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What It Is Like to Go to War

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What It Is Like to Go to War

Written by: Karl Marlantes
Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot
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About this listen

From the author of the bestselling and award-winning Matterhorn comes a brilliant nonfiction book about war and the psychological and spiritual toll it takes on those who fight.

“I wrote this book primarily to come to terms with my own experience of combat. So far—reading, writing, thinking—that has taken over thirty years.”

In 1969, at the age of twenty-three, Karl Marlantes was dropped into the highland jungle of Vietnam, an inexperienced lieutenant in command of a platoon of forty marines who would live or die by his decisions. Marlantes survived, but like many of his brothers in arms, he has spent the last forty years dealing with his war experience. In his first work of nonfiction, Marlantes takes a deeply personal and candid look at what it is like to experience the ordeal of combat, critically examining how we might better prepare our soldiers for war.

Just as Matterhorn is already acclaimed a classic of war literature, What It Is Like to Go to War is set to become required reading for anyone—soldier or civilian—interested in this visceral and all-too-essential part of the human experience.

Karl Marlantes, a cum laude graduate of Yale University and Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, was a marine in Vietnam, where he was awarded the Navy Cross, the Bronze Star, two Navy Commendation Medals for valor, two Purple Hearts, and ten Air Medals. He has lived and traveled all over the world and now writes full time. He and his wife, Anne, have five children and live on a small lake in Washington.

©2011 Karl Marlantes (P)2011 Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Americas Military Military & War Wars & Conflicts Solider War Vietnam War Nonfiction
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What the critics say

“A staggeringly beautiful book on combat…[Marlantes] is a natural storyteller and a deeply profound thinker.” (Sebastian Junger, New York Times bestselling author)

What listeners say about What It Is Like to Go to War

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Amazing, insightful and engaging

this is a amaaazing book. having listened to a bunch of history now this was such a good insight to the micro level of the individual soldier and the many many experiences and considerations and aftermath one has to go through when they are on war. I highly recommend this and it's been one of me favorite audible books to date

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Very powerful

I am by no means a warrior. This was very insightful and powerful. I can only imagine the importance of books like this to a combat veteran. For the rest of us, it is our combined political will, and financial contribution through taxes that sends these people to do this violence. It is our responsibility to understand more throughly what we are asking of them how how we can support them upon return. I do not agree with war as a idea, but I realize it’s currant relevance and place in our world. This book has really opened my eyes to my judgements and idealisms toward war and especially he warriors.
Matterhorn is also amazing read, and I’m am at the beginning of deep river and just really excited about it. Thank you Karl for a very daring and I imagine difficult undertaking.

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Visceral realism and Submersion into combat.

I absolutely loved this book. Karl Marlantes is a legendary marine and a very deep soul. His ability to convey the mindset and the duality of war and in particular the Vietnam war is next level. Vietnam was a very unique armed conflict and the intricate methods of movement and combat he describes is done very well. My favourite part of this book is his explanation of the “Savage Joy” experienced while in combat. My only criticism is I would have liked to hear Karl read it on audiobook. I would recommend this book to anyone.🤙🏼

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great

good book. It's like self help for the warrior within. Felt sad when he put down his dog, when Canada died and that 19 yrs old lieutenant passed away.

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