Customer Reviews

This Man's Army: A Soldier's Story from the Frontlines of the War on Terrorism

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I ran across Andrew Exum on Book TV while channel surfing. I had no idea who he was or what he authored. I was about to switch the channel to ESPN or HBO like any good male should do but I heard the words "war" and "army." So, I continued watching. Besides being extremely fair when questioned (or baited) about his politics (I think we all are sick of bias these days), Exum was extremely intelligent, organized and compassionate. I think his compassion struck me the most - especially since I just returned from a short trip on the 405 freeway where I felt like choking a few people in the cars next to me.

I picked up his book later at the local Borders and finished reading it the next day. I was thoroughly impressed with not only what such a young man accomplished to date but his struggle with physical, religious, social, academic and political forces constantly poking at him from different directions. All of this while serving as an American at war.

Not unlike his appearance on Book TV, Exum's story has an inspiring undertone of compassion as well. Here is a guy who escaped the comfort of an easy life, graduated from a no doubt difficult stint and Penn, enrolled into ROTC as the only way to pay for his higher education, went through Ranger School twice, served the U.S. on the battlefield and then writes an excellent book. I would be proud to do just one of those things. But, Mr. Exum does them all. And, he does them with kindness, courage and thoughtfulness.

It is a testament to his humanity when, in the book, he tells of being extremely upset (for good reason I might add) at one soldier who developed self-inflicted traumatic seizures during a mission. This is the only time where I questioned Exum's compassion. Funny thing is, as you continue reading, Exum realizes the same thing and later kicks himself for it.

The other thing I'd like to note about this book is the humor. I found myself rolling in laughter at some of the antics Exum and his men get into. I don't want to spoil the book for anyone but there is a lot of fun woven into Exum's story. One instance that comes to mind involves someone's testicle inadvertently hanging out of a tear in the pants at an inopportune time. Another is when Exum describes one of his soldiers in that he would trust him with his life but not with 20 bucks.

Exum is no saint. But, neither am I or my friends. However, we came to realize that love and compassion will never let you or your buddies down. And, throughout the book, Exum continues to say that he is not the only person serving in our armed forces who is this way. There are people from all walks of life, filled with hope, fear, compassion and intelligence fighting for their buddies and the rest of us every minute of every day.

Exum reminds me of the song by Rush called "New World Man". I look forward to reading more about his life as I would call him a leader of New World Men in these turbulent times ahead.

Truthful account of what is going on in Afghanistan at a time when the public is hearing so many untruths about the War on Terrorism.
Captain Exum lead his men, not just gave orders. But just as important to this mother, brought her youngest son safely home.
This is the story that "Gregory" could not talk about when he returned home, but now tells us he is proud of both his deployments to Afghanistan.
Thank you Captain Exum for taking care of our sons and helping them become the men they are.

"This Man's Army" belongs on the shelf with the defining war memoirs as well as (and maybe more importantly) on the shelf with the great American "coming-of-age" works. The effortless tone and pacing of the book succeed in communicating the flavor of the war in Afghanistan, but that is only part of the story. The book is ultimately about an individual and his experiences as an American, a Southerner, a son, a student, a child, an individual - and, obviously, as a soldier. In this account of modern American army life as a Ranger, Exum translates an intense experience that few have shared with stories, emotions, and explanations to which all can relate. Written with an eye for the true texture of experience, humor, and reflection, this book is an authentic and engaging one that "reads itself." Exum artfully skirts the edges of war-buddy cliche in telling his story in a way that is as warmly familiar as it is refreshingly original. An excellent read.

