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The Forever War

Dexter Filkins

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Jul 05, 2011 Bucket rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: history, religion, diversity, culture, war, non-fiction, reviewed, life-and-death, bio-auto-bio, politics

This is micro-level narrative about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Dexter Filkins spent much of his time between 1998 and 2006 in the countries, writing for The New York Times. This book is basically a long string of vignettes, more or less in chronological order, that give the reader a sense of what the wars have been like for those living through them. Each vignette gives specific details about who (full names, home towns, etc...), where, and what happened, and many of the stories are tragi This is micro-level narrative about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Dexter Filkins spent much of his time between 1998 and 2006 in the countries, writing for The New York Times. This book is basically a long string of vignettes, more or less in chronological order, that give the reader a sense of what the wars have been like for those living through them. Each vignette gives specific details about who (full names, home towns, etc...), where, and what happened, and many of the stories are tragic, violent, and visceral. Filkins describes his movements in Falluja and Ramadi with a group of Marines, the constant sound of bombs and shots, the near-daily suicide/car-bombings, and how he continued to go for runs each evening, his only release, despite the difficulty and danger.

This is quite different from my usual fare, so it took me a few stories to get sucked in, but ultimately I was really engaged with Filkins' narrative. I like his approach - to describe on-the-ground events in a factual and also personal way. This gives a good sense of how these wars are unlike wars America has fought in the past, and it also gives a very clear sense of what those directly involved, both Iraqi and American, have gone through. Many stories are heartbreaking and tragic, more than a few are terrifying, and a couple are a little bit humorous.

Filkins gives a good sense of how soldiers have become desensitized after living life on the brink of death for so long. One very telling moment for me was when a friend of Filkins, a young Iraqi woman, described why things were better under Saddam. She explains that he was just one big thing to worry about and if you stayed away from his notice you would be fine. But now there are so many insurgent groups, so many armies, so many snipers and bombers who kill indescriminately, that it's impossible to be safe.

This book has very much influenced my understanding of the wars we've been fighting over the past decade, and I'm shocked by the bravery (and devotion) of so many of the small players involved. This includes Filkins who risked life and limb to tell these stories.

war, journalism, violence, Islam, Iraq, Afghanistan, terrorism, America, death, human costs of war
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