The War I Always Wanted
Encyclopedia
The War I Always Wanted is a nonfiction war memoir by Brandon Friedman
. The story details Friedman's experiences in combat in Afghanistan
and Iraq
between 2001 and 2004, roughly tracing his metamorphosis from a young, eager cadet into a disillusioned-but-wiser adult and veteran. The book received favorable reviews upon publication and within three years had been named one of the best memoirs of the past decade by media outlets like the Military Times
and Daily Kos
.
in March 2002), the 2003 invasion of Iraq
and his time in Baghdad, the beginning of the insurgency in northern Iraq during the latter half of 2003, and his re-adjustment upon returning home in 2004.
gave The War I Always Wanted faint praise (calling the book "cynical but appealing"), subsequent reviewers were more effusive. Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander General (Ret.) Wesley Clark
called the book "compelling and moving," going on to say that "among the many excellent war memoirs by Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, Brandon's stands out as the best." Historian Steven Pressfield
, author of the New York Times bestselling novel Gates of Fire
, called Friedman's work "outstanding non-fiction" and described it as "ris[ing] at numerous points to the level of literature."
Newspapers and journals reacted in similar fashion. The Baltimore Sun proclaimed, "You'll want to read parts aloud," while the Mobile Press-Register described The War I Always Wanted as being "rendered with more literary flair and sophistication than even the accounts by bigwigs," calling it "an elegant meditation on his loss of innocence." In the military community, the Military Times
described Friedman's memoir as "vivid, frank, precise and dramatic," while Military Review, the journal of the United States Army Combined Arms Center, concluded that The War I Always Wanted was "tragically compelling" and that "[Friedman's] work is fresh, angry, cynical, and riveting."
In January 2010, Military Times named The War I Always Wanted as one of the "best military books of the decade."
Reviews of The War I Always Wanted
Brandon Friedman
Brandon Friedman is a writer, veteran, and civil servant who has worked on issues concerning America’s military and veterans communities. He is the author of the combat memoir The War I Always Wanted and works for the United States Department of Veterans Affairs...
. The story details Friedman's experiences in combat in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
between 2001 and 2004, roughly tracing his metamorphosis from a young, eager cadet into a disillusioned-but-wiser adult and veteran. The book received favorable reviews upon publication and within three years had been named one of the best memoirs of the past decade by media outlets like the Military Times
Military Times
Military Times is a monthly military history magazine, published by Current Publishing and the Chelsea Magazine Company.- Overview :Military Times is edited by Dr Neil Faulkner, with George Clode, and published by Luke Bilton. The magazine covers all aspects of military history, from battles of...
and Daily Kos
Daily Kos
Daily Kos is an American political blog that publishes news and opinions from a progressive point of view. It functions as a discussion forum and group blog for a variety of netroots activists, whose efforts are primarily directed toward influencing and strengthening the Democratic Party...
.
Synopsis
Spanning the course of three years, Friedman tells his story through a combination of present action and flashbacks. In all, he covers events in Afghanistan (including his experience in Operation AnacondaOperation Anaconda
Operation Anaconda took place in early March 2002 in which the United States military and CIA Paramilitary Officers, working with allied Afghan military forces, and other North Atlantic Treaty Organization and non NATO forces attempted to destroy al-Qaeda and Taliban forces in the Shahi-Kot...
in March 2002), the 2003 invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
and his time in Baghdad, the beginning of the insurgency in northern Iraq during the latter half of 2003, and his re-adjustment upon returning home in 2004.
Critical reception
While Publishers WeeklyPublishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
gave The War I Always Wanted faint praise (calling the book "cynical but appealing"), subsequent reviewers were more effusive. Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander General (Ret.) Wesley Clark
Wesley Clark
Wesley Kanne Clark, Sr., is a retired general of the United States Army. Graduating as valedictorian of the class of 1966 at West Point, he was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to the University of Oxford where he obtained a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics, and later graduated from the...
called the book "compelling and moving," going on to say that "among the many excellent war memoirs by Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, Brandon's stands out as the best." Historian Steven Pressfield
Steven Pressfield
Steven Pressfield is an American novelist and author of screenplays, principally of military historical fiction set in classical antiquity...
, author of the New York Times bestselling novel Gates of Fire
Gates of Fire
Gates of Fire is a 1998 historical fiction novel by Steven Pressfield that recounts the Battle of Thermopylae through Xeones, a Spartan Helot and the sole Greek survivor of the battle....
, called Friedman's work "outstanding non-fiction" and described it as "ris[ing] at numerous points to the level of literature."
Newspapers and journals reacted in similar fashion. The Baltimore Sun proclaimed, "You'll want to read parts aloud," while the Mobile Press-Register described The War I Always Wanted as being "rendered with more literary flair and sophistication than even the accounts by bigwigs," calling it "an elegant meditation on his loss of innocence." In the military community, the Military Times
Military Times
Military Times is a monthly military history magazine, published by Current Publishing and the Chelsea Magazine Company.- Overview :Military Times is edited by Dr Neil Faulkner, with George Clode, and published by Luke Bilton. The magazine covers all aspects of military history, from battles of...
described Friedman's memoir as "vivid, frank, precise and dramatic," while Military Review, the journal of the United States Army Combined Arms Center, concluded that The War I Always Wanted was "tragically compelling" and that "[Friedman's] work is fresh, angry, cynical, and riveting."
In January 2010, Military Times named The War I Always Wanted as one of the "best military books of the decade."
External links
Reviews of The War I Always Wanted
- Publishers Weekly, 25 June 2007
- Daily Kos, 19 August 2007
- Dallas Morning News, 9 September 2007
- Baltimore Sun, 21 October 2007
- Army Times, 26 October 2007
- Shreveport Times, 26 October 2007
- Mobile Press-Register, 1 January 2008
- Military Review, January-February 2008
- Daily Kos, December 13, 2009
- Military Times, January 2010
- On Violence, February 12, 2010