Customer Reviews

Company C: The Real War in Iraq

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Not only have I read the book, but I was also one of the Tank Commanders in the book. Not only was the book poorly written, but a total disappointment to myself and to the men of C co. 2-34 Armor. I Do not reccomend this book to anyone.

As with Mr. Medine and SFC Shaffer I have also read the book and was in the book. I hope anyone that reads the review by Mr. Medine, does not think this book is worth buying, it's not. SFC Shaffer and the majority of reviewers are right on, it's poorly written, hard to follow (even for me and I was there) and at times not totally factual. The book by Mr. Sack is a combination of articles written for Esquire magazine in 1991 after the war. These articles were also poorly written and hard to follow, at times I had to flip back and forth between pages thinking I missed a word or skipped a page. ...................................I find it in poor taste that Mr. Medine choose to berate a fellow soldier in this type of venue where SFC Shaffer has no way to defend himself. SFC Shaffer was one of the best tank commanders in the company, as evident by the Bronze Star that he received for his actions during Desert Storm. Mr. Medine was at the time a Sergeant who was passed over by numerous tank commanders for a position consumate with his rank, a Gunner. But because SFC Shaffer and others choose others of lower rank as their gunners, Mr. Medine was relegated to a loaders position during the war. In the Armor community the loaders position is considered a entry level position, for a Private right out of Basic/Advanced training, not a Sergeant. I guess by those who snubbed Mr. Medine, he has picked this as his soap box to stab other more honorable soldiers in the back. I would hope that Amazon asks Mr. Medine to revise his review to remove the remark about SFC Shaffer, he was by far a better leader, soldier and person than Mr. Medine will ever be.

The style was unlinear and hard to follow. The charcters where vividly drawn and some emphasis on race in many places.

A very interesting look at the individuals that fought the war; it's a shame that it was written in such a style that makes it tedious and difficult to follow in an enjoyable manner, (that's why it only gets a 5 from me). In spite of being badly written, the book manages to convey what it must have been like in the Gulf for the servicemen and women who were there, and it does give an insight as to what their mindset was. I wish I could have found it more enjoyable and easy to digest, though.

This book is hard to read and difficult to understand at times. I should have taken the advice and not read it.

I thought this book was informative about what life was like as a tank soldier before and during Gulf 1. Sounds like some of the reviewers had a personal beef with one of their peers and that ticked them off and rated this low.

Personality conflicts are everywhere - army, corporate world, sports. I didnt think this book was hard to follow. It does have some shocking things about it. Some soldiers drink beer. They sometimes go to strip clubs. They sometimes listen to heavy metal. Sometimes there are race issues in the Army and prejudice against the enemy or each other. Some have chips on their shoulders.

When you study history, you have to take it with a grain of salt - every witness will have their own perspective. Sometimes it is unflattering. Sometimes it is wrong. The author did interview a lot of people, has covered Korea, Vietnam and Iraq. Every author has his/her own bias. Some are liberal, some not. Maybe this guy is not another Hemingway.

The Army is not perfect nor are its soldiers. The US Army is the best in the world, the soldiers are the best in the world. They are the best trained, most motivated and have the best equipment. They do more now with technology and more deployments overseas than ever before. I salute them all.

I have never served in war. I do not know these soldiers. But after 10 years of tank service and a lot of reading (fiction and non fiction), this book sounded real and rang true for me. If you want to get a flavor for tanker life, check it out.

I would not think of myself as the audience for a book on the gulf war, but I found this description of one group of mens' experiences in the desert fascinating. The book does not waste time justifying the war or attacking reasons for the war. It just describes in detail what went on in the heads of the guys in Company C. Recommended

I read company c several years ago and had a hard time following the flow of the story(non-linear). I was the gunner on Shaffers tank and knew how the story ended but it was still confusing at times. Perhaps from a third party perspective it might be easier to follow,but having first hand experience of the whole thing can make the book very frustrating. Some events are out of sequence and some seem to have been embelished (not outright lies but not entirely accurate). As for Scott Medine I'm apalled that he would attack a fellow soldier,though not completely surprised. Well said Steve.