The War I Always Wanted: The Illusion of Glory and the Reality of War: A Screaming Eagle in Afghanistan and Iraq

I think this will be considered one of the classics coming from the growing body of Iraq War memoirs. Friedman is a gifted writer and this is certainly one of the most well-written accounts I've read coming from this War. Friedman grew up watching the same war movies I did and had the same fantasies of glory in battle. He went to war and found that it isn't the stuff of a kid's dreams. His telling of coming home and trying to adjust to life outside of the Army and away from "his war" is particularly powerful. Should be read with "One Bullet Away" (Nathaniel Fick), another classic in this genre.

I've read a lot of war memoirs, from The Things They Carried to A Rumor of War to Jarhead, and many others. Friedman's book stands among the best. As someone who also served as an infantryman in Iraq, I can tell you that this book captures the feel of life in combat like no other I've ever read. His honesty, personal conflicts, and thought processes will ring true to anyone who's ever had to operate in such an environment. Friedman puts into words the things we all thought over there--even the things many of us don't like to admit.

As a fellow Iraq Veteran (OIF I) I felt this book was so realistic it brought me back to those fateful days in March 2003 waiting in the Kuwaiti desert for the inevitable "war" to begin. From the false NBC (nuclear, biological & chemical) alarms to the sandstorm of near biblical proportions, nothing I have read prior to this book has brought those days back in such a clear and concise way. I highly suggest this book to those who wonder what it is like to serve in a combat zone.

The sadly surreal, surprisingly boring and at times terrifying reality of war, put down on paper by someone who knows how to write. One soldier's unflinchingly straightforward experience. Highly educational for all who have not experienced armed service or combat. All at once satisfying, heartbreaking and informative. Well worth the read.

A stunning first effort; I loved this book! I don't usually read books in the military genre, but I loved this one. "The War I Always Wanted" is a moving memoir of a young man's experience in Afghanistan and Iraq, but it's really even larger than that. It's more of a "coming-of-age" story. Friedman is a skillful young writer who does not lose his readers in military terminology, acronyms, or long descriptions of maneuvers and strategy. This is a much more personal story. More than once I found myself with tears in my eyes as I empathized with what was happening not just to him but to other characters in his story (his mother, for example). His descriptions put you right in the middle of the scene (the marathon march in Afghanistan...), yet he is equally adept in making you feel for yourself the range of emotions he goes through (the girl with the rose). The conclusion is fabulous; again, he alienates no one. Young adults will even be moved by Friedman's story; I plan to use the book in my high-school classroom as part of a larger unit with also includes writings by Tim O'brien (a writer Friedman eclipses, in my opinion.) One of the best things about this book, I think, is that you can enjoy it and relate to it regardless of how you feel about the current situation in Iraq and Afghanistan.