Welcome back to PPL Picks! This week, we’re highlighting picks for Veteran’s Day. We would like to thank those who have served, and hope that you find these titles interesting and insightful.
Code Talker by Joseph Bruchac (J BRUCHAC JOSEPH) & (TEEN BRUCHAC JOSEPH) – In this critically acclaimed young adult novel based on the real life group of young Navajo men in the Marine Corps, fictional sixteen-year-old Ned and his fellow Navajo Marines are tasked to use their native language as code to aid the American military’s fight with Japan during WWII. Their struggles and ultimate victory mirror the real life victory the American forces achieved thanks to the Navajo code talkers for this harrowing conflict.
The Greatest Generation by Tom Brokaw (940.5481 BROKAW) – In this phenomenal collection of stories from and about the generation of Americans who heroically and valiantly fought fascism in the East and the West, Tom Brokaw shares the incredible achievements of the eponymous Greatest Generation. Their sense of duty, courage, and love in the face of one of the most tumultuous periods in the history of the world saw them through to go on to ensure that their families would live in safety and comfort, protected from those who sought for world domination.
Band of Brothers (DVD BANDOFB) – Created by Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, this stellar miniseries based on Stephen E. Ambrose’s nonfiction book of the same name follows Easy Company as they are assigned to the US Army’s 101st Airborne Division during World War II. Following their journey from their jump training in Georgia to their valiant exploits across fascist-occupied Europe, this series depicts historic and noble missions the real-life Easy Company participated in.
The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien (OBRIEN TIM) – Tim O’Brien’s semi-autiobiographical, semi-fictional, but painfully real book containing episodes of the life of a soldier sent to fight in the Vietnam War has been praised by many for its honest and frustrated account of this complicated and brutal conflict. Though ultimately a work of fiction, O’Brien’s writing captures the core of emotion that many soldiers felt during and after their deployment—not the weight of their ammunition, gear, lucky charms, or trinkets to remember loved ones by. The fear, guilt, and loss of innocence in a conflict where young men on either side were thrown into something they did not fully understand were the things they carried.
The Greatest Beer Run Ever by J. T. Molloy (959.7043 DONOHUE) – In Marine Corps vet John “Chick” Donohue’s wild memoir, he recounts a personal mission to run beer and cheer to his friends’ soldier buddies out on the frontlines in Vietnam. Saddened by the lack of emotional and structural support returning veterans were receiving upon their return home, Chick put it on himself to set off on an ill-advised, but ultimately good-hearted and courageous adventure to reassure his new comrades-in-arms that they had people who appreciated them despite the controversy of the war itself. Funny, sweet, thrilling, and melancholy, this fantastic quest serves as a reminder of how important the bonds of camaraderie are.
Jarhead (DVD JARHEAD) – Though bleak, cynical, and gritty, Jarhead provides what is purported to be a fairly accurate portrayal of the downtime Gulf War Marines experienced in the midst of this conflict. This adaptation of Anthony “Swoff” Swofford’s memoir about his time on the front lines as a sniper during Operation Desert Storm on the Saudi Arabian-Kuwait border portrays the boredom he and his fellow Marines faced, illustrating the mind-numbing frustration of being highly trained and primed for combat while rarely actually ever seeing it. This unglamorous and dark film may be off-putting for many, but it provides an insight into the grueling “hurry up and wait” structure United States Marines experience that many civilians may be completely unaware of.
Generation Kill by Evan Wright (956.7044 WRIGHT) – This eye-opening nonfiction title centers around the Marines of the First Recon Battalion on the frontlines for the war in Iraq. Chronicled by Rolling Stone magazine journalist Evan Wright, the embedded reporter follows 23 Marines who were the first generation to be dispatched into open-ed combat since Vietnam. The lives and culture of these new American warriors were far different than that of the Marines deployed way back when to fight the Vietcong—this generation was raised on video games, reality television, born-again Christians, Buddhists, and New Age ideologies alike. Disarmingly funny, devastatingly sad, brutally terrifying, and deeply profound, this book showcases just how simultaneously strong and vulnerable these “Devil Dogs” are.
The Hurt Locker (DVD HURTLOC) – This Academy Award-winning film explores the high stress and trauma actually experienced by soldiers during the Iraq War, focusing specifically on Sergeant First Class William James as he becomes the new leader of a US Army Explosive Ordinance Disposal unit in the Iraq War. With mounting tension from enemies and allies alike amid the already stressful conditions of disarming explosives, James and his team chase down insurgents bent on indiscriminately inflicting violence upon civilians and soldiers. Through tragedy, the horrors of war, and the senselessness of terroristic violence, will James and his team find camaraderie in order to achieve their common goal?
For these picks and more, head over to https://peoria.polarislibrary.com/polaris/ to browse our catalogue. We wish all of our veterans a happy Veteran’s Day, and with all of our heart, we thank you for your service.
Original source can be found here.
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