As a member of Andrew Exum's generation, the war against terror has generally presented itself to me either as a series of policy decisions or as a video game on CNN. Exum's book is the first I know of to limn the experience of soldiering in this new, strange war. With his gift for anecdote and his ability to capture the idiom of the barracks and the field, he reveals a conflict both more mundane and more uncommon than one might have imagined. He is simply a great storyteller. One of his most important services is also to untangle the concept of heroism from that of jingoism; he understands that the praise of heroism is not the same thing as the praise of foreign policy. He sees individuals in their individual light rather than just a light that a nation-state bestows upon them. Exum's reflections on the human consequences of war at the end of the book are excellent: He checks his own tendency to romanticize certain aspects of war, but also checks the tendencies of most intellectuals in our time to view war as unqualified waste. Randall Jarrell said that the occupational disease of soldiers is death. Exum shows how that is not the end of the story. Whatever your opinion about the justice or prosecution of the war on terror as a whole, if you are looking for a book to break through the abstraction that war has become for most Americans, this is it.

Try as I might to finish this book, I could get only halfway through before before growing extremely weary of Andrew Exum's boasting. I don't know exactly how many references there are to his physical prowess, but I think my personal, final straw was reading how he "packed dense muscle" onto his frame in the gym at Camp Doha, Kuwait. Gag me, dude. Get over yourself and give us more legitimate military insight. Do readers really care that you dubbed your Humvee the "General Lee" and gave each other stupid "Dukes of Hazzard" nicknames? It's just depressing to read.

I would also request that Amazon.com not group Exum's book with Evan Wright's far superior "Generation Kill," perhaps one of the best accounts ever written of soldiers in combat.

My main gripe with this book has to do with the publisher's desicion to promote and market it as a first-hand account of Operation Anaconda as seen through the eyes of a young platoon leader. If this is the type of book you're expecting, then you're best forewarned that out of the 230 pages or so, its not until the last half of the book that the story finally shifts to Afghanistan and once there we're treated to a single first hand account of frontline combat that results in one Taliban KIA. As far as action goes that's pretty much it and author, Andrew Exum, gets as much mileage out of this single incident as he can muster in that the final third of the book deals with musings on what it is to kill a man in time of war and recollections of the ensuing 'media barrage' that makes him a hometown celebrity after articles of his units battle makes publication in the Army newspaper, amongst others. While the book is of mild interest as a memoir on the makings of an Infantry officer in today's military methinks that the reading public would've been better served if the dish on the menu actually resembled what is ultimately served on the table. If page after page of razor sharp prose recollecting the heat of combat is what you're after then its safe to say that your reading time would best be spent elsewhere.

Andrew Exum enlisted in the Army thinking that military service would be a good way to pay for his education at the University of Pennsylvania as well as serve his country in peacetime. He thought that he would likely serve in peacekeeping duties in Europe or perhaps Africa, but not actually see combat. There was value, in his mind, of Army service even in the peacetime. He had enlisted in the Army ROTC as a student and became an officer in 2000. September 11 changed the nature of what his service would be.

"This Man's Army" is Captain Exum's story of his time as a soldier. He details his reasons for enlisting, what sort of upbringing he had, and what his experience was in training and on the battlefield. Exum offers a fresh perspective of the life of an Army officer. While books like Anthony Swofford's "Jarhead" and Joel Turnipseed's "Baghdad Express" offer accounts of the modern day disillusioned soldier (both about Gulf War I), Captain Exum is a motivated leader of men who takes pride in his work, his platoon, and his Army. He does not blindly accept political rhetoric, and unlike many military men Exum is far from being a staunch Republican. He struggles to fit what he must do as a soldier with his beliefs as a Christian, but accepts that there are times that fighting for the greater good can supercede personal belief.

Readers looking for a book filled with combat and blazing guns should look someplace else (perhaps Evan Wright's excellent "Generation Kill"). "This Man's Army" is the experience of Captain Andrew Exum, and while the nature of his service did include quite a bit of risk, stress, being shot at, and completing valuable missions in Afghanistan; there are not many gun battles or what would traditionally be thought of as "battlefield combat". Yet, "This Man's Army" is compulsively readable and was a book I did not want to put down. Exum's descriptions of his training, going through Ranger school, and his style (and experiences) of leadership is fascinating. While I am glad that Exum is out of harm's way now, I wish he was still able to serve in the Army because our military and our country needs more men of his character and apparent ability. He is the sort of man I want protecting our country.

