Give War a Chance: Eyewitness Accounts of Mankind's Struggle Against Tyranny, Injustice, and Alcohol-Free Beer [Paperback]

P. J. O'Rourke (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 10, 2003

In the spirit of his savagely funny and national best-seller Parliament of Whores, Give War a Chance is P. J. O'Rourke's number one New York Times best-selling follow-up. O'Rourke runs hilariously amok by tackling the death of Communism, sanctimonious liberals, and America's perennial bad guy Saddam Hussein in a series of classic dispatches from his coverage of the 1991 Gulf War. Here is our most mordant and unnervingly funny political satirist on: Kuwait City after the Gulf War: "It looked like all the worst rock bands in the world had stayed there at the same time." On Saddam Hussein, O'Rourke muses: "He's got chemical weapons filled with ... chemicals. Maybe he's got The Bomb. And missiles that can reach Riyadh, Tel Aviv, Spokane. Stock up on nonperishable foodstuffs. Grab those Diet Coke cans you were supposed to take to the recycling center and fill them up with home heating oil. Bury the Hummel figurines in the yard. We're all going to die. Details at eleven."

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Now O'Rourke does for the rest of the world--and a few select Americans--what he did for the US government in Parliament of Whores. 2 cassettes. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Grove Press; 1ST edition (October 10, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802140319
• ISBN-13: 978-0802140319
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #896,280 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I laughed out loud!, July 15, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Give War a Chance: Eyewitness Accounts of Mankind's Struggle Against Tyranny, Injustice, and Alcohol-Free Beer (Paperback)

This book is insightful, witty, and hilarious. O'Rourke certainly has a biased point of view and glosses over any argument that would say he's wrong (while insulting his opponents, often personally and unfairly), but he makes a strong case for war, capitalism, and freedom.

Some of his comments during the 1991 Gulf War regarding the differences between Sunni and Shiite Muslims seem out of date given September 11, but are interesting nonetheless. I wouldn't have expected someone in the Gulf at that time to see what was coming.

He does a great job of exposing the evils of communism and extolling the virtues of fighting against tyranny. Enjoy!

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great title, laugh out loud humor, August 12, 2006

By 

Leslie Thompson (a mid-atlantic state, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Give War a Chance: Eyewitness Accounts of Mankind's Struggle Against Tyranny, Injustice, and Alcohol-Free Beer (Paperback)

The title is brilliant, his humor just right, and I always appreciate a fellow libertarian.

Mostly, his book is common sense. War is often a necessary evil that has produced more peace than anything else. Rich taxpayers and the Marine Corps do more for world peace than the 1% of Ben & Jerry's profits that are set aside for that purpose - but then that's stating the obvious, isn't it?

Plus, always relying on diplomacy is naïve, unrealistic (remember Hitler?). People are inherently evil, not good.

And I never knew that O'Rourke used to be a "long-haired peace creep" back in the 60s, although it makes him more authentic. He's been on the Other Side, so he knows what they believe firsthand, making him an excellent critic, far more knowledgable than people who have been either strict liberals or strict conservatives for their entire lives. A "reliable narrator."

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Funny look back in time, August 19, 2005

By 

D. D Lawson (Pasadena, Calif. USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Give War a Chance: Eyewitness Accounts of Mankind's Struggle Against Tyranny, Injustice, and Alcohol-Free Beer (Paperback)

A solid and very funny look at the crazy folks of the 3rd world. I really enjoyed this man's work and his wickly funny observations about this crazy old world of ours.