Best Selling Books by Phil Klay

Winner of the 2014 National Book Award for Fiction · Winner of the John Leonard First Book Prize · Selected as one of the best books of the year by The New York Times Book Review, Time, Newsweek, The Washington Post Book World, Amazon, and more Phil Klay''s Redeployment takes readers to the frontlines of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, asking us to understand what happened there, and what happened to the soldiers who returned. Interwoven with themes of brutality and faith, guilt and fear, helplessness and survival, the characters in these stories struggle to make meaning out of chaos. In "Redeployment", a soldier who has had to shoot dogs because they were eating human corpses must learn what it is like to return to domestic life in suburbia, surrounded by people "who have no idea where Fallujah is, where three members of your platoon died." In "After Action Report", a Lance Corporal seeks expiation for a killing he didn''t commit, in order that his best friend will be unburdened. A Morturary Affairs Marine tells about his experiences collecting remains--of U.S. and Iraqi soldiers both. A chaplain sees his understanding of Christianity, and his ability to provide solace through religion, tested by the actions of a ferocious Colonel. And in the darkly comic "Money as a Weapons System", a young Foreign Service Officer is given the absurd task of helping Iraqis improve their lives by teaching them to play baseball. These stories reveal the intricate combination of monotony, bureaucracy, comradeship and violence that make up a soldier''s daily life at war, and the isolation, remorse, and despair that can accompany a soldier''s homecoming. Redeployment is poised to become a classic in the tradition of war writing. Across nations and continents, Klay sets in devastating relief the two worlds a soldier inhabits: one of extremes and one of loss. Written with a hard-eyed realism and stunning emotional depth, this work marks Phil Klay as one of the most talented new voices of his generation.

One of President Obama''s Favorite Books of the Year | A New York Times Notable Book | One of the Wall Street Journal Ten Best Books of the Year "Missionaries is a courageous book: It doesn’t shy away, as so much fiction does, from the real world.” —Juan Gabriel Vásquez, The New York Times Book Review “A sweeping, interconnected novel of ideas in the tradition of Joseph Conrad and Norman Mailer . . . By taking a long view of the ‘rational insanity’ of global warfare, Missionaries brilliantly fills one of the largest gaps in contemporary literature.” —The Wall Street Journal The debut novel from the National Book Award-winning author of Redeployment A group of Colombian soldiers prepares to raid a drug lord''s safe house on the Venezuelan border. They''re watching him with an American-made drone, about to strike using military tactics taught to them by U.S. soldiers who honed their skills to lethal perfection in Iraq. In Missionaries, Phil Klay examines the globalization of violence through the interlocking stories of four characters and the conflicts that define their lives. For Mason, a U.S. Army Special Forces medic, and Lisette, a foreign correspondent, America''s long post-9/11 wars in the Middle East exerted a terrible draw that neither is able to shake. Where can such a person go next? All roads lead to Colombia, where the US has partnered with local government to keep predatory narco gangs at bay. Mason, now a liaison to the Colombian military, is ready for the good war, and Lisette is more than ready to cover it. Juan Pablo, a Colombian officer, must juggle managing the Americans'' presence and navigating a viper''s nest of factions bidding for power. Meanwhile, Abel, a lieutenant in a local militia, has lost almost everything in the seemingly endless carnage of his home province, where the lines between drug cartels, militias, and the state are semi-permeable. Drawing on six years of research in America and Colombia into the effects of the modern way of war on regular people, Klay has written a novel of extraordinary suspense infused with geopolitical sophistication and storytelling instincts that are second to none. Missionaries is a window not only into modern war, but into the individual lives that go on long after the drones have left the skies.

In this Brookings Essay titled “The Citizen-Soldier,” National Book Award winner, and U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Phil Klay sheds light on the tension and relationship between veterans and society. Klay is an established author and has previously received noteworthy praise for his book, Redeployment. In his first non-fiction work with Brookings, Klay valiantly explores the moral dimensions of veterans, their purpose in war, and their reintegration into the civilian world. The Brookings Essay: In the spirit of its commitment to high-quality, independent research, the Brookings Institution has commissioned works on major topics of public policy by distinguished authors, including Brookings scholars. The Brookings Essay is a multi-platform product aimed to engage readers in open dialogue and debate. The views expressed, however, are solely those of the author. Available in ebook only.

