The Forever War

By: Dexter Filkins

Narrated by: Robertson Dean

From the front lines of the battle against Islamic fundamentalism, a searing, unforgettable audiobook that captures the human essence of the greatest conflict of our time. Through the eyes of Dexter Filkins, the prize-winning New York Times correspondent, we witness the remarkable chain of events that began with the rise of the Taliban in the 1990s, continued with the attacks of 9/11, and moved on to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Filkins's narrative moves across a vast and various landscape of amazing characters and astonishing scenes: a public amputation performed by the Taliban, children frolicking in minefields, skies streaked white by the contrails of B-52's, a night's sleep in the rubble of Ground Zero.

We venture into a torture chamber run by Saddam Hussein. We go into the homes of suicide bombers, meet Iraqi insurgents, and an American captain who loses a quarter of his men in eight days.

The Forever War allows us a visceral understanding of today's battlefields and of the experiences of the people on the ground, warriors and innocents alike. It is a brilliant, fearless work, not just about America's wars after 9/11, but ultimately about the nature of war itself.

©2008 Dexter Filkins (P)2008 Books on Tape

Critic reviews

Winner - Colby Award, 2009
Winner - National Book Critics Circle Awards, 2008
Winner - New York Times Editors' Choice, 2008
Winner - Overseas Press Club Book Award, 2008
Short-listed - New York Public Library Helen Bernstein Award for Excellence in Journalism, 2008

“Harrowingly detailed . . . Filkins makes us see, with almost hallucinogenic immediacy, the true human meaning and consequences of the ‘war on terror.’”
-The New York Times 10 Best Books of 2008

“The gaping wounds of Iraq and Afghanistan have produced a torrent of words, but no single volume so far has the precision and power of The Forever War . . . Filkins’ set pieces have the absolute clarity of lightning flashes that burn away the fog of war.”
-Time Best Nonfiction Books of 2008

“Not since Michael Herr in Dispatches . . . has a reporter written as vividly about combat as Filkins does from Afghanistan and Iraq.”
-USA Today 10 Best Books of 2008

“Filkins’s meticulously constructed vignettes . . . illuminate and humanize the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan.”
-Los Angeles Times Favorite Books 2008

A great book, but a "difficult listen"

While I'm enjoying the book immensely, I find it jumps around in time and location, which makes it difficult to follow - especially since I listen while commuting and can be easily distracted. I think it would have been better as a "read" than a listen. A cheat sheet with a calendar of events and a map of the area would be helpful (but admittedly not a great idea when one is driving!).

Read this book

This book is the closest one can come to living in Iraq and Afghanistan during the war. Collins is fair to everyone he profiles, whether they are American soldiers or Iranians or Afghanis.

Not worth two credits

The book is worth listening to but not at the cost of two credits it is worth only one credit. For two credits I was really hoping that it was something that would blow my mind only one other time I spent two credits for a audio book and that was the life story of Frank Sinatra now that was a story that was worth two credits

The Most Incredible Book

I often buy "smart" books and get halfway through them, and then buy chiclit and love it. But this book had me captivated from the first minute and even more amazingly, kept my attention until the last minute. I just want to go back and listen to it again. I didn't want it to end. It is well worth the two credits.

A forever book!

I really enjoyed this book but it did go a little long. Redundant at times, it did capture the monotony and endless nature of the conflict and it's possible that was the authors intent. Great read. Dexter is a brave a dedicated journalist.

Interesting perspective

The author was on the ground in Iraq and witnessed the demise of the country. I thought it odd when he referred to America and Americans in the third person. Perhaps a little too much about him in the book. It may just have been cathartic for him as he tried to make sense out of a brutal and dystopian environment. Worth listening to if you are interested in the second Iraq war and the aftermath.

A horrifying description of current day Iraq

An interesting and a clear description of the chaos the U.S. Inflicted on Iraq, told through personal anecdotes and observations of the author.

Like actually being there.

I'm not usually a fan of war books or movies, but this one was real. Gives a glimpse of the realities of war. Made me even more sensitive to the fact that these are not just brave soldiers, but regular young Americans fighting in foreign countries with families left behind hoping and praying for their safe return.

Engaging

At times the subject matter is extremely grim, but you can't put this down. You feel like you're there.
This is exceptionally well written and the narrator does an excellent job.
My respect and admiration for journalists, though usually high, has been notched up even higher.

Gripping

This book completely changed my perception of the Iraq war. A lot of preconceptions that I had were changed by this beautiful, sad, and moving true tale of a reporter who lived in Iraq during the early part of the war and experienced much of the danger and interacted with and spoke with many of the different people.