Get Your War On: The Definitive Account of the War on Terror, 2001-2008 [Paperback]

David Rees (Author), Matt Taibbi (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 5, 2008

Since October 9, 2001, when David Rees posted eight comic strips on his website and called it Get Your War On, tens of millions of people have been entertained and horrified by his clip-arty office workers and their vociferous and profane commentary on the so-called War on Terror. From the first few days of Operation Enduring Freedom to the overhyped pseudo-success of the “surge”—years of fear, bewilderment, violence, and death—Rees has succeeded in depicting a country of grieving, angry, and confused citizens, feeling hatred for—and hatred of—the world beyond our shores. Get Your War On is a kaleidoscopic cavalcade of emotions and moods, including (but not limited to) despair, enraged bewilderment, grief (with a touch of loathing), ecstatic contempt, disgust, and nihilistic exhilaration. This definitive edition of Get Your War On combines strips from the first two publications with sixty-five percent new material created in the last three years.

Editorial Reviews

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"Riotous and principled." --Washington Post

Review

"Hilariously deadpan fatalism... a surprisingly articulate expression of our anxieties."

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Soft Skull Press; First Printing edition (November 5, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1593762135
• ISBN-13: 978-1593762131
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 11 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars antisceptic aesthethic for sceptic times, November 17, 2008

By 

R. Edward Poole "critical cynic & cynical critic" (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Get Your War On: The Definitive Account of the War on Terror, 2001-2008 (Paperback)

first of all, it is beyond irrelevant to criticize d. rees for lacking insight into the root causes of the u.s.'s failed policies in the "war on terror" -- in case it hasn't been advertised correctly, let me clarify: this is a book of political COMICS. rees aims his sharp and hilarious barbs at the personalities, ludicrous marketing, and horrific consequences of the bush-cheney-rumsfeld-wolfowitz-neocon warmongering of the "pre-emptive doctrine" type. his take is not the policy wonk's reasoned analysis, but the bewildered and outraged citizen's stupified i-have-to-laugh-or-else-i'd-cry variety. and lest we forget, these comics are clever, original, stylish in an anti-style kinda way, and, like the best comedy, both angry and funny at once because they get at truths that are difficult to approach or digest in conventional political discussion.

and if you dig these, be sure to check out his early work, particularly the absurdist hilarity of "my new filing technique is unstoppable" (which applies the over-the-top tropes of kung-fu flicks to ordinary paper-pushing office life -- like "Dilbert" if it were edgy, original and FUNNY.)

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best political satire I've ever seen, November 6, 2008

By 

Viva (So. Cal.) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Get Your War On: The Definitive Account of the War on Terror, 2001-2008 (Paperback)

David Rees never holds back in this profane, bold, hilarious, and very knowledgeable series of comic strips drawn between 2001 and 2008. He skewers everyone and everything, though he focuses mostly on the Bush Administration and its disastrous domestic and foreign policies. Expect appearances by Voltron, Iraqi crybaby theater, and more as the clip-art office staff exchanges phone calls and discussons over donuts and coffee about the state of our messed-up world.
No holds barred!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spectacular..., November 26, 2008

By 

Barbara "WildWiseWoman" (MARIETTA, GA, United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Get Your War On: The Definitive Account of the War on Terror, 2001-2008 (Paperback)

I've had PART ONE of this collection since it was first published, and re-read it all the time, startlingly dismayed at how relevant it has remained since a few days after 9/11. I recently purchased the combined, updated version and it's all amazingly, heartbreakingly funny, poignant and revealing. David Rees can read inside our true hearts with shocking, hilarious clarity. Stupendously FUNNY.