[Media] New book on Reaper War target of praise and controversy

New book on Reaper War target of praise and controversy

Jelik Moraw, Kithoi Tribune

Among the many accounts of the Reaper War that have been published in the wake of the conflict’s end, one book in particular has become a focal point for both critical acclaim and controversy.

Tagalong , Orion’s Star journalist Chloe Larson’s account of her time embedded with the SAMC 2/9th Marine battalion through the war has been both praised and objected for its rather frank and unflinching portrayal of life with Alliance marines during war, with many commenting on its supposed lack of overall political correctness, which Larson has often criticized in regards to other embedded accounts of the war.

Despite its acclaim, with appearances on several bestseller lists and talks of a HV miniseries adaptation entering pre-production, Reaper War veterans have called into question the veracity of the details portrayed in Larson’s book. “There are some things I’ve read, that just don’t add up to reality.” said one Marine. “Like, its simply too exaggerated to be true. No right thinking platoon CO would ever act like what like the 2/9th’s CO is. Believe it or not, the SAMC does have standards, we’re not just a bunch of jarheads who cuss and scream constantly, like what this book would have you believe”. Other Marines have also expressed concern over whether the book could be seen as anti-Alliance propaganda amongst colonial separatists.

Nevertheless, the book is not without its defenders, Gunnery Chief Ibrahim Sadik remarked, “I’ve read it cover to cover, and I must say, it is quite possibly the most honest, uncompromising look at what we Marines had to do during the war. There’s no PC to be found, it really shows the reader what we are all about. Warts and all.”

Larson herself has commented on the criticism directed at her work. “It was never my intention to make any sort of political statement, nor to exaggerate the truth about what I saw. Merely that I wanted to show the humanity and strength of all those men and women who risked everything to ensure our race’s future.”

Hmm, might have to pick this one up.
Most of the 'grunts eye view' books that have come out since the war are crap, but I've heard good things about this one.

It's a pretty fantastic read. I've gotten through the first chapter and the lull before the invasion, knowing what's about to happen is powerful, powerful stuff.

This seems definitely interesting. Might have to order it up once I get an omni of my own... Though I'm not sure if I want to read about the war just yet. It just ended and all, though spending a year on that island certainly gave me time to think things through when it became obvious that we had won. No more flying space octopuses around, you know?

I've never been able to wrap my head fully around how so many humans know so little about their military, and usually only through books and vids and games and so on. Essentially all turians are familiar with the military in one way or another, even if they got stuck in a REMF posting during their term of service.

That being said, I may pick this book up myself. It'd be interesting to see if the account of author is anything like the experiences I've had of Alliance marines.

QFT.

I'm sure the book'll be a good read, but there's no way Larson didn't take a little artistic license with it. Did anyone else see the preview chapter in the Orion Star yesterday?

Yeah. That, um, well, if any SA Marine tried to pull that crap in real life, they'd have been court-martialled. Even with the godsquid running around. It's just war porn, and I definitely won't be buying this.

What's more embarrassing is how little most of our military knows about our military. Then again, it does have the benefit of rendering direct interrogations almost completely pointless.

Yeah thats a good joke. The part about there being standards I mean. Truth is that there are tons of retards in the miltary. Trust me on this. The biggest joke is painting this noble, do-no-wrong picture of it. When it comes to fuckups, it's never a matter of if but when. Take it from a former alliance grunt.

Former Alliance grunt myself, Gestran. There're fuckups, sure, but everybody knows their shit.

That shit was never standing orders, and anyone who used grenades like that would've been court-martialled, if not fired upon by their own unit. God.

Oh please, like Larson isn't the first person to claim that she portrays the grit and dirt of war.

You want something that really shows you what war is about, pick up "The Dogheads" by Gahn Martell, or pick it up if you're interested in seeing more about the Terminus perspective, your call.

Insert marine joke here.

The problem is most people don't realize how often they swear or come of as swearing and someone who comes from a different enviroment might notice that. Also, there was this Captain Coburn, I don't thing he ended one scentence with a swear of some kind.

Also, realistic accounts seldom make good propaganda material although good propagamnda material has grains of truth in it. If you want to look at propaganda material done right I suggest the last OER report.

The military as a whole? Sure. But the amount the different types of services know about each other can be a lot less than you'd think. I had had virtually no contact with anyone in ground forces before the war, and even now I don't think I'd be able to distinguish truth from fiction about them that well (although in this case I suspect the book's likely more accurate than its critics think - the thing about real life is that it doesn't have to be "realistic"). And humans don't have a mandatory service requirement in the first place.

Anyway, it sounds like an interesting read.