Jarhead

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

By: Anthony Swofford

Narrated by: Anthony Swofford

Length: 8 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

In his New York Times best-selling chronicle 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.

Critic reviews

"A searing contribution to the literature of combat." (The New York Times)
"This book offers...the casual reader, an unflinching portrayal of the loneliness and brutality of modern warfare and sophisticated analyses of, and visceral reactions to, its politics." (Publishers Weekly)

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.

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.

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.

good, but rambling

hard to listen to, he starts rambling and you tune out, then you hear something interesting and need to rewind.
interesting though that almost everything in the movie was true.

monotone reading but good story

the author is very flat in his delivery but his story is genuine and very true if you've ever served in the military

Monotone, but full of truth.

Swafford put into words some of my experiences in the Marines for which I have no words because they are abstract. I knew this book existed and I saw the movie, but never read it. I wish I had a long time ago.

Good writing

Anthony Swofford should not have read his own book. That's my only problem with this book.

Riveting from start to finish

I laughed many times from the everyday bullshit that the marines endured, and balled my eyes out when Swafford went to his friends funeral.