Warbody a Marine sniper and the hidden violence of modern warfare
A friendship between an environmental historian and a chronically ill US Marine yields a powerful exploration into the toxic effects of war on the human body.
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| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Books Print Book |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
New York, NY :
W.W. Norton & Company,
[2025]
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| Edition: | First edition. |
| Subjects: | |
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| Summary: | A friendship between an environmental historian and a chronically ill US Marine yields a powerful exploration into the toxic effects of war on the human body. Alexander Lemons is a Marine Corps scout sniper who, after serving multiple tours during the Iraq War, returned home seriously and mysteriously ill. Joshua Howe is an environmental historian who met Lemons as a student in one of his classes. Together they have crafted a vital book that challenges us to think beyond warfare's acute violence of bullets and bombs to the "slow violence" of toxic exposure and lasting trauma. In alternating chapters, Lemons vividly describes his time in Fallujah and elsewhere during the worst of the Iraq War, his descent into a decade-long battle with mysterious and severe sickness, and his return to health; Howe explains, with clarity and scientific insight, the many toxicities to which Lemons was exposed and their potential consequences. Together they cover the whirlwind of toxic exposures military personnel face from the things they touch and breathe in all the time, including lead from bullets, jet fuel, fire retardants, pesticides, mercury, dust, and the cocktail of toxicants emitted by the open-air "burn pits" used in military settings to burn waste products like paint, human waste, metal cans, oil, and plastics. They also consider PTSD and traumatic brain injury, which are endemic among the military and cause and exacerbate all kinds of physical and mental health problems. Finally, they explore how both mainstream and alternative medicine struggle to understand, accommodate, and address the vast array of health problems among military veterans. |
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| Physical Description: | xiv, 285 pages ; 24 cm. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references (pages 257-272) and index. |
| ISBN: | 9781324066330 1324066334 |
| Author Notes: | Alexander Lemons enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 2001, deployed to Iraq three times, and then served as a special assistant to General David Petraeus. He is a recipient of the Bronze Star, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with "V," and left the Corps as a staff sergeant after seven years. He now works as an environmental restoration tech comanaging 1,200 acres of mountain streams and wetlands in Park City, Utah. |
