Reading Fields of Fire
Read James Webb’s novel with attention to the different expectations the Marines bring to their shared experience. Consider how individual identity changes within a platoon.
Elliot’s Reading Perspective
On Forged and Green Door, Elliot Ackerman describes the book’s importance before he entered the Marines and the new meanings he found after combat. His account invites a discussion of the distance between anticipating an experience and recognizing it afterward.
Discuss the Book
- How do class differences shape trust within the platoon?
- When do the characters’ expectations give way to a different understanding of war?
- Which parts of a familiar book might acquire new meaning after lived experience?
Book Details
James Webb. Listed Bantam mass-market paperback: August 28, 2001; 480 pages; ISBN 9780553583854.