From the National Book Award-winning author of Redeployment and Missionaries, an astonishing fever graph of the effects of twenty years of war in a brutally divided America. When Phil Klay left the Marines a decade ago after serving as an officer in Iraq, he found himself a part of the community of veterans who have no choice but to grapple with the meaning of their wartime experiences—for themselves and for the country. American identity has always been bound up in war—from the revolutionary war of our founding, to the civil war that ended slavery, to the two world wars that launched America as a superpower. What did the current wars say about who we are as a country, and how should we respond as citizens? Unlike in previous eras of war, relatively few Americans have had to do any real grappling with the endless, invisible conflicts of the post-9/11 world; in fact, increasingly few people are even aware they are still going on. It is as if these wars are a dark star with a strong gravitational force that draws a relatively small number of soldiers and their families into its orbit while remaining inconspicuous to most other Americans. In the meantime, the consequences of American military action abroad may be out of sight and out of mind, but they are very real indeed. This chasm between the military and the civilian in American life, and the moral blind spot it has created, is one of the great themes of Uncertain Ground, Phil Klay’s powerful series of reckonings with some of our country’s thorniest concerns, written in essay form over the past ten years. In the name of what do we ask young Americans to kill, and to die? In the name of what does this country hang together? As we see at every turn in these pages, those two questions have a great deal to do with each another, and how we answer them will go a long way toward deciding where our troubled country goes from here.

National Book Award Un soldat en Irak doit abattre des chiens qui se nourrissent de cadavres, puis, quelques mois après, reprendre place sur son canapé dans une banlieue résidentielle où femme et labrador l''attendent. Un marine affecté aux « Affaires mortuaires » identifie, transporte et inhume des combattants indistinctement Irakiens et Américains. Pendant ce temps, un jeune officier se voit assigner la tâche absurde d''améliorer la vie des civils en leur apprenant à jouer au base-ball. Dans Fin de mission, Phil Klay emmène le lecteur sur les lignes de front de l''Irak et de l''Afghanistan. Il cherche à comprendre ce qui s''est passé là-bas, mais aussi, surtout, comment vivent ceux qui sont rentrés. Entre brutalité et foi, culpabilité et peur, impuissance et besoin de survie, les vétérans cherchent un sens à donner au chaos auquel ils ont réchappé. Écrit avec un réalisme pur et dur, ce livre fait de Phil Klay l''une des nouvelles voix les plus talentueuses de sa génération.

Les guerres interminables de l''Amérique en Irak et en Afghanistan n''ont pas laissé indemnes Mason, médecin dans les forces spéciales, ni Lisette, grande reporter. Et pourtant, pour eux, la guerre est inséparable des notions de danger, de camaraderie, de sens de l''honneur. Elle fait partie de leur vie. En Colombie, le gouvernement américain s''efforce d''aider les autorités locales à mettre fin à la guerre civile tout en neutralisant les gangs de narcotrafiquants. Pour Mason, c''est une guerre juste, et Lisette est plus que prête à la couvrir. Côté colombien, Abel, obligé de joindre un groupe paramilitaire après la destruction de son village, et Juan Pablo, officier de l''armée, ont également été abîmés par de longues années de ce conflit auquel l''Amérique a décidé de se mêler. Avec peut-être les meilleures intentions, mais sans doute pour les pires résultats. Car le conflit colombien, vieux d''un demi-siècle et impliquant de nombreux acteurs aux alliances changeantes, se révèle aussi terriblement complexe qu''il est violent. Le parcours d''hommes et de femmes idéalistes qui se heurtent à la réalité de la guerre.

Deze verhalen beschrijven hoe het werkelijk is om soldaat te zijn in oorlogstijd en daarna terug te keren naar huis'' Steven McGregor, Irakveteraan,op zijn blog www.shmcgregor.squarespace.com Phil Klay diende in Irak voor het US Marine Corps. In Oorlogsverhalen neemt hij de lezer mee naar de frontlinies van de oorlogen in Irak en Afghanistan, en weer terug naar hun families, die ''geen idee hebben waar Fallujah ligt, waar drie leden van je peloton stierven''. In ''Uitgezonden'' herinnert een soldaat zich hoe hij honden moest afschieten omdat ze de lichamen van zijn maten aanvraten; in ''Lichamen'' vertelt een medewerker van het mortuarium hoe hij na de gevechten telkens de stoffelijke resten van zowel Amerikaanse als Irakese soldaten verzamelde; en in ''Geld als wapensysteem'' krijgt een jonge officier de absurde opdracht om de levens van de Irakese bevolking te verbeteren met behulp van honkbal. Oorlogsverhalen is een eerlijk en ontroerend boek waarin Klay inzicht geeft in de horror, lamlendigheid en chaos van de oorlog. Nadat Phil Klay afzwaaide werd hij schrijver. Hij publiceerde zijn eerste verhaal in Granta en publicaties in The New York Times en The New York Daily News volgden. Oorlogsverhalen verschijnt tegelijkertijd met de Amerikaanse, Engelse, Duitse en Italiaanse editie. ''Klay is een briljante schrijver. Zijn verhalen zijn psychologische thrillers, te vergelijken met het werk van Lev Tolstoj en Raymond Carver'' Anthony Swafford, auteur van Jarhead ''Klay heeft zijn ervaringen met militaire broederschap en emotionele schade gebruikt om een krachtig boek te schrijven over de aard van oorlog, geweld en menselijk gedrag'' Publishers Weekly

