Jarhead

A Marine's Chronicle of the Gulf War and Other Battles

By: Anthony Swofford

Narrated by: Anthony Swofford

“Searing…combines the black humor of Catch-22 with the savagery of Full Metal Jacket.” —The New York Times

“Jarhead will go down with the best books on military life.” —Mark Bowden, author of Black Hawk Down

“A brutally honest memoir…gut-wrenching frontline reportage.” —Entertainment Weekly

In his New York Times bestselling memoir of military life, Anthony Swofford weaves his experiences in war with vivid accounts of boot camp, reflections on the mythos of the marines, and remembrances of battles with lovers and family.

When the U.S. Marines—or "jarheads"—were sent to Saudi Arabia in 1990 for the first Gulf War, Anthony Swofford was there. He lived in sand for six months; he was punished by boredom and fear; he considered suicide, pulled a gun on a fellow marine, and was targeted by both enemy and friendly fire. As engagement with the Iraqis drew near, he was forced to consider what it means to be an American, a soldier, a son of a soldier, and a man.©2003 Anthony Swofford; (P)2003 Simon & Schuster Inc. All rights reserved. AUDIOWORKS is an imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division.

Still a relevant and breathtaking book

I must’ve read Jarhead 15 times when I was a boy. It helped me into the military and into a life of purpose. Nothing can compare to this book read by Anthony Swofford himself. I hope that you get as much out of it as I did.

Great writing

Unfortunately, this will never be a classic, too profane. But some of the writing is world class. However Swofford needs to learn more about depression and suicide.

poor reading

he seems uninterested in his own book. the material was good but I couldn't finish due to the reading.

Brilliant memior

This book is very relatable to the vet who served in a combat arms. We all have seen and read the bullshit propaganda like American sniper and lone survivor, but this story is deeper. It doesn't glamorize war, it doesn't glamorize the service member, it's the journey of a young man being conditioned to do one thing for many years and then being told that the war he was destined to fight in, was already won. The reality and psychological confusion that Anthony faces is a story that anyone who actually served will find greater meaning in

Don’t let the low reviews fool you

If you’ve served, especially in or with the Marine Corps the book will describe a lot of the ways you feel but aren’t able to express. This isn’t a glorious novel about war, but the internal struggle the individual goes through during their enlistment. It expresses the confusion the majority of us have felt and supplies the answers to those questions in most ways; by no means complete solace, but rather the start to sorting through those emotions.