19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Astonishing, November 12, 2007
I found myself in a bookstore today, somewhat perturbed with myself that I had sat at the DMV for an hour wondering why it wasn't open on time and therefore couldn't serve my immediate needs, but moreover because it had to be explained to me, an Army veteran, that it would not be opened at all due to the observance of Veteran's Day. I thought it was yesterday, but I don't work in a DMV or a bank, so what do I know.
Anyway, I'm milling around near the magazines with nothing catching my eye at all. I'm about to buy an overpriced coffee I can't easily afford and call it a morning, when I spot this book placed Front Toward Consumer on a nearby shelf. It was the keyboard being nearly consumed by sand at the bottom that caught my eye first, and made me pick it up.
I have to admit that the Doonesbury connection was a hair of a put-off at first, as I doubted much good intent towards our current operations could be displayed within. I was still compelled to scout around the quotes on the back, the description in the front, and the explanatory Doonesbury cartoons on the inside cover. And then I read one of Roy Batty's (who's seen things you people would not believe) blogs. And then I immediately bought the book.
I have been reading and crying all day; tears of rage, and pride, and joy, and heartbreak and hope and humor, all in quick, closed-throated bursts. With no more than five to ten minutes between each to soak in how proud and privileged I am that I can share these stories. I am overwhelmed that American men and women so deep in harm's way can find such beautiful expressions of their own rage, and pride, and joy, and heartbreak and hope and humor -- each retelling a unique and individual experience that are in fact the shared nightmares of millions, and older than desert sand.
I also am a firm believer in the idea of this collection's value as a trove of insight for the soldier who has not done his or her tour yet, as I believe it speaks volumes to buffer the experience. I say I believe, as I am scheduled for my first mobilization into the sandbox at the end of the year, so I don't yet know. But, I know soldiers, and am familiar with steeping myself in cultures at first alien to my experience, and I feel I'm already over there with the ones who have reported here. Invaluable and frustrating and moving, all at once.
So today I thank David Stanford, Garry Trudeau, and of course the Sandbox milbloggers and veterans everywhere, for their service, and this fantastic book. There are experiences in these pages that if paid enough mind could save lives, and have definitely shaped them. The Doonesbury FOB has allowed American servicemen a forum that is spilling over with dignity and soul, and created a modern social science and military classic that will be important and relevant for decades. Always Forward.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Real Thing, October 29, 2007
I found out about this book from the Doonesbury comic strip. Its is a collection of posts from a blog or forum created by Gary Trudeau to give soldiers in the field in Iraq and Afghanistan a place to post their thoughts and stories. After seeing it mentioned in the comic I picked up a copy and flipped through it at a book store out of curiosity. I normally don't read books like this but as I read through a few of the shorter pieces I found I couldn't put it down.
This is the real stuff from the people there. No agenda, just real stories and experiences both funny and tragic. Many capture the absurdity of war often funny and surreal while others are more serious. Each entry is a personal window on what life is like "over there" without Washington spin. I found it very moving and very well written. I highly recommend it. It really opened my eyes.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Profiles in Courage, December 14, 2007
THE SANDBOX will appeal to all readers who want to know what it really means to lay your life on the line, to support the troops and be supported by them. A good number of today's young adult readers may someday enlist or, God forbid, get drafted. For that reason alone, THE SANDBOX may well be one of the most important books of our time. It's a boot camp experience for the uninitiated, arming readers with foxhole-level knowledge about the realities and consequences of war. To be sure, it touches on some adult content, and the language isn't muted. But war is hell, uncensored, and this book isn't any different.
In raw detail, these essays describe what it's like to lose your personal independence, to become a rank-and-file entity in a foreign land, fighting battles much larger than yourself. It's for those who'd rather hear the authentic voices of "boots-on-the-ground" than the rhetoric of those who would manipulate the facts to their own advantage. And it's for those who believe (or may come to know) that supporting the troops means listening to them, that supporting the war and supporting the troops can mean far different things.
THE SANDBOX offers a mosaic of differing perspectives, written with varying levels of intensity by people from many walks of life. Although each individual essay is compelling, the real power and meaning is written into the collective body of work.
"I think the wars are just too remote for people's minds," Trudeau said. "They see two, three minutes on the evening news, maybe, if they don't look away." Written into these unflinching essays is an unprecedented opportunity for discovery and introspection, for young adult and mature readers whose hearts and minds are truly open.
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