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P. J. O'Rourke

Give War a Chance: Eyewitness Accounts of Mankind's Struggle Against Tyranny, Injustice and Alcohol-Free Beer Paperback – April 27, 1993

by P.J. O'Rourke (Author)

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The bestselling author of Parliament of Whores now dismantles victims ranging from backpack liberals to Lee Iacocca and surveys the collapse of communism, celebrity, and liberalism. "Whatever your political persuasion, you would have to be totally humorless not to feel like chuckling when he (O'Rourke) starts hacking away."--New York Times Book Review.

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Political humorist O'Rourke is even more clever abroad than on the home front, as these sparkling dispatches reveal. A 12-week PW bestseller in cloth.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Inside Flap

ing author of Parliament of Whores now dismantles victims ranging from backpack liberals to Lee Iacocca and surveys the collapse of communism, celebrity, and liberalism. "Whatever your political persuasion, you would have to be totally humorless not to feel like chuckling when he (O'Rourke) starts hacking away."--New York Times Book Review.

Product details

Publisher : Vintage; 1st Vintage Books ed edition (April 27, 1993)
Language : English
Paperback : 233 pages
ISBN-10 : 0679742018
ISBN-13 : 978-0679742012
Item Weight : 7.4 ounces
Dimensions : 5.25 x 0.5 x 8 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #879,109 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #842 in Political Humor (Books)
- #3,691 in Middle East History

Customer Reviews:
52 ratings

Customer reviews

5 star		62%
4 star		30%
3 star		4%
2 star		2%
1 star		2%

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Top reviews from the United States

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Fedoradude

Another hilarious commentary by one of my very favorite authors.

Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2017

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Pros:

The usual hilariously witty style and terminology O'Rourke is famous for.

While the book would have more impact on someone who has lived thru the events and people he talks about in this book, I do think that this book would provide interesting insights on them for those who are too young to have any memory of them, too.

Cons:

While P.J. O'Rourke is one of my favorite authors, I found a lot of his barbed commentary re Lee Iacocca to be a bit hypocritical. He talks about Iacocca's ego and general distaste for most everyone else, yet seems to me that O'Rourke exhibits much of the same in his commentary about himself and others.

But would I buy the book again? Would I recommend the book to anyone else? YEAH!

4 people found this helpful

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Maestro1

Engrosing

Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2020

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I am not a GOP person so O'Rourke is interesting to read and has a great sense of humor. His take on Liberals is pretty funny, and frankly I agree with his opinion about extremists on either side of the aisle. Read this Liberals, and look at yourselves.

2 people found this helpful

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A book that sticks with you.

Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2015

Verified Purchase

Truth be told, this was the very first P.J. O'Rourke book I ever read. I bought it as a cash-strapped college student upon the encouragement of a professor of mine.

There is one phrase that has stayed with me over the twenty some years or so that has passed since I first read this book. O'Rourke was covering the "elections" in Nicaragua that ousted Daniel Ortega. Upon seeing some dejected Sandinistas, O'Rourke was tempted to shout "taste the ash-heap of history, you Bolshie nose-wipes!" Pulling no punches, O'Rourke combines smart commentary with a razor-sharp skewing of his subjects.

The focus of this book is the first Gulf War, the one where a US-led coalition liberated Kuwait from its Iraqi occupiers. Sure, O'Rourke covers a smattering of other subjects, but these are mere side dishes to a main dish.

This book has been out long enough that there's very little I could say about it that hasn't already been said. But on its own terms, I think this is an excellent book.

3 people found this helpful

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Mary Munro

If you are planning to read this, either be a staunch right winger, or wait for 2020.

Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2018

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Tried to get into a Republican state of mind as O’Rourke is a funny guy. Unfortunately, I waited too long. I really can’t find anything amusing about Republicans with Trump in the White House.

One person found this helpful

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D. D. LeDu

Still relevant (and irreverent)

Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2012

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It is eerie how relevant this book is some 20 years after it was written -- at the breakup of the Soviet Empire. Of course, at that time there was no Internet, no conservative radio nor Fox News. We only knew what the liberal left chose to tell us. The New York times, for example, had deliberately hid the Russian famines and the genocide of Ukrainian farmers. Everything we were told of the Soviet Union was framed in terms of "moral equivilency".

The consequence is that we Americans were surpised to find that the USSR was a corrupt, failing economic system. O'Rourke explores the bewilderment felt by conservatives and liberals alike at the intensive hatred felt by its peoples at the "noble experiment" of Marxism.

What surprises the reader today is that (although we do now have alternate news sources) the liberal media presents its biased news as if we Americans were still ignorant of the true state of the world. As just one example, the Obama administration is presented with a holy nimbus surrounding it, despite its obvious incompetence and its failures.

O'Rourke is at his sarcastic best in this book. For example, he does not mind being called a Nazi by liberals because "no one has ever had a fantasy about being tied to a bed and sexually ravished by someone dressed as a liberal". Speaking of the causes of the Soviet collapse, he writes that " a huge and totalitarian system with all its tanks and guns, gulag camps and secret police has been brought to its knees because nobody wants to wear Bulgarian shoes."

It is no wonder that American leftists have a such a visceral hatred of O'Rourke that they cannot enjoy his wit and humor. For everyone else, this is a delightful, informative read.

3 people found this helpful

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Ch3w33

Universally funny and educational

Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2013

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The great thing about O'Rourke is that it doesn't matter what your particular political ideology is; this is just funny, smart, and well researched humor. If you have a sense of humor about the world, you will love this book. I found that even when I disagreed with the author, I could appreciate his point of view and sometimes questioned my own. He doesn't call people names or use negative language, and his conclusions are based on his actual real-world experience.

One person found this helpful

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Kindle Customer

Informative

Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2017

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I thought for a while he wasn't going to get to war. But he did. Heven showed the reader where the title of the book came from.

One person found this helpful

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Chris

A fascinating piece of historical reporting

Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2014

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Very interesting chronicle of the events that marked recent history illustrating profound ideas with facts experienced first hand by a reporter dispatched at the scene. The writer is a very keen observer who describes his experiences in a brilliant manner that is both entertaining and objective. His casual and direct style as well as his pragmatic judgment make the read exciting and captivating, leaving a desire to read the book again.

One person found this helpful

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Give War a Chance: Eyewitness Accounts of Mankind's Struggle Against Tyranny, Injustice and Alcohol-Free Beer Paperback – April 27, 1993

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