Company C

I thought this book was informative about what life was like as a tank soldier before and during Gulf 1. Sounds like some of the reviewers had a personal beef with one of their peers and that ticked them off and rated this low. Personality conflicts are everywhere - army, corporate world, sports. I didnt think this book was hard to follow. It does have some shocking things about it. Some soldiers drink beer. They sometimes go to strip clubs. They sometimes listen to heavy metal. Sometimes there are race issues in the Army and prejudice against the enemy or each other. Some have chips on their shoulders. When you study history, you have to take it with a grain of salt - every witness will have their own perspective. Sometimes it is unflattering. Sometimes it is wrong. The author did interview a lot of people, has covered Korea, Vietnam and Iraq. Every author has his/her own bias. Some are liberal, some not. Maybe this guy is not another Hemingway. The Army is not perfect nor are its soldiers. The US Army is the best in the world, the soldiers are the best in the world. They are the best trained, most motivated and have the best equipment. They do more now with technology and more deployments overseas than ever before. I salute them all. I have never served in war. I do not know these soldiers. But after 10 years of tank service and a lot of reading (fiction and non fiction), this book sounded real and rang true for me. If you want to get a flavor for tanker life, check it out.

I would not think of myself as the audience for a book on the gulf war, but I found this description of one group of mens' experiences in the desert fascinating. The book does not waste time justifying the war or attacking reasons for the war. It just describes in detail what went on in the heads of the guys in Company C. Recommended