also makes the experiences quite foreign to me. Again, this is not a negative, it is more of a thought readjustment when you read it, urging you to consider things from a different perspective, while also considering the history of war and the (mostly) men who’ve fought in them. There are both feelings of circularity and inevitability that is quite crushing.

But I really liked the larger perspective that the Alexander elements bring in because it pushes a narrative of ideas of war versus reality of war, as well as methods of coping with that reality.

All in all, this is a book that will probably make many readers uncomfortable, maybe even angry at times, but it is is also a really good insight to the kind of experiences many share. It really invites the reader to follow the thought process of a young man signing up for combat, It is not light reading, but important reading.

Notional Books very kindly invited me to review this title and I am very grateful for this and the reading experience it gave me. Thank you to NetGalley for making this possible.

[Megan Rivera · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. It was very informative and it was a great book.

[Alyson Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book: Chasing Alexander: A Marine’s Journey Across Iraq and Afghanistan
Author: Christopher Martin
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher, Notional Books, for sending me an ARC.

I really haven’t read a lot of war memoirs from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The only other one I’ve read has been American Sniper. I must say that I really enjoyed Martin’s memoir a lot-is that wrong to say about a war memoir? I found his voice and recounts of what actually to be very compelling and difficult to forget. This is just a normal college student who decided that he wanted more than the books and joined up. This isn’t about glory or anything like that. This is about someone who wanted to make an impact. With that being said, I’m going to be honest. I found myself enjoying this one a lot more than American Sniper.

What made this one stand out to me is the fact that it almost feels surreal. You follow Martin from boot camp, to basic training, becoming a Marine, and being deployed. By getting to go with him on the entire journey, it feels like you get to know him. He also includes bits about being the slowest, not the strongest, and feeling ashamed that he couldn’t keep up with the others. You also feel his determination to make it and come out on top. This drive, the desire to be a Marine just really shines through-despite the risks and what could happen. The idea of maybe not coming back also comes out. In other war memoirs that I’ve read, a lot of these elements just couldn’t come out. It’s almost as if they are afraid to let the human and breakable side of them come out. I am glad that we get to see that here.

The overall writing style is what I would call haunting. It is one that pulls you in and makes it hard to get away from. The details that we get to read are hard and it may make you feel a little sick. Often times, when we think about war, we may not think about the men and women actually fighting the war. We may not think about how they are feeling or may not want to understand. These are real people and this is going to have a lasting effect on them. By getting to see that and the way that Martin opens about it, it’s just haunting. He brings the war home in a way that I have only read a few times. This book is almost like reading a journal or something. It feels personal.

Anyway, I really enjoyed, maybe that’s the wrong word again….I thought that this was a pretty solid memoir. I do hope that Christopher Martin decides to write more books. He’s got a gift and I hope he puts this gift to use.

This book comes out on September 28, 2021.
Youtube: https://youtu.be/uHW-YJkbbhc

[Richard Propes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christopher Martin's "Chasing Alexander: A Marine's Journey Across Iraq and Afghanistan" is, I will confess, not my usual type of reading material.

However, I found the idea of a story by a sort of "ordinary joe" Marine to be a rather unique approach to telling a story that needs to be told.

Martin delivers.

With "Chasing Alexander," Martin takes us through his journey from a misdirected enlistee all the way to the frontlines of Iraq and Afghanistan with special focus given to the Battle of Marjah. The Battle of Marjah would prove to be the breaking point for the Taliban in Afghanistan and the largest battle in the war. It's powerful to look back at it now at a time when President Biden has pulled troops from Afghanistan and we're seeing the Taliban regain its strength.

Along with Martin's personal journey, Martin weaves into this book's tapestry the story of Alexander the Great's relentless expedition from Macedonia to India. This is the weakest part of "Chasing Alexander" for me. While I appreciate the connection, mostly manifested through Martin's own idolizing of Alexander, it's not given enough room to breathe here and pales in comparison to Martin's own much more riveting story.

"Chasing Alexander" is riveting in both its drama and its normalcy. Martin is able to communicate the almost mundane qualities of war directly alongside the heartbreak and devastation. He's able to communicate his own growing sense of power throughout his time in the service and he rather magnificently captures the seductiveness of war and, in some ways, exactly why so many young men and women are drawn to military service.

