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Generation Kill: Devil Dogs, Iceman, Captain America and The New Face of American War Hardcover – June 17, 2004

by Evan Wright (Author)

4.7 2,372 ratings

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A narrative on the lives of twenty-three First Recon marines who led the blitzkrieg on Iraq describes their training, their dangerous entry into suspected ambush points, and the physical and psychological challenges they faced in skirmishes leading to the fall of Baghdad. 125,000 first printing.

Print length

368 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Putnam Adult
Publication date

June 17, 2004
Reading age

18 years and up
Dimensions

6.3 x 1.28 x 9.36 inches
ISBN-10

0399151931
ISBN-13

978-0399151934
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Wright rode into Iraq on March 20, 2003, with a platoon of First Reconnaissance Battalion Marines—the Marine Corps' special operations unit whose motto is "Swift, Silent, Deadly." These highly trained and highly motivated First Recon Marines were the leading unit of the American-led invasion force. Wright wrote about that experience in a three-part series in Rolling Stone that was hailed for its evocative, accurate war reporting. This book, a greatly expanded version of that series, matches its accomplishment. Wright is a perceptive reporter and a facile writer. His account is a personality-driven, readable and insightful look at the Iraq War's first month from the Marine grunt's point of view. It jibes with other firsthand reports of the first phase of the Iraqi invasion (including David Zucchino's Thunder Run), showing the unsettling combination of feeble and vicious resistance put up by the Iraqi army, the Fedayeen militiamen and their Syrian allies against American forces bulldozing through towns and cities and into Baghdad. Wright paints compelling portraits of a handful of Marines, most of whom are young, street-smart and dedicated to the business of killing the enemy. As he shows them, the Marines' main problem was trying to sort out civilians from enemy fighters. Wright does not shy away from detailing what happened when the fog of war resulted in the deaths and maimings of innocent Iraqi men, women and children. Nor does he hesitate to describe intimately the few instances in which Marines were killed and wounded. Fortunately, Wright is not exposing the strengths and weaknesses of a new generation of American fighting men, as the misleadingly hyped-up title and subtitle indicate. Instead, he presents a vivid, well-drawn picture of those fighters in action on the front lines in the blitzkrieg-like opening round of the Iraq War.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Its timeliness notwithstanding, this chronicle of an American reconnaissance platoon's mission to spearhead the invasion of Iraq is not one of those hastily thrown together "instant books." The author was the only journalist to travel with First Recon. He joined the platoon in March 2003 and traveled with its soldiers into combat missions (including the assault on Baghdad in April). His book is not about the war itself but about one group of men who fought in it. Today's American soldiers, Wright says, are young men who are "on more intimate terms with the culture of the video games, reality TV shows and Internet porn than they are with their own families." (One 19-year-old corporal compares driving into an ambush to a Grand Theft Auto video game: "It was fucking cool.") Wright also explores how today's pop-culture-driven soldiers differ from those who fought more than three decades ago in Vietnam. A perceptive, often troubling examination of soldiers' view of war, peace, and combat. David Pitt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Putnam Adult; First Edition (June 17, 2004)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0399151931
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0399151934
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 18 years and up
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.3 x 1.28 x 9.36 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #309,282 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #86 in Iraq War Biographies
- #248 in Iraq War History (Books)
- #9,499 in Memoirs (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.7 2,372 ratings

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Evan Wright

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Evan Wright grew up in Willoughby, Ohio. He studied medieval history at Vassar College. Wright has covered crime, war, riots, and other human spectacles for a variety of publications, earning two National Magazine Awards, one for combat reporting and the other for profile writing. Wright adapted his book Generation Kill into an HBO mini-series and has served as a producer and writer on Homeland and Dirty John. His book The Seed: A Memoir of Brainwashing will be released by Putnam.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5

2,372 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the writing style well-written and sharp. They also appreciate the insightfulness, honesty, and thought-provoking account of the inner workings of a recon unit during a recent war. Readers describe the book as funny at times, serious, and gripping. They find the subject matter interesting, serious and griping. Customers describe the story as compelling, gripping, and seemingly authentic.

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Story Insightfulness Subject matter Writing style Enjoyment Realism Hbo series Storyline

140 customers mention "Story"140 positive0 negative

Customers find the story compelling, amazing, brilliant, funny, and evocative. They also say the book is completely honest and does not whitewash the truth. Readers also mention that the book has interesting aspects but often reads like a book report.

"...This is, however, a very very good book...." Read more

"I found this book very enjoyable, and I'm a fan of the HBO series...." Read more

"...Generation Kill" is an interesting, entertaining and engaging read ... from the ineptitude of the American government to the perverted mind of the..." Read more

"Great book, read after watching series and it goes into much more depth. Would recommend." Read more

37 customers mention "Insightfulness"37 positive0 negative

Customers find the book insightful, with unremitting honesty and realism. They also appreciate the book's ability to capture personalities and accurately portray the men. Readers also mention that the book provides excellent insight on the incompetence found in officers and senior enlisted staff. They find the writing explicit, vivid, and personal.

