I gather the author was a marine? Well, comparitively very few people write a book on their experiences in the military, especially a common volunteer force such as the US marines. The author will have had some kind of agenda in writing the book... perhaps he simply had a chip on his shoulder. He may have simply aimed to make it far fetched, gripping even, as to ensure sales, for profit.

I have not read the book, but can only speak of my own experience as a Marine. It would be interesting to know the time frame of this book. All branches of the military have what we call the 10%, the dirt bags, no-performers and criminals in uniform. In some units this percentage was lower and in some higher. It sounds as though the author might have fit in this percentage. He could also be embellishing the stories a little to make a better book. The following goes for all branches of the military; Sadly on the whole military communities tend to be like Peyton places. There is cheating going on but I am not sure that it is any greater than what goes on in the civilian world, maybe just more noticeable in such a close community. Hookers? Yes, particularly in foreign countries but you have to figure at any military base the male population is going to vastly out number the available female population and these guys did not join the priesthood. I do not remember there being many hookers at 29 Palms, rumors of a couple of the waitresses at the enlisted club but generally you had to got to LA or San Diego for that kind of entertainment. Anti-Christian, NO, as the saying goes there are no atheists in foxholes. While their language maybe a more course than you would expect of most of those who attend church. I remember my Senior Drill Instructor use to make us attend Sunday services if you were a no-preference or even, woe to you, an atheist. We use to have to chant GOD, COUNTRY, CORPS each night before hitting the rack and on other occasions. Of course he would add to that every now and then, "not necessarily in that order"

I could take my 20 years service in the Marines & write a tabloid type book, or a scholarly treatment, or a patriotic piece of fluff, all based on exactly the same events. It is all in the presentation. In the civilian world my priimary career has been in construction. Overall the folks I have worked with in this field have been less trustworthy, had more drug & alcahol problems, and been less capable than those I served with in the Marines. But again I could write a book making carpenters look like choir boys. The tone of Jarheads sounds something like the individuals who regularly complained about all the faults they percieved, but who had little ability to do anything positive themselves.

I'm about halfway through it right now and I'm not a big fan. The set around the time of ODS but Swofford has such poor prose and skips around via flashbacks and telling stories from the future that keeping track of the actually dates is extremely difficult. I tend to think that he simply has a bad attitude and is trying to cash in on negativity.

I have read the book I liked it, but it didn't feel like he was talk about GW1 more like Vietnam. I work at a textbook store for a local collage and picked it up after a english teacher made it part of the reading for their class. I can't understand why an english would assignment the writing style is not one of the worse part of the book. I have never be in the militay because im 4F/FB but I thought it gave a good yet tough description of his time in GW1 and its aftermath. There is a lot of anger in his writing, but I thought it was well placed. Then again I'm just an observer.

havent read the book (I'm on a big Civil War kick ... so thats all I've been reading lately) But I was in the US Army about that time (signed up during Desert Storm). I have to say ... it doesn't surprise me. But most importantly, like Ambush and Carl pointed out, context is important for understanding a lot of these kinds of things. I could recount stories of the MPs and Mississippi Highway Patrol troopers showing up during basic to take one of the privates back home for ADW charges, Cheating on the ASVAB to score good enough to get in, People going AWOL to be found shacked up with a stripper, People stealing govt. property to sell down at the corner pawn shops, Stealing money or anything of value from their own friends, people that check the duty roster to know whos girlfriend will be a little lonely that night. It all goes on, and a lot I've left out. But for every one of those stories, there are stories I could tell of a friend of mine that gave up a full scholarship to MIT his Sophomore year to fulfill his dream of serving his country, unselfish heroism under fire by people whose names you'll never read in places that will never be worthy of being written about, people willing to make great personal sacrifices for no reason other than duty, People paying up with those sacrifices when duty demanded it ... and on and on. People are people. There's good and bad out there no matter where you go. The important thing is being able to identify who is what.

I did not read the book, but with 8 yrs experience, here is my thoughts...When not "working" I seen some of the DUMBEST,Most UNETHICAL Morons ever. Going to okinawa, the bn was warned time and time again about thailand and the prostitutes, aids and other sex diseases. The first time we went, 880 left. 48 or so came back with stds or aids...this was in 92' More than half were married. It was 'the marine thing to do' The second time in 94 18-22 or so. Hell, I did not have to be told. It was common sense, but that apparently does not apply to a majority of marine grunts... In other cases, they clearly demonstrated how stupid they could be. How violent they could be. How beligerent they could be... But then it came time to fight(war) and they were mostly top notch. The stuff legends are made of. Cant figure it out. I guess it is a clark kent personal. One moment a disgrace, and then another supermarine.... This wasnt just my unit, it was all over the grunt units. I cant speak for other units. I think all branches are the same way...-for the enlisted, but I cant speak for the senior staff or the officers, but I would surmise that the 75-25% stupid ratio would be 10-90% for the others........Note, my unit-1st bn 7th mar was the first unit ground unit-if not military unit to train with the russian in -hell, forever...they went to an area near Vladivistok. All went fine and a great diplomatice event, except one officer got so blitzed, he almost-or did get arrestedby the Russian police in Vlad. It was an incident... Perhaps there is a switch, I dont know, Not all were stupid(ie underage, drinking in the barracks and throwing a JD bottle accross the way at another plts door, shattering it and then challenging 10-15 to a fight..) and then when it came time to fighting, not all were audie murphys-but basically, when not in use, they were idiots(75%) when fighting,they were great(90%) Semper Fi

A good friend of mine is a Marine mid. During the school year, or "peacetime," he's a wreck. He drinks constantly, thinks only about the next piece of ass, and is in general one of the most degenerate human beings you could encounter. He gets belligerent and violent. He's obnoxious. But it's OK, b/c when it's time to train, he busts out and yeah...like bunker said, he becomes supermarine. He's there helping out the Navy freshmen dragging their asses on the runs. The senior enlisted all love him. He wows the instructors at training. He just got back from Mountain Warfare Center, where he had no disciplinary issues or underperforming whatsoever. Yeah, it's weird.

This is the most recent book I have finished reading - in attempt to finish it before the movie is released. Again, this is Swafford's point of view on the Corps. Having a brother who was honorably discharged from the Marines just this past September, I can say, is nothing like Swafford. Keep in mind, he was a deisel mechanic, who didn't see much combat. On the other hand, his best friend who enlisted as infantry, and is re-enlisting and goign to sniper school, shares similar characteristics as Swafford. He is married, but unfaithful. Drinks excessively, and is proud of his kills in Iraq. His most talked about kill is when he slit a wounded Iraki's throat in attempt to put him out of his misery and remain quiet. I would say the book is an accurate representation of the grunt life in the Corps. Again, I am not a grunt, yet, I am purely speaking from what I know and have read, but I can say this book has turned me on to the grunt life.

This book sounds very similar to "amongst the marines" by steeven preece - about royal marines though not USMC good read its just about marines life outside of combat, training etc. in the 1980's