Even taking this book on its own, outside of context, it’s a pretty amazing memoir. It’s horrifyingly graphic when it comes to the violence it depicts; it analyzes its own use of language and imagery to decide what does and doesn’t make sense; it engages with both biblical history and American history to make sense of the particular vulgarity of 20th century wars — post WWII — and through an extension of its argument works backwards through all wars; it challenges (imperfectly) the de facto […]