About the Book
Chet Green explains that even though he penned a novel, most of the events he describes really happened and that most of the descriptive details are accurate.
His new book, THE PLAY SOLDIER
, is a gritty novel with a punch. It describes what life is like for a counterfeit hero who poses as a decorated ex-Marine and, to redeem himself, tries to join the French Foreign Legion but is rejected and then chases fulfillment as a conflict photographer.
, is a gritty novel with a punch. It describes what life is like for a counterfeit hero who poses as a decorated ex-Marine and, to redeem himself, tries to join the French Foreign Legion but is rejected and then chases fulfillment as a conflict photographer. The story explores what it is like to want to put meaning in your life as a soldier, even though you can’t be one. It describes the plight of a troubled man who dresses for the part, like an actor, to create the image he wants to portray and convey in the play of life–a problem of our times. Here is a story that talks directly to the negative side effects of too many stories of glory, including sanitized reporting, action video games and war movies. Here is what can happen when everyday life does not provide sufficient challenges to test a man.
With a flair for capturing the details of personal conflict in exotic places, Green also addresses the effects of racial, cultural and class division and depicts the ethos steeling the Foreign Legion’s way of life. He establishes and defines what drives men to seek encounters that are filled with great risk and danger, why they want to see action.
In college Green took a course in cultural anthropology that left him intrigued, then a magazine feature about Ethiopia’s Afar nomads hooked him. In 1974 he went to see these people and experience their society for himself. He returned to the African Horn four times over the next five years, visiting other warrior cultures, photographing and chronicling as he went, often trekking on foot or by camel. Various military and outlaw elements were encountered, and his experiences with them inspired much in the novel.
His crisp and engaging writing style and depiction of disparate cultures, as well as his use of vernacular dialogue, add color and quality to a vivid and memorable literary contribution that will galvanize those interested in contemporary reporting from the front lines of the world’s conflict zones. The Play Soldier is a realistic novel about the attraction of the combat experience and the phenomenon of fabricated valor.
About the Author
Chet Green was a U.S. Navy Journalist in SE Asia during the Vietnam War. Afterward, as an English/ journalism major at the University of Michigan, a course in cultural anthropology left him intrigued. Then a magazine feature about Ethiopia’s Afar nomads hooked him. And so, after graduating in 1973, he went to see these people but returned to the African Horn through the rest of the decade to visit other desert cultures, photographing and chronicling as he went, often trekking on foot or by camel. Various military and outlaw elements were encountered, and his experiences with them inspired much in the novel. This is his first book.
Following Africa, he became on-camera/off-camera commercial talent between Detroit and Washington, DC. A stint in TV news eventually led to a spot as a reporter in a Clint Eastwood movie.Chet Green was a U.S. Navy Journalist in SE Asia during the Vietnam War. Afterward, as an English/ journalism major at the University of Michigan, a course in cultural anthropology left him intrigued. Then a magazine feature about Ethiopia’s Afar nomads hooked him. And so, after graduating in 1973, he went to see these people but returned to the African Horn through the rest of the decade to visit other desert cultures, photographing and chronicling as he went, often trekking on foot or by camel. Various military and outlaw elements were encountered, and his experiences with them inspired much in the novel. This is his first book.
My Take on the Book
This book is definitely complex. You look at a character that poses as a soldier and from the outside you see what you think a soldier should look like, but there is always something missing. What is it? You have to determine this for yourself, as any reader would. This book takes an intimate look at the question of what is reality and what is not.
You can tell that the author has drawn from his own personal experience to make this book even more realistic. I can tell that a person without experiences like his could not have captured the soldier's mindset like he has.
The book was an easy read, energetic and engaging as well as well written. The book is full of many social themes that are pervasive in today's society. If you are looking for a book that will make you think as well as be entertained, you will not be disappointed!
This book is definitely complex. You look at a character that poses as a soldier and from the outside you see what you think a soldier should look like, but there is always something missing. What is it? You have to determine this for yourself, as any reader would. This book takes an intimate look at the question of what is reality and what is not.
You can tell that the author has drawn from his own personal experience to make this book even more realistic. I can tell that a person without experiences like his could not have captured the soldier's mindset like he has.
The book was an easy read, energetic and engaging as well as well written. The book is full of many social themes that are pervasive in today's society. If you are looking for a book that will make you think as well as be entertained, you will not be disappointed!
All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Disclaimer for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.
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