If there's one thing that "Chasing Alexander" does more than anything, it's perhaps that it serves as a reminder of the human beings behind wars and the battles and the headlines. It's a reminder of the men and women who serve with great self-sacrifice, and often without great reward, and it's also a reminder of the lives that get forever changed by their experiences in war.

I appreciated Martin's honesty throughout "Chasing Alexander" from accidentally wounding or killing innocent (and not so innocent) Afghanis to the swelling enthusiasm one feels amidst war that often manifests itself as wartime violence. Martin is unflinching but never exploitative of the experience and "Chasing Alexander" is intimate, fast-paced, occasionally a little funny, and more often a little frightening.

Other than going home, "Chasing Alexander" isn't your usual "happy ending" book. It's an honest and harrowing glimpse inside an experience many of us haven't had and never will have. It's a reminder of the great cost of war and the great sacrifices of those who serve.

[Angie Boyter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This grunt can write!
A lot has been written about foreign involvement in the wars in the Mideast, but Chasing Alexander gave me a unique and very personal sense of what it is like to experience it firsthand as a working-level combat Marine in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Author Christopher Martin sets the scene in a way that helps the reader relate better to what he experienced while he was at war. About 30% of the book is over before Martin lands in Iraq. It gave me a much better sense of what kind of person Christopher Martin is. What would motivate him to want to join the Marines and fight in a war in a far-off country? He was from a middleclass family , not too fond of school, but he clearly enjoyed learning, and his hero was Alexander the Great. He and his fellow recruits “wanted more than life back home offered, wanted more than an easy life. We wanted to be tested, to be challenged, to stand in the crucible of combat and see if we could take it.” I was impressed by the breadth and depth of the training the Marine recruits received as well as glad that I personally never had to experience the “culture” of a Marine boot camp.
Martin has a way with words and gives a fascinating portrait of what daily life is like for on-the-ground troops in Iraq and Afganistan. There is fighting and both heartwarming and heartbreaking encounters with the local people. There is the drudgery involved in maintaining “housekeeping” up to Marine standards while patrolling against the Taliban. There is dirt and MREs and lots and lots of cigarettes. I picked up a lot of information about tools and tactics like the biometrics system that helps us distinguish Taliban fighters from ordinary people and the Female Engagement Teams, women Marines who could talk to the local women, who were not allowed to speak to men outside their own families, to see if they needed help and to try to win some hearts and minds.
Chasing Alexander was written before the 2021 withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. As a personal memoir, I do not believe it was intended to send a political message or to judge the US performance or strategy. The only performance Martin judges is his own, and he leaves the Marines satisfied. “I had traveled across the world, stood in the fire, and held my head high. I had made my tiny splash in the tides of history.”
Each chapter of Chasing Alexander opens with a short glimpse of Alexander the Great, highlighting some accomplishment or trait. After reading the book, I have decided it needs a different name. Christopher Martin did not conquer the Mideast like Alexander, but when it comes to a sense of humanity he is way ahead. Read the book; I think you will agree.

[Jennifer (JC-S) · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘What would Alexander do? I asked myself.’

Failing at college and lacking any other clear direction, Chris Martin’s obsession with Alexander the Great led him to join the US Marines. Chris had to work hard at boot camp but thinking about Alexander helped keep him focussed. While his family supported him, they didn’t understand his desire to join the Marines. After a deployment to Iraq, Chris and his unit were deployed to Marjah ‘the bleeding ulcer’ of Afghanistan.

‘It finally sunk in. This is it. I’m in a war.’

It is this part of Chris’s memoir which captured and held my attention. His account of fighting in Afghanistan: the logistical problems of obtaining sufficient fuel and ammunition, the shortcomings of the military hierarchy, the difficulty in fighting the Taliban. As well, Chris describes the heat, the fleas, the difficulty in telling friend from foe amongst the Afghanis. And then there is the camaraderie of brothers in arms, the tragic loss of life and devastating injuries.