"...Wright has a wonderful ability with words, and is a very good observer of things that happen around him...." Read more

"...The enlisted marines come across as very brave, sometimes foolish, often conflicted, and very human...." Read more

"...Wright has done an excellent job of bringing the reality of the long-forgotten start of the Iraq War to light in a twenty-first century style of..." Read more

"...depicts American ground warfare in the 21st century with unremitting honesty and realism...." Read more

25 customers mention "Subject matter"25 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's subject matter interesting, serious, and weird. They also say the book is engrossing, provoking, and real. Readers also mention that the juxtaposition enhances the experience and gives them a hard shift in perspective.

"...Interestingly, he appears to have a good understanding of military terminology, and seems to have absorbed a great deal of knowledge...." Read more

"...to us are the crux of the entire book ... they are all so different, so extreme, so serious, so weird, yet so funny...." Read more

"...It reads like a quick-paced thriller, a horror story, comedy, character drama and more, and all this while staying true to the facts of the first..." Read more

"...It's one of the best combat memoirs I've yet read...." Read more

22 customers mention "Writing style"22 positive0 negative

Customers find the writing style of the book compelling and well written.

"...Wright has a wonderful ability with words, and is a very good observer of things that happen around him...." Read more

"...Perhaps the only 'fault' of this book is that it's so well written, has such compelling characters and fast paced plot that sometimes, as readers,..." Read more

"...the actions (and reactions) of the Marines was brutally honest and well written with only the slightest sensastionalization...." Read more

"...But the author wrote so vividly that you could see everything...." Read more

21 customers mention "Enjoyment"21 positive0 negative

Customers find the book enjoyable and funny at times.

"...America"."Generation Kill" is an interesting, entertaining and engaging read ... from the ineptitude of the American government to the..." Read more

"...It reads like a quick-paced thriller, a horror story, comedy, character drama and more, and all this while staying true to the facts of the first..." Read more

"...The banter between the soldiers is fascinating and frequently hilarious, and is definitely a highlight of the book...." Read more

"...version, but a gritty, exhausted, immediate, and dangerous odyssey interspersed by humor, unpredictable violence, and the gruesome sights and smells..." Read more

15 customers mention "Realism"15 positive0 negative

Customers find the book very realistic and insightful. They also say it provides a solid look into USMC culture and fills out and illuminates much of what they see in the show. Customers also say the book is sharp, sad, and funny.

"...-judgemental reporting job by the author who manages to provide solid character illumination whilst technically detailing the whizz bangery of..." Read more

"...unfamiliar with what it is like to be a combat soldier, this book should be illuminating." Read more

"Excellent. Vivid and personal, without glorification of the Marines nor disparagement...." Read more

"I enjoyed reading this book. I thought it was an interesting look inside a combat unit as I don't usually read books by reporters who are attached..." Read more

8 customers mention "Hbo series"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the HBO series a great book and a brilliantly written book. They also say it's worth the time to read.

"I read this after seeing the TV series with the same title. Both were excellent. What are the book's lessons?..." Read more

"Recommend highly. The book is much better than the HBO Series. And I like the series very much...." Read more

"...I would also highly recommend the HBO series, which captures the book almost perfectly." Read more

"Excellent book and even greater TV mini-series. Must read/watch...." Read more

7 customers mention "Storyline"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the storyline great, intimate, and human. They also describe the enlisted marines as very brave, foolish, and conflicted.

"...The enlisted marines come across as very brave, sometimes foolish, often conflicted, and very human...." Read more

"...It reads like a quick-paced thriller, a horror story, comedy, character drama and more, and all this while staying true to the facts of the first..." Read more

"Straightforward reporting, well written. An intimate portrait of men at war, dealing with a foreign culture and a mission most often unexplained to..." Read more

"Saw the miniseries, read the book. It is very good. Fleshes out the characters just a little, and obviously covers more ground...." Read more

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David W. Nicholas

Rolling Stone Goes to War

Reviewed in the United States on July 31, 2006

Verified Purchase

One of the new aspects of the war in Iraq this time around was the army practice of "embedding" reporters with various units. These reporters followed the soldiers or marines as they fought, ate, slept, and travelled across Iraq, and then were at some point allowed to report on what they'd seen, who they'd met, and the personnel that they'd observed. Evan Wright was one of the reporters who was embedded during the war. Wright is a reporter for Rolling Stone Magazine (of all things) and he was selected to march with the First Reconnaisance Battalion of the First Marine Division. This was a pretty choice assignment: Recon Marines are as elite as Marines get. Historically, the USMC doesn't have elite units as such (though they've recently agreed to begin training a unit to serve in the Special Forces Command) so Wright drew what, in reporting terms, is a prime assignment, and he took full advantage of the opportunity. Although there were originally two reporters assigned to the unit Wright was the only one to see combat with them.