Captain Exum also gives an excellent description of how a soldier comes home and tries to adapt to a life where he does not have a rifle in his hand. How he has to adapt to paying for things again, fight the feeling that he is "entitled" to things because of his service, and just become a civilian again.

Something else that I found very interesting was that if he wasn't injured (outside of combat), Exum would have been part of the mission which rescued Private Jessica Lynch. Having to watch that on television was a very difficult thing for Captain Exum, not the least of which because he was still in uniform.

Overall I found "This Man's Army" to be an excellent account of Andrew Exum's time in the military and what one possible experience of a modern day soldier is. It isn't exactly what one might consider a traditional war memoir, but this is also a different kind of war. I would recommend this book without hesitation, just with the understanding that there is a very small amount of actual combat or field action.

-Joe Sherry

I started to read the book with eager anticipation, but became increasing concerned that Exum would never get to the point, namely, the Front Lines of the War on Terrorism. Eventually, he does, but with very little of the story devoted to direct enemy contact. This is more a story about growing up, training, preparing, and support, than it is about "front lines" or "war".

Andrew Exum could have at stayed home in Chattanooga, Tennessee as a snot-nose
brat living in the lap of luxury. A descendant of the town's famous and "well-to-do" Exum and McDonald families, he was classically educated in Chattanooga and later at The University of Pennsylvania. With an Ivy League background like that, most of Chattanooga's elite either live off of "Daddy's Fortunes" or are handed top-notch jobs on a silver plate.

Exum chose another path. He joined the US Army.

Little did Lieutenant Exum know that he would later join the War on Terror.

His story is brilliantly told in riveting detail about days of harsh training at
Fort Drum, New York to the front lines in Afghanistan's Shah e Kot Valley. The book is written with an honest narrative that is rarely seen today. Heavy on machismo, Exum tells of stories of brutal physical contact between soldiers and horrifying recollections-including the killing of an al-Qaeda agent at close range. Some lighter moments may seem politically incorrect such as a scene where soldiers urinate in front of a French female reporter.

Hey, as anyone who has dealt with war said, "it isn't pretty."

At times, Exum comes off as a Rambo wannabe with descriptions of his physical prowess and accomplishments. While this may show him as a leader, it can be a bit obnoxious at times.

Nevertheless, Exum's heroics as a soldier ought to be an inspiration to every American young and old. He is neither a blind patriot nor a jingoist. Exum finds conservative pundit Ann Coulter as well as liberal journalists to be disturbing.

He also comes right out at the beginning of the book with an honest examination of his childhood, which was not as rosy as his peers. His father, who worked at The Chattanooga Free Press as a sports reporter, was fiscally irresponsible and would later divorce his mother. Exum does not recount his early years with disdain. Instead, he gives his dad the tough love treatment recalling days of shooting Diet Coke cans in the great Tennessee outdoors.

When it comes to good, modern war stories, "This Man's Army" is a riveting read.

A competently written if somewhat unexciting memoir of one man's brief deployment overseas. What should have been a decent magazine article is stretched uncomfortably into a 236 page paean to the greatness that is the author. In between the endlessly self aggrandizing descriptions of his physical prowess (aided by a fitness regime of constant chest beating), his innate leadership skills and naturally commanding respect from every soldier or superior he meets, the author manages to turn several months deployed in Afghanistan into a lengthy recitation of "Me, me, me and I".

You know something is wrong when a page each is wasted respectively to his complaints on being debriefed after his (solitary) shooting, a Chaplin's attempt to console him, a reporter describing him as 24 (as opposed to 23) and even more pages are devoted to gloating over his cheating during later maneuvers in the National Training Center. His short stint in the military and shallow knowledge is exemplified by repeatedly referring to "nap-of-the-earth" flying as "map-of-the-earth".

Similar yet much better reads are "My War" and "Jarhead".