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This is without a doubt one of the best books I have read lately. It is an incredibly timely piece, difficult, challenging, and utterly evocative of the chaotic and violent realm of war that so many of us have decided to push to the back of our collective minds.

Dexter Filkins, a New York Times correspondent, immerses himself in the turbulent world of pre-9/11 Afghanistan, the siege of Falluja, the murky and unpredictable politics of post-Saddam Iraq, and the troubling implications that these conflicts have for our country, our world, and our common humanity.

In many ways, the style of this book was reminiscent of Rory Stewart. Filkins chooses to present his experiences in a series of vignettes, ranging from interviews with family members of dead Iraqis to stories of political intrigue to encounters with insurgent groups. This is not what I had expected in opening this book, but I found it to be incredibly compelling. It also makes it somewhat easier to read and fully process the stories Filkins has to tell, giving the reader time to reflect on each chapter before moving to the next.

I would argue that this should be a mandatory read for the American people. It offers a very intelligent perspective on the consequences of the war, but doesn’t pursue a specific ideological agenda, instead presenting the outcomes and situations for the reader to understand on his or her own. Reading The Forever War made me feel more informed about the real battle on the ground than months of watching network news has done. Filkins cuts through to the important truths of these wars, leaving behind blame and posturing. If more politicians, people, and leaders understood the nuance that Filkins presents, I believe that we would be able to create a more creative and intelligent response to the outstanding challenges that we face in our engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan.

If you have any interest in the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, in our military engagements, in world affairs, or religious conflict, you should read this book. If you want to know more and better understand the complexity of the issues, you should read this book. If you want to count yourself an informed global citizen, you should read this book. Excellent, and highly recommended. Ages 16 and above due to violence and serious themes throughout.

A few quotes that I found especially poignant:

About war and violence in tribal Afghanistan:
“Other times I thought that something had broken fundamentally after so many years of war, that there had been some kind of primal dislocation between cause and effect, a numbness wholly understandable, necessary even, given the pain, but which had the effect of allowing the killing to go on and on.” p. 20

On leadership, as learned in the streets of Iraq:
“It was an odd thing about leadership; people talked about it and CEOs wrote books about it. But there was nothing like facing death to feel it in the flesh. It was as if Omohundro wore a mask, and with that mask he gave everyone more courage than they knew they had. The trick was never showing fear.” p. 191

On young soldiers and the act of war:
“There wasn’t any point in sentimentalizing the kids; they were trained killers, after all. They could hit a guy at give hundered yards or cut his throat from ear-to-ear. And they didn’t ask a lot of questions. They had faith, they did what they were told and they killed people. Sometimes I got frustrated with them; sometimes I wished they asked more questions. But things were complicated out there in Kezzletown and Punxsatawney; they were complicated in Falluja. Out there in Falluja, in the streets, I was happy they were in front of me.” p. 199

On Iraq:
“It was in the Green Zone that I would think the war was lost. I didn’t think about losing when I was outside – when I was in Iraq. There was too much reality pressing in, too many things changing, too much in play./ No; it was when I was waiting for the bus outside the Rashid Hotel, watching the overweight American contractors, making more money than they’d ever dreamed of, saunter into the restaurant for dinner at 5 p.m. It was when one of the American generals in charge of Baghdad, in his office in Camp Victory, pronounced the name of the Iraqi prime minister three different ways in hanf an hour…each time as if he were speaking of some sort of exotic plant.” p. 231

On internal politics and Ahmad Chalabi:
“In the West, he was a famous man, and now a notorious one as well. He was a banker and a millionaire and a mathematics professor trained at MIT and the University of Chicago. He owned homes in London and Washington. But in Iraq, his roots had withered and died. And so now, in January 2005, Chalabi was reinventing himself as an authentic Iraqi. He was running for a seat in the new Iraqi parliament.
The convoy was low on fuel, and a gas station beckoned. Since the American invasion, Iraqis waited hours – even days – for gasoline at the pumps. Lack of refining capacity, smuggling, stealing, insurgent attacks: it was complicated. On the road south of Baghdad, the line was perhaps three hundred cars deep. The Chalabi convoy cut straight to the front of the line. No one protested. It was the guns. Chalabi’s effrontery brought not even a peep.” p. 255

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This book was recommended to me some time ago by a friend and co-worker. I finally purchased it for my Kindle and read it during a recent vacation.

Overall, I thought it was an excellent story. It’s written so that we, the readers, experience it from the beginning and the end simultaneously, ultimately coming to understand the pivotal scene that gives both beginning and end their nuance and importance. This is a tactic that I almost always enjoy, and in The Sparrow, I found it keeping me up late and on the edge of my seat, trying to puzzle out the mystery of what happened.

I would argue that the resolution, after the climactic scene unfolds, is slightly longer than necessary, and didn’t keep me interested as well as the rest of the novel. As a whole, it could have perhaps been edited a bit more aggressively – there were a few scenes where I felt my interest level dropped slightly – but overall, I’d definitely recommend this book to friends. It’s technically considered a sci-fi, as it deals with alien civilizations and first contact, but ultimately I’d call it a study of humanity and personality and a search for great adventure.

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This book has received a good amount of acclaim in recent weeks, and has been highlighted at my local bookstore as a must read. “Will do for zombies what Twilight did for Vampires.”

I must disagree.

It was an interesting question – falling more into the dystopian category – of how an isolated village would respond to a physical and omnipresent, encompassing threat. The initial few chapters were intriguing from this perspective. But then, the story was bogged down in the chase, the unwieldy relationship problems, and the lack of a satisfying resolution.

Things that I liked about the book? A fantastic title, for one. What an evocative phrase – and the cover art is also quite good. I also enjoyed the unique and original quality to the story – it stood out from others of its genre, and I found the early discussion about death, acceptance, loss, and the unknown to be quite compelling.

Ultimately, however, I lost interest in the story. I felt that it dragged on a bit, without a real sense of the goal outcome. I was frustrated by the characters’ actions in several situations. It wasn’t the “can’t-put-it-down” sensation that I’ve experienced with other YA fantasy lately.

So, I would at the end say it was okay – but nothing that I’d hurry to recommend. Zombies need a better champion. (and yes, I’ve heard World War Z is excellent, and yes, I plan to read it soon. )

What is Book Blogger Appreciation Week about? There’s a lot of helpful information on the website, but here is the basic information:

Book Blogger Appreciation was started by Amy Riley of My Friend Amy in an effort to recognize the hard work and contribution of book bloggers to the promotion and preservation of a literate culture actively engaged in discussing books, authors, and a lifestyle of reading.

Last year over 400 blogs came together to celebrate the art of book blogging during the first ever Book Blogger Appreciation Week! I am so pleased to announce that the second annual Book Blogger Appreciation Week will be taking place September 14-18.

WHO Anyone who blogs about books is invited to participate. In fact, we want everyone who blogs about books and reading to be a part of this week!
WHAT A week where we come together, celebrate the contribution and hard work of book bloggers in promoting a culture of literacy, connecting readers to books and authors, and recogonizing the best among us with the Second Annual BBAW Awards. There will be special guest posts, daily blogging themes, and giveaways.
WHEN September 14-18, 2009
WHERE Here at the new Book Blogger Appreciation Week Blog! (Please note that this year there are three separate blogs and feeds—one for the main event, one for giveaways, and one for awards.)
WHY Because books matter. In a world full of options, the people talking about books pour hard work, time, energy, and money into creating a community around the written word. I, Amy, the founder of Book Blogger Appreciation Week love this community of bloggers and want to shower my appreciation on you!

So head on over to the website and check it out!