Hotels, Hospitals and Jails

Swofford, Anthony

ISBN 10: 1611134544 ISBN 13: 9781611134544

Publisher: Hachette Audio US, 2012

Synopsis

Following the success of Jarhead, Anthony Swofford assumed he had exorcised his military demons -- but as every veteran knows, that isn't exactly how it works. In these searing, courageous pages, Swofford struggles to make sense of what his military service meant, and to decide -- after nearly ending it -- what his life can and should become.

Consumed by drugs, booze, fast cars and the wrong women, Swofford almost lost everything and everyone that mattered to him. Embarking on a series of RV trips with his dying father, a Vietnam vet, in an attempt to heal their difficult relationship, and meeting a like-minded woman (who will become his wife) in a chance encounter, Swofford begins to grapple with his volatile past and forge a path toward redemption.

HOTELS, HOSPITALS, AND JAILS is a memoir that raises essential questions about masculinity, about fathers and sons, and about love.

About this title

Product Description

Unusual book

Review

"A brutally honest memoir... gut-wrenching frontline reportage."-- Entertainment Weekly, on Jarhead
"A gritty, intense and wrenching account..."-- "USA Today"

"Intense.... As 'Jarhead' (2003), his harrowing account of serving with the Marines during the first gulf war, so eloquently attests, Mr. Swofford can write like he drives: fast and furious and profane, a poet's touch control channeling all the testosterone and adrenaline into a high-test, high-wire performance. His new memoir... reminds us of the power of Mr. Swofford's prose - his ability to conjure a mood, a time, a place with a flick of his pen." "Michiko Kakutani, "The New York Times"""

"A gritty, intense and wrenching account..." ""USA Today"""

"Join Anthony Swofford on his journey toward true manhood....HOTELS, HOSPITALS, AND JAILS is a powerful and sometimes painful book to read. The writing is short, staccato and rhythmic. More importantly, it's honest." "Bookpage.com""

"Swofford shares brutally honest stories about his family, random sex, hard drinking and his difficult relationship with his father, as he tries to cope with life and post-traumatic stress...Swofford is an often-gripping narrator, at his best both angry and charismatic without apology...The chapter about visiting a veterans' hospital has rightly been singled out as a remarkable piece of writing." ""The Huffington Post"""

"[S]earing...Swofford's prose remains as strong as ever. And his insights into his own past and present strike an honest chord." ""Associated Press"""

"Fiery follow-up memoir by the bestselling author of "Jarhead" . . . Swofford's writing, like many of his stories, is explosive . . . the author's voice and energy are compelling . . . sure to be a bestseller." ""Kirkus Reviews"""

"Swofford's brisk storytelling, deadpan humor, and appealing swagger." ""The New Yorker"""

"Swofford is a remarkable writer, and "Hotels" might prove to be a timely reminder that for soldiers who have served our country overseas, returning home sometimes marks the start of yet another long battle." "NPR.org""

About this edition

• Publisher: Hachette Audio US
• Publication date: 2012
• ISBN 10: 1611134544
• ISBN 13: 9781611134544
• Binding: Audio CD