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My War: Killing Time in Iraq
 
 
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My War: Killing Time in Iraq (Paperback)

by Colby Buzzell (Author) "Kids from the suburbs don't really join the military ..." (more)
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
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Product details

  • Paperback: 416 pages
  • Publisher: Corgi Books; New edition edition (13 Feb 2006)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0552154377
  • ISBN-13: 978-0552154376
  • Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 12.8 x 3.2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 74,640 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #32 in  Books > Biography > Historical > Countries & Regions > Middle East
    #34 in  Books > Biography > Political > Countries & Regions > Middle East
    #95 in  Books > Biography > Historical > United States > Military

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Product Description

Product Description

'Once we passed the checkpoint at the border, it hit me. I was like, Holy Shit, this is it, I'm entering a combat zone. Cool!' At twenty-six Colby Buzzell, unemployed and living at home, decided to join the US Army. Within months he was in Iraq, a machine gunner in the controversial Stryker Brigade Combat Team, an army unit on the cutting edge of combat technology and the first of its kind. Trapped amid 'guerrilla warfare, urban-style' in Mosul, Iraq, Buzzell was struck by the bizarre and often frightening world surrounding him. He began writing a blog describing the war - not as being reported by CNN or official briefings - but as experienced by the soldier on the ground. His story is a brutally honest and hard-hitting account of the absurdities of modern war. These are the real stories of the war: a firefight where the resistance came from 'men in black'; a night spent chain-smoking in the guard tower counting the tracer bullets being fired over the city; and the hesitation of a young soldier who had been passed around from platoon to platoon because he was too afraid to fight. "My War" is a powerful story of a young man and a war, unlike any you have read before.


From the Back Cover

‘Once we passed the checkpoint at the border, it hit me. I was like, Holy Shit, this is it, I’m entering a combat zone. Cool!’

At twenty-six Colby Buzzell, unemplyed and living at home, decided to join the US Army. Within months he was in Iraq, a machine gunner in the controversial Stryker Brigade Combat Team, an army unit on the cutting edge of combat technology and the first of its kind.

Trapped amid ‘guerrilla warfare, urban-style’ in Mosul, Iraq, Buzzell was struck by the bizarre and often frightening world surrounding him. He began writing a blog describing the war – not as being reported by CNN or official briefings – but as experienced by the soldier on the ground. His story is a brutally honest and hard-hitting account of the absurdities of modern war. These are the real stories of the war: a firefight where the resistance came from ‘men in black’; a night spent chain-smoking in the guard tower counting the tracer bullets being fired over the city; and the hesitation of a young soldier who had been passed around from platoon to platoon because he was too afraid to fight.
My War is a powerful story of a young man and a war, unlike any you have read before.

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Kids from the suburbs don't really join the military. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews

13 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.5 out of 5 stars (13 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Erudite and witty reflection on the Iraq war, 2 April 2006
This book was recommended to me and I was not disappinted. In an often humorous account on his time driving around in 'Stryker' fast patrol vehicles as part of a Quick Reaction Force, Buzzell describes how he changed from a drifter/ waster in and out of dead-end jobs into someone with a purpose. Failing to impress the Marine recruiter (their loss), he joins the Army and ends up in Iraq. Bored at the uncomfortable life there he starts his own 'blog' reflections (similar to 'Just Another Soldier' blogger) on life in Iraq. Eventually these draw attention from the authorities, who allow him to continue because his writings are funny and give a far more accurate portrayal of life in Iraq than any offical communiques or press releases (and that includes from embedded journalists).

His Dedication (at the end of the book) sums up his sense of humour, as it includes his recruitment officer "without whom all this would not have been possible."

Wait for the film, it should be awesome and if done properly, on a par with 'Blackhawk Down.' He describes the plethora of digital cameras - some even used while firefights were taking place! Including some by himself. At times his understated writing on the randomness of fate (eg a mercenary killed en route to the airport, his letter of resignation found in his pocket) make the reader pause to reflect on the whole crazy war. And the 'peace'

In short this is a presumably accurate account of life in the Army by someone who lived it, and loved it, and came out the other side a better person for it. Even his marriage survived (unlike in "Shooter"). He joined the Army because they guaranteed him the chance to shoot big guns and blow things up. He fulfilled both aspirations.

Buzzell sees far more action than Swofford in "Jarhead" (which isn't difficult) and writes about the 'post-peace' Iraq, that will only be bettered by 82nd Airborne scout/sniper book "Bullets and Copenhagen" which is packed full of action. Altogether, an execellent at times funny study of humans in an alien environment.

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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Colby Buzzell, Fuck The War: CBFTW, 17 Jun 2007
By prisrob "pris," (New EnglandUSA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)      
My War by Colby Buzzell is nothing less than the soul of an extremely interesting human being at war on our behalf in Iraq."
-Kurt Vonnegut

Colby Buzzell, aged 26, in and out of meaningless jobs, drugging, drinking and tired of life went to a Marine recruiting station in San Francisco. He wanted to join and fight the war. Incredibly, he was told that there were no openings that month, to wait and come back. As he left the recriuters office, the Army recruiter next door stepped up. He gave Colby a nice story and the next thing he knew, Colby was in the Army. Off he went to Ft Lewis in Washington and then off to Kuwait. He ended up in Iraq as a machine gun runner. A dangerous job, but Colby loved the action, he always wanted to be in the middle.