Válka. Jak vyjádřit hrůzu, kterou v sobě ukrývá, jak přetlumočit osudy, do nichž zasáhla? Povídkový soubor Zpátky do boje od Phila Klaye můžeme směle zařadit ke klasickým dílům literatury s válečnou tematikou, k jakým patří slavné romány Hlava XXII, Komu zvoní hrana či Na západní frontě klid aj. Stěžejním motivem všech dvanácti různě rozsáhlých povídek je bojové nasazení a válečný konflikt v Iráku. Klay dokáže i na malé ploše bravurně, bez okázalých prostředků a otřepaných frází čtenáři obnažit pocity člověka vystaveného dennodennímu tlaku válečné mašinerie. Zabij, nebo zemři, to je příkaz, který hrdinové Klayových povídek bez výjimky plní, protože jiná možnost není. Nebo ano? Prožité hrůzy se nedají ani sdělit, ani zamlčet, a tak protagonisté tápou i po návratu ze služby, kdy by mělo být vše zlé definitivně pryč. Ovšem to je jen zdání a bývalým vojákům nastává nový boj. Američan Phil Klay v povídkách zpracoval i vlastní bezprostřední zkušenoust s válkou a za svůj knižní debut získal v roce 2014 americkou Národní knižní cenu.

2001 ziehen die USA in den Krieg. Gegen Bin Laden, gegen Hussein, und vor allem gegen den eigenen Bedeutungsverlust. Heute ist Saddam tot, Osama auch, doch die einzige Supermacht ist schwächer als je zuvor. In Wir erschossen auch Hunde erzählt Phil Klay von den jungen Männern, die in diesem Krieg den höchsten Preis zahlen mussten. Es sind knallharte Erzählungen von Häuserkämpfen in Falludscha, aussichtslosen Hilfsmissionen im Irak und dem Heimkehren in ein fremdgewordenes Land. Ein Land, das bei all dem Hintergrundrauschen aus Konsum und Entertainment kein Interesse am Leiden seiner Soldaten hat. Denn ihre traumatischen Erfahrungen beweisen nur die grenzenlose Ohnmacht und lassen etwas erahnen, was noch vor wenigen Jahren unvorstellbar schien: »America is broken, man.« Phil Klay kämpfte als US-Marine im Irak, davon handelt dieses Buch. In Wir erschossen auch Hunde gibt er eine authentische Vorstellung vom Krieg und dem, was er an Angst, Sehnsucht und allerletzter Euphorie mit sich bringt. Damit fragt er zur gleichen Zeit kompromisslos und bildgewaltig nach den Überlebenschancen einer dekadenten Supermacht.

Följ med till den andra sidan. Det spökar på sidorna i Granta #4. Från krigets Irak, som hemsöker marinsoldaten i Phil Klays novell, till Sara Stridsbergs krisdrabbade amerikanska spökstad, Ulrika Kärnborgs kollapsade paraguayanska utopi och Johanne Lykke Holms kusliga seans i centrala Köpenhamn. Aase Berg och Fredrik Sjöberg gör upp med tro och vidskeplighet, Karin Tidbeck tar strid för hårt drivna spökskrivare och Janine di Giovanni möts av de döda när hon återvänder till Sarajevo nästan tjugo år efter belägringen. Svenska Granta är del av ett internationellt nätverk med engelskspråkiga Granta som nav. Tidskriften grundades av studenter i Cambridge i slutet av 1800-talet. År 1979 fick den sin nuvarande form som en arena för nyskriven skönlitteratur och litterära reportage. I dag finns Grantaredaktioner i ett tiotal länder världen över, från Kina till Brasilien.

Forse nessuno torna da una guerra. Forse anche il ritorno a casa, per chi è stato bravo o fortunato a sufficienza, non è altro che un cambiare fronte, l''ingaggio di una nuova battaglia; forse non è altro che l''inizio di una nuova missione. Con l''urgenza del testimone e l''intensità del grande scrittore, Phil Klay consegna alla storia il libro che dà forma al caos dell''ultimo decennio di guerre globali.