Wright has a wonderful ability with words, and is a very good observer of things that happen around him. He's also careful in his judgements, and given the publication he writes for, nowhere near as negative about the war and its participants as I expected him to be. He seems willing to look at both sides of any issue, and look at situations from the point of view of the participants, something civilians sometimes have difficulty with. While his view of the Marine Corps isn't always positive, by any means, he does portray things honestly. Interestingly, he appears to have a good understanding of military terminology, and seems to have absorbed a great deal of knowledge. I have read a lot of books by reporters trying to explain what's happened in wars, and few have had fewer mistakes than Wright. One notable exception is when an exploding Iraqi tank sends shrapnel "hundreds of kilometers" away from itself, and some of it wounds other men in the units. I suspect Wright meant meters, not kilometers.

This is, however, a very very good book. The author pretty much completely avoids discussing the larger issue of whether we should have invaded in the first place, and skirts things such as whether the strategies used were correct or not. Mostly, he's interested in the marines he's with, their comrades in other units: what they do, think, say, and (as much as they tell Wright anyway) feel. The impression you get is of a bunch of American kids trying to do the best they can under difficult circumstances, with a lot of bad people shooting at them. I highly recommend this book.

7 people found this helpful

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AF

Entertaining look at modern warfare

Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2014

Verified Purchase

I found this book very enjoyable, and I'm a fan of the HBO series. There are some who seem to feel that the author is somehow denigrating the USMC, First Recon, or the US Military in general in this book, but I don't find that to be the case at all.

There is always going to be some subjectivity in reporting like this. So much of it is based on Wright's memory, etc. What I think this captures very well is the devastating nature of modern warfare and the logistical impossibilities of major military operations, especially when multiple branches are involved.

It is truly amazing that there weren't more friendly fire deaths during this operation, considering the many close calls First Recon seemed to have. This book does not glamorize war, nor does it place an unfair moral burden on the young men tasked with the invasion of Iraq. It's so difficult to generalize about a book like this. The enlisted marines come across as very brave, sometimes foolish, often conflicted, and very human. Officers get less coverage, and though the decisions of the higher-ups at times seem to border on the absurd, I feel that this book gives the reader the very real sense that the person giving the order is usually just the messenger, and that messenger may be at odds with what they're expected to do.

Also, and perhaps most importantly, this book really gives a sense of how random and tragic modern warfare is. Civilians get killed constantly. I don't see this as a reflection on the marines portrayed in the book - they are put in an impossible situation with regards to how to execute their orders while keeping themselves and their comrades safe, while accurately identifying military threats - but rather the nature of the modern war machine.

Politically, it doesn't matter where you sit. Regardless of the Rolling Stone byline, I don't think Evan Wright brought any particular agenda to the table with this book. It is not intended as 100% accurate history, but rather his perceptions of things as they happened. I found that I was in the position of rooting for the marines and for the safety of the innocents caught up in brutality, as well.

21 people found this helpful

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Michael Smith

Reading

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 4, 2023

Verified Purchase

Watch the show really good reading

Chris Ison

a

Reviewed in Australia on September 1, 2023

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a

Perrin Ambroise

We few, we happy few, band of brothers

Reviewed in France on March 29, 2017

Verified Purchase

Les scénarios de chacun des 7 épisodes de cette série sont redoutables d'intelligence , de précisions, de refus d'idées reçues, ils vont à l'encontre des clichés et servent magnifiquement par une subtile critique de la stupidité de l'armée en marche et de la politique de Busch, les valeurs de la démocratie sui sont profondément ancrées dans les individus eux-mêmes lorsqu'elles sont bafoués par un gouvernement au service des industries de guerre. La télévision ne mérite pas autant d'intelligence... À quand en France une telle série sur les événements d'Algérie?

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Minh

To Read if you really enjoyed the HBO mini-series

Reviewed in Canada on March 30, 2015

Verified Purchase

I really enjoyed the mini-series. I wanted to read and learn more about the battalion. I wasn't deceived. It was almost like the TV show. There was details we didn't see on TV, but also on TV we saw details that wasn't in the book. Overall, in the two, you feel the same feelings about the men of Bravo Company and the same about Irak Invasion. Very Good! 9/10

Cristina

Great Book

Reviewed in Italy on March 5, 2013

Verified Purchase

Follows the marines of First Recon, who first spearheaded into Iraq in 2003, under equipped and not really knowing what they would have found.
It's a book about war of course, but also on humanity, on how war affects the soldiers' life and how they're not just psycho random fighters, but men linked by friendship and respect, as well as military comraderie.
A thoroughly enjoyable read, packed with action and humor. I really enjoyed it.

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