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Title: Fails on multiple levels
Review: This is not a particularly good literary work, nor is it of much historical value. It is also not a particularly interesting personal memoir.Swofford comes off more than anything as having been an immature jerk who wallowed in self-pity while in the Marines. And one has to wonder how accurate are his recollections from Gulf War I and earlier, considering the number years that elapsed between the events described and his committing his thoughts to paper. Many of his recollections smack of embellishment for literary effect.Swofford also has the annoying tendency to equate his perspective with that of all Marines who served throughout history. While there have no doubt been similar Marines, it does a disservice to the Corps to imply that all have been like Swofford - drunken, undisciplined malcontents who regretted their service.
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