Hjemkomst tar leseren med til fronten i Afghanistan og Irak. Til historier om brutalitet og frykt, håp og hjelpesløshet, de små og store valg i kampen for å overleve i felten og etterpå. Soldatene vi møter, kjemper på ulike måter; på oppdrag som soldater i krig, men også blant sine egne tilbake i hverdagen. De sterke fortellingene og det kontante språket får både frem monotonien i krigssonen, det usagte kameratskapet, volden og angeren, isolasjonen og fortvilelsen som følger soldaten hele veien hjem. Krigen han har forlatt, forlater ikke ham.

Abelito è un ragazzino colombiano come tanti. Vive con la sua amorevole famiglia in un villaggio sperduto nella giungla. Un giorno quel piccolo mondo finisce stritolato nelle lotte tra guerrilleros, paras e narcos che insanguinano tutto il paese. E lui, improvvisamente adulto, da vittima diventa carnefice. Una guerra infinita, quella colombiana. Per riportare l''ordine, l''esercito locale conta su un potente alleato: gli Stati Uniti. Ma sarà davvero una «buona guerra»? Lisette, una giornalista reduce dall''Afghanistan, e Mason, un sottufficiale di collegamento delle Special Forces, vogliono credere che sia cosí. «Gettando uno sguardo lungo sulla "razionale follia" della guerra globale, La buona guerra colma magistralmente una delle piú grandi lacune della letteratura contemporanea». «The Wall Street Journal» Ci sono una gallina gringa e un maiale colombiano. La prima propone al secondo di entrare in affari e vendere sand-wich: basta che ciascuno fornisca la metà degli ingredienti. «Io metterò le uova», dice la gallina gringa. «E io?», chiede il maiale colombiano. «Tu, mio caro, metterai il bacon». Gira questa storiella negli ambienti intellettuali di sinistra della Colombia. A Juan Pablo, che lavora nell''esercito come un tempo suo padre, non fa ridere. Perché sa che c''è qualcosa di vero. La realtà, però, è complessa, e quella del suo tormentato paese ancora di piú. Per lui, chi vive in mezzo alla violenza vuole una cosa sola: ordine. Lisette, una giornalista americana cresciuta tra le dolci colline della Pennsylvania e appena rientrata esausta dall''Afghanistan, vuole invece una «buona guerra» e va a cercarla proprio in Colombia. In Colombia è andato anche Mason, sottufficiale di collegamento delle Special Forces che ha cominciato la carriera militare in Iraq e che, dopo essere diventato padre, ha capito di averne abbastanza di carri armati e ordigni esplosivi. Abel, che in Colombia è nato, al contrario non ha avuto scelta. E nemmeno la sua famiglia, finita nel tritacarne delle lotte tra guerrilleros, paras e narcos che seminano sangue e terrore in ogni angolo della giungla. Dopo Fine missione, raccolta di racconti frutto dell''esperienza come marine in Iraq, Phil Klay torna a parlare di guerra, ma stavolta allarga l''inquadratura includendo anche Afghanistan, Colombia e Yemen. È una scelta letteraria, ma la globalizzazione bellica non è fiction: le forze all''opera da una parte trafficano intanto anche da un''altra; i soldati e i mercenari un giorno utili qua il giorno dopo servono là; e ogni bomba che cade ha dietro una sofisticatissima tecnologia messa a punto in lindi laboratori sparsi per mezzo mondo. Connessi in una macchina mostruosa, i personaggi di Klay, nel silenzio che segue scoppi e fanfare, si ritrovano soli di fronte al tribunale della loro coscienza.

Phil Klay verwandelt seine Erfahrungen als US-Marine in eine weltumspannende Geschichte des Krieges. Er legt ein brillantes erzählerisches Zeugnis ab von den Verheerungskräften der Zivilisation, von Liebe und Hass, Schuld und Stolz in einer globalisierten Welt. Am Ende zählt nur eins: auf der richtigen Seite stehen. Doch für die vier Menschen in dieser Geschichte, alle aus Idealismus an einen Ort der Gewalt im kolumbianischen Dschungel gekommen, ist die Grenze zwischen Gut und Böse längst verronnen. Sie setzen ihr Leben ein – als Mitglied der US-Special-Forces, als Journalistin, Patriot, Paramilitär –, sie kämpfen um das Schicksal eines Landes, dessen Fundamente abgetragen wurden, von falschen Freunden in Washington, den Drogen, jahrzehntelangen Heilsversprechen. Und sie suchen mit aller Kraft Antworten auf eine Frage: Was heilt die Wunden der Geschichte, was lässt den Schmerz vergessen und an das Gute glauben?

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