Review of Army Life
Posted: 15 Jul 2023, 15:49
[Following is a volunteer review of "Army Life" by Darryl Jefferson.]
Most times, the reality of life always beats our expectations. How true is that? You may ask. Well, why don't we look at life from the perspective of someone who was once a ten-year-old who thought army life was fantastic till he had a taste of it? Well, it still is, you be the judge.
Army Life by Darryl Jefferson, whose original name is Edward Sullivan, is a memoir about his time in the military, his expectations, and his experiences. Jefferson's fascination for the military all started in 1998 when he was ten years old and gifted a computer game called army men by his soon-to-be step-father. Viewing the military as a ten-year-old, Jefferson had great expectations. Jefferson's first experience came in February 2005 during a job shadow project in his Junior year at Steilacoom High School, where he jobbed shadowed a US Army mechanic and got introduced to a variety of people. This experience further sparked his interest in the military. I liked to think that Jefferson's time in the Army was both the best and worst years of his life.
What I loved so much about this book is the genuineness of it all. Jefferson did nothing to hide the true reality of the military and what to expect from it. In this book, he went so much as getting harassed and bullied by superiors in the barracks, guarding someone overdoing on opioids, freezing off in the woods, dealing with incompetent people, dealing with aggressive control freaks, and having his entire future at stake if he stood up to them. He even had to deal with chronic homesickness and the basic stressors that came with being in the military. Worst of all, he got diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and suffered from PTSD.
In the military, everyone's experience is different, and yet everyone's experience is the same. Confusing right? Some people join the military and can't wait to get out. Some people join and find that the military is the best thing that ever happened to them, and go on to become the best leaders the military could ask for. However, everyone who joins the military realizes that it is not what they previously thought it would be. Jefferson can attest to that. This book is real. The only aspect of it I didn't appreciate is the excessive use of profanities. Jefferson made it known that that's as real as the military could get. So who am I to complain? But beware.
I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. The point and intention of this book is to tell what one person's experience serving in the armed forces was like. This book is professionally edited as I found just two typos. I believe this book deserves my rating because it's genuine and a lot of people can learn from it. I recommend this book to lovers of nonfiction and memoir books. Veterans and those serving or who want to serve can benefit from this book as well. This book isn't suitable for the young audience because it contains profanities and erotic scenes.
******
Army Life
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Most times, the reality of life always beats our expectations. How true is that? You may ask. Well, why don't we look at life from the perspective of someone who was once a ten-year-old who thought army life was fantastic till he had a taste of it? Well, it still is, you be the judge.
Army Life by Darryl Jefferson, whose original name is Edward Sullivan, is a memoir about his time in the military, his expectations, and his experiences. Jefferson's fascination for the military all started in 1998 when he was ten years old and gifted a computer game called army men by his soon-to-be step-father. Viewing the military as a ten-year-old, Jefferson had great expectations. Jefferson's first experience came in February 2005 during a job shadow project in his Junior year at Steilacoom High School, where he jobbed shadowed a US Army mechanic and got introduced to a variety of people. This experience further sparked his interest in the military. I liked to think that Jefferson's time in the Army was both the best and worst years of his life.
What I loved so much about this book is the genuineness of it all. Jefferson did nothing to hide the true reality of the military and what to expect from it. In this book, he went so much as getting harassed and bullied by superiors in the barracks, guarding someone overdoing on opioids, freezing off in the woods, dealing with incompetent people, dealing with aggressive control freaks, and having his entire future at stake if he stood up to them. He even had to deal with chronic homesickness and the basic stressors that came with being in the military. Worst of all, he got diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and suffered from PTSD.
In the military, everyone's experience is different, and yet everyone's experience is the same. Confusing right? Some people join the military and can't wait to get out. Some people join and find that the military is the best thing that ever happened to them, and go on to become the best leaders the military could ask for. However, everyone who joins the military realizes that it is not what they previously thought it would be. Jefferson can attest to that. This book is real. The only aspect of it I didn't appreciate is the excessive use of profanities. Jefferson made it known that that's as real as the military could get. So who am I to complain? But beware.
I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. The point and intention of this book is to tell what one person's experience serving in the armed forces was like. This book is professionally edited as I found just two typos. I believe this book deserves my rating because it's genuine and a lot of people can learn from it. I recommend this book to lovers of nonfiction and memoir books. Veterans and those serving or who want to serve can benefit from this book as well. This book isn't suitable for the young audience because it contains profanities and erotic scenes.
******
Army Life
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon