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Generation Kill (book)
Encyclopedia
Generation Kill is a 2004
book written by Rolling Stone
journalist Evan Wright
chronicling his experience as an embedded reporter with the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion of the United States Marine Corps
during the 2003 invasion of Iraq
. His account of life with the Marines was originally published as a three-part series in Rolling Stone in the fall of 2003. "The Killer Elite", the first of these articles, went on to win a National Magazine Award
for Excellence in Reporting in 2004.
The Marines of 1st Reconnaissance Battalion
were initially hostile and suspicious, but soon warmed to him and treated him as one of their own. He gained their respect through his refusal to quit in the face of combat. Often riding in the lead vehicle, a lightly armored Humvee, Wright was in real danger for much of the time, and at one point carried a weapon, though he did so reluctantly.
Wright encounters members of the battalion from all ranks, but the "main players" can be narrowed down to just six from Bravo Company: Sergeant Brad Colbert
, Lance Corporal Harold James Trombley, Sergeant Rudy "Fruity" Reyes
, First Lieutenant Nathaniel Fick
, Sergeant Antonio Espera and Corporal Josh Ray Person.
Despite initial doubts, Marine commanders later encouraged the officers of 1st Reconnaissance to read the book and the articles to get an insight into the reality of war.
Wright replied to this blog post citing his own extensive interview with Shoup that directly contradicts Shoup's later version of events. Wright also cites interviews he conducted with other Marines in the unit that differ from Shoup's account, noting that Shoup's direct superior, Major Eckloff, claimed to have single-handedly killed at least 17 insurgents with a shotgun fired from his truck. Wright states that he reduced that number to 1-2 after other sources contradicted Eckloff. Wright states that his book had to take in to consideration interviews from a wide variety of Marines in the battalion, including officers, and could not advance the perspective of just one person.
Wright also has stated he is "haunted" by the deaths of civilians he witnessed during the invasion of Iraq, because the "real rule of war is that the people who suffer the most are civilians." He believes the troops who fight the wars are more attuned to the moral consequences of their actions than the American public whom he accuses of being "alienated from the people who fight their wars" for them.
is a collection of other writings by Wright that includes his reporting on U.S. soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division fighting in Afghanistan and a controversial story about a documentary film shot in Iraq by a drug-addled Hollywood producer.
American Desperado
is a non-fiction book about the drug wars Wright co-wrote with Jon Roberts
, who was featured in the documentary the Cocaine Cowboys
.
during the opening stage of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The DVD release consists of three discs, with the first two discs containing three episodes and the third disc containing Episode 7 along with four bonus features, including a Making of 'Generation Kill and a video diary. It was produced by David Simon, Ed Burns
, Nina K. Noble, George Faber and Charles Pattinson
. It starred Alexander Skarsgård
, James Ransone
, Stark Sands
, Jon Huertas
and Lee Tergesen
. Rudy Reyes plays himself in the miniseries adaptation, driving the third Humvee.
2004 in literature
The year 2004 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* Canada Reads selects Guy Vanderhaeghe's The Last Crossing to be read across the nation....
book written by Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
journalist Evan Wright
Evan Wright
Evan Wright is an American writer, journalist, author and television writer and producer. He has reported extensively on subcultures for Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair. His latest work is American Desperado, a book he co-wrote with Jon Roberts, who was featured in the documentary the Cocaine...
chronicling his experience as an embedded reporter with the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion of the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
during the 2003 invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
. His account of life with the Marines was originally published as a three-part series in Rolling Stone in the fall of 2003. "The Killer Elite", the first of these articles, went on to win a National Magazine Award
National Magazine Award
The National Magazine Awards are a series of US awards that honor excellence in the magazine industry. They are administered by the American Society of Magazine Editors and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York City...
for Excellence in Reporting in 2004.
Assignment
Wright spent two months with the battalion, having persuaded a commander that he could cope with such an assignment.The Marines of 1st Reconnaissance Battalion
1st Reconnaissance Battalion
1st Reconnaissance Battalion is a reconnaissance battalion in the United States Marine Corps. It falls under the command of the 1st Marine Division and the I Marine Expeditionary Force ....
were initially hostile and suspicious, but soon warmed to him and treated him as one of their own. He gained their respect through his refusal to quit in the face of combat. Often riding in the lead vehicle, a lightly armored Humvee, Wright was in real danger for much of the time, and at one point carried a weapon, though he did so reluctantly.
Wright encounters members of the battalion from all ranks, but the "main players" can be narrowed down to just six from Bravo Company: Sergeant Brad Colbert
Brad Colbert
Brad Colbert is a United States Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant whose platoon's role in and perception of the 2003 invasion of Iraq was featured in a series of articles in Rolling Stone by Evan Wright. Wright was an embedded reporter who rode in the backseat of Colbert's vehicle during this time...
, Lance Corporal Harold James Trombley, Sergeant Rudy "Fruity" Reyes
Rudy Reyes (actor)
Rodolfo "Rudy" Reyes is a United States Marine, champion in martial arts, and actor. He is best known for portraying himself in the HBO TV series "Generation Kill".-Early years:...
, First Lieutenant Nathaniel Fick
Nathaniel Fick
Nathaniel C. "Nate" Fick is a veteran United States Marine Corps officer and CEO of the Center for a New American Security, a national security think tank based in Washington, D.C. He came to public notice for his writing on military life and the current conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq...
, Sergeant Antonio Espera and Corporal Josh Ray Person.
Consequences for the Marines
Sergeant Antonio J. Espera claimed he was forced to leave the battalion and Staff Sergeant Eric Kocher claimed he was disciplined for statements attributed to him in Wright's reporting. Kocher worked as an adviser on the adaptation of Wright's book into a miniseries and stated that Wright earned credibility because he stayed with the Marines for "every firefight."Despite initial doubts, Marine commanders later encouraged the officers of 1st Reconnaissance to read the book and the articles to get an insight into the reality of war.