Chris Martin’s account of his journey across Iraq and Afghanistan is worth reading. This is not an official history: it is one man’s account of his experiences. It is bittersweet reading this after the recent disastrous withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. All those brave soldiers who fought in a war which sadly seems to have achieved nothing.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Notional Books for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

[Niki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for the digital advanced readers copy of Chasing Alexander: A Marine's Journey Across Iraq and Afghanistan by Christopher Martin in exchange for my honest review. 


Christopher Martin, obsessed with Alexander the Great, enlists in the US Marines to become more like his hero. He has a tough time in boot camp but keeps pushing on, determined to better himself. When his unit deploys to Iraq and Afghanistan, it definitely changes Chris. His personal account of days spent doing nothing to days fighting for his and his unit's lives really captivated me. You see news reports on TV and read articles in papers and magazines but to read a first-hand account of what it's really like over there gives you a different perspective and a greater respect for those who put their lives on the line and fight daily. 


I don't normally read books on war as most are very political. It was the opposite with Chasing Alexander, and I thank Mr. Martin for that. This is a gripping memoir, with a little bit of humor thrown in here and there, and of course, heartache. I am glad I was able to read an advanced copy as I thoroughly enjoyed it. .

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Given the latest events in Afghanistan, this book has an ominous historical feeling. In Chasing Alexander, Christopher Martin gives a methodical, detailed account from his enlistment in the Marines to his discharge.
The first portion of the book reads like a diary with somewhat uneven writing - elevated and poignant in spots and then falling into grammatically awkward passages. Martin’s deployment to Iraq changes the tone and pace of the book, and the final section that covers his time in Afghanistan feels like a completely different, much better writer, one who is refreshingly honest about his young ego, adrenaline highs, and psychological lows. The book would really benefit from compression of the first section and expansion of the last.
* Thank you to Christopher Martin, Notional Books, and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Toni Osborne · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Marine journey’s journey across Iraq and Afghanistan

Martin guides us in his memoirs through the history of Alexander the Great while chronicling his own journey from an out-of-shape grunt to an action-hungry corporal. From boot camp through his deployment the everyday military life including excitement, boredom and tragedy is told in minute details.

Each chapter opens with interesting snippets of Alexander the Great conquest. Martin admires Alexander’s militarily genius and his diplomatic skills and “Chasing Alexander” draws deeply on the life of the king. Telling a little bit of his biography does not bog down the flow or the impact on the author’s story. Actually it is a great touch.

This memoir is written with tact and clarity, he talks about his friends, family and his unit in a compelling manner. The trauma and hardship of Marines’ existence is captured as well as the grief, terror and agony they experienced. The vague notions of what means to be a Marine is put aside, replacing it with the reality of life in service.

If you are interested in military life this book may be for you. I had a hard time getting into it I found it boring, too many details and not enough action till reaching half way when Martin saw some action. Pages after pages of boot camp training ...once you read a military story boot camp is boot camp. Although I appreciated the simply words Martin used to make us see what the war was like for the regular Americans. Definitely the author can write.

A good book but it was not for me.

An advance review copy was provided by the publisher, Notional Books via Edelweiss for an impartial and honest review.

[Sue Plant · Rating 4 out of 5]

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

an insightful book about the life of an enlisted soldier during his time at the beginning of bootcamp all the way to his time in afghanistan...

what is more poignant about this book is that now that america have pulled out of afghanistan and the taliban have moved back into control, is realising the fight they had over there to make it safe for everyone.. time will tell

[Eleanor · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely wonderful book. The author writes in a manner that we are with him on his journey. His descriptions of his own weaknesses are relatable and human. The journey he takes from eager enlisted man to a jaded combat veteran is riveting. I loved the book!

Also, must disclose, I love the author….he is my first born and I am incredibly proud of the man he is today, but also proud of him every step of his life’s travel. I think he will be the next Leon Uris, one of my favorite authors who also began his writing career with his marine corp memoir, Battle Cry.

[Kat Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a fantastic look into this Marine’s life and journey from Pennsylvania through Afghanistan and back. I related more than I want to admit to some of the emotional ups and downs. Many parts had my heart racing, anticipating what would come next. I’m greatly appreciative of NetGalley and the publisher’s request for me to review this book.

