What Every Person Should Know About War Paperback – June 9, 2003

The book is crammed full with very useful information about war and the military. The author states clearly in the introduction that he is anti-war, but the facts presented in the book are objective and taken from studies, documents, official government information and expert observations. Although the title says that the book is about war, it is about military life in general.The book is written in question - answer format. We get a question, and then a short answer. The questions range from such things as: "How much vacation I get in the army? If I am wounded and dying, will I know it? How will my family react when I return from deployment?" and hundreds more.Although many things in the book are universal for all wars and armies, the author did base his research on the American army. Answers to questions such as: "How much will I get paid? Can my spouse find work at the military base where I live?" all relate to the US army. Many answers (and even questions) will vary depending on which military we are talking about. There are differences between, say, US and Bulgarian army, or between Bulgarian and Nigerian army. I wish the book was more universal and not so American centric.The answers are brief and to the point. Sometimes too brief. For example, a question asks: "If I am taken prisoner and tortured, why will they torture me?" (I am paraphrasing.) Answer: "To get information from you."Absolutely true, but there are other reasons for torture that the book does not mention. They might include:a) The captors are punishing you for the wrongs and atrocities your side has committed against their side.b) Because they are sadistic and hurting defenseless people makes them feel powerful good about themselves.c) It is their tradition.d) They torture you to make an example out of you and to spread terror.I can come up with other reasons. My point here is that much more information could be put into the book. It is so short (130-something pages. I read it in 3 or 4 hours.) that adding another 10, 20 or even 50 pages would not hurt.Be aware that the information and numbers given in the book are not absolutes. I read other books and studies about some of these topics, and they gave slightly different details. There are contradictions too. One particular that stood out was about suicide among Vietnam veterans. At one point we are told that some estimates say that more Vietnam veterans have committed suicide than died in combat in Vietnam. Probably not true, but I heard that before Iraq, Vietnam veterans were the most suicide prone group. Then we are told that within the first five years of the end of the Vietnam war its veterans were no more likely to kill themselves than veterans of other wars. So which one is correct? Did Vietnam veterans wait five years before they started to kill themselves in large numbers? And if yes, why?What I am saying is that the book should not be followed religiously. Not every number and every statistic is 100% correct. I am sure the author wrote what he believed to be the truth, but he had to base it on studies and official records, and those are sometimes incorrect or they disagree about details. However, the information presented here is so varied and fascinating that anyone interested in the grim reality of war and military life should definitely add it to his library.

Review of What Every Person Should Know About War(Chris Hedges)By: Taylor FielstraI was first introduced to Chris Hedges’s book What Every Person Should Know About War by my Intro to World Civilizations professor at Bethel College. We were asked to read the book and complete a project discussing the affairs covered within the pages. If my professor had not necessitated reading the book, I do not believe I would have ever thought twice about opening it up. Although I have a lot of respect for those who have served our country, I have never been strongly inclined to research the topic of war. However, I am glad that I engaged in reading What Every Person Should Know About War.The book contains nine chapters where each one describes a different aspect of war. It emphasizes the stark contrast between life before, life during the war, and life afterwards. Hedges also reveals many of the shocking realities military personnel face on a day-to-day basis in combat. By doing without fancy wordplay, the concise question and answer format gives readers only factual information. Statistics and detailed descriptions shatter the misguided and dreamily heroic depictions of war. The book addresses questions regarding the heinous horrors of war such as torture, imprisonment, rape, and the intense psychological battles that follow.What Every Person Should Know About War thoroughly accomplishes its purpose. By exposing the naked truth of wartime, Hedges sheds some light on a subject that many have not experienced. Hedges states only factual information without the frequent frills of writing that are custom to our culture today. Regardless of prior knowledge, all people can learn more about wartime. Hedges thoroughly explains and attempts to answer all questions that the public may have concerning warfare.I would definitely recommend this book to a wide audience. If you have an extensive knowledge of modern warfare, this book is still for you. It is a great reminder about what all war entails. If you are like me and have barely any knowledge of modern warfare, I would definitely recommend this book to you as well. I was blown away by the many horrific truths of war. Hedges presents the information in an interesting format, keeping the attention of readers. This is a book the public needs to read.