Generation Kill

Generation Kill is a non-fiction book written by Evan Wright chronicling his time as an embedded reporter during and shortly after the 2003 invasion of Iraq. In early March 2003 Wright, on assignment with Rolling Stone Magazine, was sent to Camp Matilda, Kuwait where US Military was preparing what would be its brief but bloody second invasion of Iraq. After convincing a Marine commander that he was up to the assignment he spent two months with the Marine Corps. 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, which ended up including the entire initial Invasion and about 3 weeks of what would become an 8 year long period of US occupation and combat in Iraq.

Initial reactions of the 1st Recon Marines were negative and some were suspicious of the liberal editorials' potential coverage of Marine behavior and actions, but were soon won over by Wright’s dedication and refusal to quit in the face of danger and during combat. He spent the entire invasion with the Alpha and Bravo teams of the 1st Recon Marines, often riding in the lead vehicle of Bravo team, a lightly armored Humvee, and even (reluctantly) carried a weapon during certain periods of the invasion. By the time his assignment was up, Wright had built close friendships with many of the Marines and was often treated as one of their own.

On his return Wright published a three-part series for Rolling Stone on his time in Iraq that won the National Magazine Award for Excellence and began writing what would become one of the greatest and most proximate non-fiction writing on modern war and conflict, Generation Kill. Wright’s account of his experience with the young men of 1st Recon battalion puts the reader waist-deep into the experience of an elite and often intelligent group of young men molded to be warriors. Often reframing lower authority combat veterans as, just some, of the many victims of American aggression overseas, Wright addresses issues such as, war crimes, moral conflict of young soldiers, indoctrination mentality in the Marines, incompetence as well as nepotism of US senior leadership, and the violent dismantling of a vulnerable nation, with a level of humility and proximity that can’t be replicated without the harrowing experience he committed to in 2003.

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