By the eighth month in Iraq, Colby was tired. Tired of hanging around. The missions were less. He started writing in his journal. The journal became a blog. And, soon enough, Colby Buzzell's blunt, open, deep, and intricate writing became known. People from all over the world were reading his blog. Word got out and the military insisted that his superior read the blog before it went out. Everyone and anyone who knew Colby read his blog. It was an honest account of daily life in Iraq. On a trip home to see his wife on leave a stewardness commented, "Iraq can't be as bad as the televion news show us, right?" Colby said, "I don't know, I don't watch the news." Colby heard from a mother whose son had just died in Mosul where Colby was stationed. She thanked him for the honest protrayal of what her son probalby went through. Colby did not know how to answer her. So, he didn't. Colby signed his blog, CBFTW, "Colby Buzzell, Fuck The War".

Soon enough he got so much crap from the military superiors about his blog- he stopped writing. Howoever, when he got home, the year he spent bloging in Iraq became a book. Colby Buzzell does a good job of capturing the daily absurdities and occasional terrors of life on the front, where even a trip to the mess hall is likely to result in a wound. Some of the sharpest writing comes from the author's blog, which earned him celebrity beyond Iraq. In May of 2007, Colby Buzzell won the Blooker's Prize for best blog on the Internet. Colby is writing for Esquire at times and looking for free lance work. He is back in San Francisco, living the life of a writer.

"If military recruitment is down now, wait till the kids read this." Kirkus

Wonderfully entertaining and brilliant writing. He is living a life like that of his heroes; Hunter S Thompson, Bukowski, and Kurt Vonnegut.
Highly Recommended. prisrob 06-17-07

Biography - Buzzell, Colby ((?)-): An article from: Contemporary Authors Online

Gottfried talks only of hell: from the killing fields of Iraq: four voices.(War Reporting for Cowards)(Over There: From the Bronx to Baghdad, A Memoir)(My ... An article from: Columbia Journalism Review
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5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Good but not brilliant, 14 May 2006
Don't get me wrong, I liked this book. Fast paced and a slightly different take on the first person front line accounts. Buzzell is different or at least different from how I imagined US forces personnel to be in Iraq. I never though they would like the same music as me!

I had to write this review to balance some of the other reviews which were a little too gushing (for gushing read American). I never read Buzzell's blogs live, as it were, and I think the transfer to a book loses some of the potency and it becomes like a lot of other first person accounts. I get the impression that the passion that some people seem to like about this comes purely from the immediacy of it originally being live on the net. Certainly Buzzell's level of description and demonstrated understanding of the Iraqi issues are far from in depth. The book is simply a combination of his blogs and I suspect diary entries. It is definitely worth a read so don't be put off but don't expect more than a simple fast paced read.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Go to Mosul with CBFTW and watch him wage a "three blog war"!
The book is based on PFC Buzzell's weblog - "live" from Iraq.
If you're about to deploy to Iraq or Afghanistan and call a Stryker, Piranha or a similar armoured vehicle your... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Steen Lykke Laursen

4.0 out of 5 stars Oh yes
I know he is an American but this is a great read. liked it so much started to read his Blog. A great insight into how Uncle Sam works its military from recruiting to discharge... Read more
Published on 13 Aug 2007 by Tommy Atkins

4.0 out of 5 stars Not much to add...
There is not much to add to the assessments already made here. I concur with Richard Pursehouse "Ricardo"'s review titled "Erudite and witty reflection on the Iraq war" below and... Read more
Published on 12 May 2007 by Mike Camel

5.0 out of 5 stars FANTASTIC
I have to agree with the others, Colby's book is an amazingly funny, sometimes touching look at the grunt's daily life in Iraq. Read more
Published on 31 May 2006 by Mr. P. Mcclenaghan

3.0 out of 5 stars Don't believe the hype!
Difficult to be objective with all the hype. I never read Buzzell's blogs at the time but I can understand the thrill people got from the immediacy of his writing. Read more
Published on 14 May 2006 by Blue frog

5.0 out of 5 stars A mindblowing fast ride into Battle
Colby can write. This is the first thing that strikes you. I've read his Blog "My war" when he served, and the book was worth the waiting. Read more
Published on 27 April 2006 by Peter Friis Andersen

5.0 out of 5 stars A great read
I really enjoyed this book, which is at times both touching and often humourous. Buzzell is a likeable narrator who retells his expereinces with openness and candour. 5*
Published on 26 Mar 2006

5.0 out of 5 stars breath of fresh air
I'll keep this short; it's an excellent book, eye-opening, shows the dark side of war (is there a bright side? Read more
Published on 25 Feb 2006 by J. Emley

5.0 out of 5 stars The truth is out there!
Excellent, funny, disturbing, and different. Based on his web log: cbftw. Demonstrates yet again that ordinary soldiers are much brighter and humane than their political masters... Read more
Published on 20 Feb 2006 by J. Cudbertson

5.0 out of 5 stars Colby Buzzell has candidly written one of the most interesting pieces of work in print today about the real life war in Iraq.
This is not some view from the top but a look at the war from someone who fought it as a young soldier with mixed feelings about the military establishment and with solid feelings... Read more
Published on 25 Jan 2006 by Roger SSpulding

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