Controversies
Major Shoup, an augment Forward Air Controller in the battalion, posted a commentary on the book in which he contrasts the events he witnessed with Wright's descriptions of them. Shoup also states that Wright based his account on one group of enlisted Marines' version of events without including the perspective of others.Wright replied to this blog post citing his own extensive interview with Shoup that directly contradicts Shoup's later version of events. Wright also cites interviews he conducted with other Marines in the unit that differ from Shoup's account, noting that Shoup's direct superior, Major Eckloff, claimed to have single-handedly killed at least 17 insurgents with a shotgun fired from his truck. Wright states that he reduced that number to 1-2 after other sources contradicted Eckloff. Wright states that his book had to take in to consideration interviews from a wide variety of Marines in the battalion, including officers, and could not advance the perspective of just one person.
Statements on combat
Wright stated that he felt more fear of combat before he was in it, but as soon as he was being shot at, he focused on survival. He also revealed that prior to becoming a combat correspondent he had quit drinking and as a result, he found there was something "almost nice" about war because it replicated the "emotional chaos of being a heavy drinker."Wright also has stated he is "haunted" by the deaths of civilians he witnessed during the invasion of Iraq, because the "real rule of war is that the people who suffer the most are civilians." He believes the troops who fight the wars are more attuned to the moral consequences of their actions than the American public whom he accuses of being "alienated from the people who fight their wars" for them.
Related works
Hella NationHella Nation
Hella Nation is a 2009 book written by journalist Evan Wright who previously wrote Generation Kill.Hella Nation mostly chronicles different subcultures across America he encountered while working for Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair magazines...
is a collection of other writings by Wright that includes his reporting on U.S. soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division fighting in Afghanistan and a controversial story about a documentary film shot in Iraq by a drug-addled Hollywood producer.
American Desperado
American Desperado
American Desperado is a 2011 book written by journalist Evan Wright and Jon Roberts, a subject of the 2006 documentary Cocaine Cowboys.-Publisher's Book Description:...
is a non-fiction book about the drug wars Wright co-wrote with Jon Roberts
Jon Roberts
Jon Pernell Roberts is a noted drug trafficker who operated in the Miami area and was an associate of Colombia's Medellín Cartel during the growth phase in cocaine trafficking, 1975-1985. After his arrest, he was able to avoid a lengthy prison sentence by becoming a cooperating witness and...
, who was featured in the documentary the Cocaine Cowboys
Cocaine Cowboys
Cocaine Cowboys is a 2006 documentary film directed by Billy Corben and produced by Alfred Spellman and Billy Corben through their Miami-based media studio Rakontur. The film explores the rise of cocaine and resulting crime epidemic that swept the American city of Miami, Florida in the 1970s and...
.
Awards
- PEN USA Award.
- J. Anthony Lukas Book PrizeJ. Anthony Lukas Book PrizeThe J. Anthony Lukas Book Prize is an annual award in the amount of $10,000 given to a book that exemplifies, "literary grace, a commitment to serious research and social concern.” The prize is given by the Nieman Foundation and by the Columbia University School of Journalism. The prize is named...
. - Los Angeles Times Book Prize.
- General Wallace Greene Award from the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation.
TV mini-series
The cable television channel HBO has produced a mini-series based on the book. Filmed in South Africa, Namibia, and Mozambique, the series aired in July 2008 and spans seven 68 minute episodes, starting with the Marine Recon team crossing the berm into IraqIraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
during the opening stage of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The DVD release consists of three discs, with the first two discs containing three episodes and the third disc containing Episode 7 along with four bonus features, including a Making of 'Generation Kill and a video diary. It was produced by David Simon, Ed Burns
Ed Burns
Ed Burns is a producer, screenwriter, and novelist. He has worked closely with writing partner David Simon. They have collaborated on The Corner and The Wire . Burns is a former Baltimore police detective for the Homicide and Narcotics divisions, and a public school teacher...
, Nina K. Noble, George Faber and Charles Pattinson
Charles Pattinson
Charles Pattinson is a British television producer. His initial career was in the theatre, where he was an assistant director at the Royal Court Theatre in the mid-1980s...
. It starred Alexander Skarsgård
Alexander Skarsgård
Alexander Johan Hjalmar Skarsgård is a Swedish actor. He is best known for his roles as vampire Eric Northman on the HBO series True Blood, Meekus in Zoolander and Brad Colbert in the HBO miniseries Generation Kill.-Early life:...
, James Ransone
James Ransone
James Ransone is an American actor and former musician from Baltimore, Maryland. He is best known for his roles as Ziggy Sobotka in the second season of HBO's The Wire, and Corporal Josh Ray Person in the Iraq War-based mini-series Generation Kill...
, Stark Sands
Stark Sands
Stark Bunker Sands is an American actor of film, television and theatre.-Biography:Sands was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, where he began acting on the stage at age 13 at Highland Park High School. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in acting from the University of Southern California...
, Jon Huertas
Jon Huertas
Jon Huertas, born Jon William "Scott" Hofstedt and sometimes credited as John Huertas, is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his role as Sergeant Antonio 'Poke' Espera in HBO's Generation Kill the miniseries as well as Joe Negroni in the film Why Do Fools Fall in Love and homicide...
and Lee Tergesen
Lee Tergesen
Lee Allen Tergesen is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Tobias Beecher in HBO’s prison drama Oz and as Evan Wright in Generation Kill.-Early life:...
. Rudy Reyes plays himself in the miniseries adaptation, driving the third Humvee.