[chasingholden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christopher Martin almost impulsively signed up for the Marines for the United States Military in 2007. Martin was obsessed with biographies, particularly Alexander The Great and after soaking up the biographies of many great men he set out to make himself a great man. This memoir is proof that he more than achieved his goal.

Chasing Alexander chronicles Martin's days in the military from boot camp to deployment to Afghanistan and Iraq. His commitment and excitement shone brightly and it's very clear that just as he did when enlisting, Martin has put his whole heart in to telling his story. The book is well structured, and very informative it's an enthralling read that you will love even with no understanding of military procedure. Once you start it's almost impossible to put this down until you're finished with the book, and if you're like me, you're still thinking about it days after and wishing there was more information about his life, past and present.

Thank you, Christopher Martin, for your service. For your dedication and willingness to put your life on the line for America. Chasing Alexander would be a hit with any memoir fan but as it turns out the timing of the release of this book makes it even more enticing, relevant, and touching.

Notional Books, the publisher, informs us that the US withdraw from Afghanistan will be completed by the end of August. Additionally, this September marks the 20th anniversary of the attacks on 9/11, and October 7th marks the 20th anniversary of the invasion of Afghanistan. Near the end of the book, an old man in Afghanistan tells Martin that the Taliban will always come back.


Thank you netgalley, Christopher Martin, and National Books for providing an e-copy in exchange for my honest review. It was an honor to wander through these memories with Martin and I'm convinced this book will alter everyone who reads it the best way possible.

[Arch Bala · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chasing Alexander: A Marine’s Journey Across Iraq and Afghanistan is a memoir of the author, Christopher Martin recounting his days as a Marine and his experience in war-torn Iraq and Afghanistan. I enjoyed his book. It reads more like a journal, and Martin’s writing style was quite simplistic and very relatable.

What I loved most about this book is its rawness. You could feel the honesty in it. The author shared minute details of his life pre-military to his Bootcamp until his overseas deployment.

In between chapters, you can also read snippets of Alexander the Great’s conquest, which inspired the author into joining the military, thus the title of his memoir where he’s trying to emulate the greatness of Alexander. I loved these little bits in the book. It’s like reading two books, and the parallelism of the progression of Alexander’s life and Martin’s military career was a great touch in his story.

I don’t read many memoirs, but this got me hooked up from the very beginning. As mentioned earlier, I loved its simple, honest and relatable writing. If you’re looking for a quick read and have an interest in military life, then you should pick this book up.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I enjoyed this book more than I thought. I was curious how the author would use Alexander the Great’s story in a book about the author’s life. But the author did a great job of using the history of Alexander to parallel his own life and the life in military and war. The writing was great, written in a non-pretentious way that keeps your attention but also shows great skill. I just enjoyed this man’s story and look forward to reading more from him.


I received an ARC from the publisher and this is my honest review.

[Sar Ah Horton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Warrior’s Ethos

As the wife of a retired Marine, I can honestly say that this book is eye opening! My husband is a combat vet of both Iraq and Afghanistan, ironically around the same times as Christopher Martin. So I was really excited to have been extended an invitation to read this book before publishing, even though the publisher had no previous knowledge of my husband’s service.

Martin is a gifted writer who seems to be able to take any story and bring so much movement and passion that made it hard to put down. There are many things that my husband saw on his deployments and many things that I’ll never even get to know, but Martin writing his own experiences has given me a look inside that part of my husband that I’ll never fully be able to comprehend outside of the waiting and worrying at home.

This memoir truly has some haunting insight into both wars about what most guys saw and typically how most of the guys felt going to war. It’s beautifully written and honest, which is probably the best part. It brings such a realistic view to what so many families and our military troops have experienced and continue to experience. Something I’m grateful to be reminded of is that just because the enlistment ends, doesn’t mean the combat from war does. It’s a must read for a glimpse into what war candidly is.

To Christopher Martin: I’m so sorry for your losses and appreciate the hardships that you went through to serve our country. Thank you for sharing your experiences.

[Big Bertha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having very little previous knowledge of either the United States Marine Corps or anyone associated with them I was a bit hesitant when offered a copy of this book for review. Any pre-conceptions I may of had about brawn instead of brains were trashed pretty quickly as I found myself completely immersed in this account of the authors transformation from 'fat kid in the platoon' to US Marine.

The authors interest in the warrior 'Alexander the Great'and his head filled with dreams of valour led to him enlisting and his journey from civilian to US Marine wasn't an easy one. He wasn't a natural athlete or a super-fit recruit and he didn't sail through training with ease. He unashamedly details his struggles and the grit and determination it took to get him through the training, each achievement something to be proud of.

What I really liked about this memoir was how 'normal' the author was and how real he kept this, his service in Iraq and Afghanistan wasn't an embellished tale of guns and glory it was a realistic account of the highs and lows of being part of a platoon serving on the front line.

Particularly poignant was the authors stark comparison later in the book between the battle weary troops returning home from operations and those newly arriving.

A thought provoking read and one I'd definitely recommend to anyone thinking of enlisting for a career in the military.

My thanks to Notional Books, NetGalley and the author for the review copy, I was under no obligation and all opinions expressed are my own.

[Jena Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you for you service, Christopher Martin and thank you for taking us along on your campaign.
Mr. Martin has written a memoir of his time as a “regular grunt” in the U.S. Marines. He was deployed to Iraq and then Afghanistan.

Needing a change of direction and focus in his life, as he haphazardly attended college and worked as a dishwasher, Mr. Martin discovers the library and begins to read biographies. He reads all of them. He was most inspired by Alexander the Great, for his vision, intelligence and fearlessness. Almost impulsively, Chris signed up for the best- the Marines.

Readers get to “sit by him” on the bus to training camp, and we are with him, side by side, for the rest of the four years of his service. Each vivid page is filled with humor, excitement, challenge and a bit of reflection as Mr. Martin does his best to be the best. Will he make it through basic training? How will his first combat mission be? What’s it like to stand guard and eat pop tarts in Afghanistan?

The U.S. Marines seems to do a great job of training unfocused dishwashers to become mature, self-reliant and brave soldiers who work as a team. I was surprised at the responsibility that Christopher had. And I shouldn’t have been surprised, but I was really impressed with the level of technology and sophistication that is available for our forces.

Notional Books, the publisher, informs us that the US withdraw from Afghanistan will be completed by the end of August. Additionally, this September marks the 20th anniversary of the attacks on 9/11, and October 7th marks the 20th anniversary of the invasion of Afghanistan. Near the end of the book, an old man in Afghanistan tells Martin that the Taliban will always come back.

Highly engaging and readable and I highly recommend this book. I do wish their had been an epilogue as I am interested to know what. Martin is doing now. Thanks to NetGalley and Notional Books for an advance review copy. This is my honest review.

[Angel (Bookn.All.Night) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read a combat memoir before so when I saw this one on NetGalley I decided to give it a try.

This is a unique one for me since it's told from a soldier's direct perspective and personal experiences. With Chasing Alexander you dive into the life of Christopher Martin's military career from his dreams of being a warrior to bootcamp to Iraq and Afghanistan.

While this is a Non-Fiction, it doesn't read like one. It flows well and keeps the reader invested...at least it did for me...and was easy to read.

I sincerely appreciate the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a review copy. All opinions expressed herein are mine and mine alone.

[Sallie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish to thank NetGalley and Notional Publishers for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is very timely choice for me as I have a grandson heading to Marine boot camp soon. The book is all about the life of a young Marine as he goes through that very thing and then is sent to Afghanistan. The writing is such that you experience the journey with him and the fear that he has. His hero through it all is Alexander The Great and he strives to be such a soldier. I loved the book and the rawness he shares with the reader. You are on patrol with him and you meet the villagers that he meets. Thank you for a well done book. I hope you inspire many more people in their path through life. I highly recommend this book and as one grandmother of a soon-to-be Marine, I thank you for your service and for sharing the journey with me.

[Christine Livinghouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a tough book to read if you know and or love anyone in the military especially now with Afghanistan! You need to be able to attempt to put your own politics aside and read this for what it is. A difficult read.