Reply With QuoteKeep it quiet or secret.Originally Posted by Ang Mo Kio
The 188th Crybaby Brigade: A Skinny Jewish Kid from Chicago Fights Hezbollah
Joel Chasnoff
ISBN 978-1416549321
It was entertaining and paralleled some of my experiences, though he doesn't examine anything very deeply. Other immigrants in the IDF books have done that without losing the reader or preaching. On the whole I can't relate to him primarily because of the motivations that got either one of us to Israel and the army. Being a kibbutznik at the time, I had a much different level of personal security (not the safety kind, but no rent, no shopping to do, I had a social milieu built in, etc,) and I got into the unit I wanted* with a cohort of friends. What I found hard to swallow was how bad the command level seemed to be both with officers and NCOs at all levels he experienced. There has to be more there than just bad luck.
The morale problem I've also heard from friends who went into the artillery. It wasn't until they became reservists that they pulled their collective **** together.
* My real first choice was to go into the navy - missile boats or subs - but they weren't buying my Hebrew, and I wasn't buying at age 24 their insistence on extending my service obligation, if they took me.
Keep it quiet or secret.
Thank you.
I have the feeling that we'll found one day this picture on some pro palis website with the comment "two evil zionist killers harrassing innocent palestinian old man"
HAhah exactly. More like this guy was used as a human shield or kept to stand outside his house while the idf searched it and harassed his wife and childrenI have the feeling that we'll found one day this picture on some pro palis website with the comment "two evil zionist killers harrassing innocent palestinian old man"
It actually lloks like the two hayalim are about to face off and he's the referee or umpire.
I saw his video on youtube where he describes this book - I don't like him, looks like a juvenile smartarse. I also find it difficult to understand, how a guy who was for four months in a operational company can possibly judge the competence of his commanders, let alone the officers. This sounds like a point of view of green and embittered hapash. That's much like watching the "Generation Kill" one can get an expression that apart of a few NCOs and one CO the rest of battalion were complete monkeys.
Oh, I thought they are going to fight for the right to harass the man...
- There are so few Palestinians available for decent, evil-Zionist harassment, these days, that soldiers have to fight among themselves first...
LOLOh, I thought they are going to fight for the right to harass the man...
- There are so few Palestinians available for decent, evil-Zionist harassment, these days, that soldiers have to fight among themselves first...
This "Crybaby Brigade" book piqued my interest greatly, but Stimatzky and Tzomet Sfarim bot don't have itis there a way to get it in Israel (besides ordering through the internet as my visa is Israel only)
This is why I have trouble reconciling the book. The first half spoke to me; the last half comes across as something else.
My experience with segel (NCO's and CO's) and my experience in the NCO course is so unlike what is described in the book I cannot help but assume that many of his anecdotes are embellished. I guess on some level that is okay. He needs some drama, and seeks to draw the readers interest, so some of the army's natural insanity and illogic is exaggerated.
But, it does not work for me. Chasnoff is not Heller, Crybaby Brigade is not Catch 22, and the intended satire, particularly in the second half of the book, comes across as just shrill criticism. I cannot help but feel that there is an underlying deeper message. A political or personal rebuke perhaps. He was deeply hurt and offended post army, and I wonder if it is not a bit of payback.
It is a shame; I really liked the first half, and I really wanted to like this book. I too am from Chicago and the desire to read of another Chicagoan's experiences set my expectations very high. Oh well.
Haim Watzman in Company C does a much better job of capturing the essence of Tzahal through American eyes, IMHO.
When I drop the cigarette . . . GO!Oh, I thought they are going to fight for the right to harass the man...
- There are so few Palestinians available for decent, evil-Zionist harassment, these days, that soldiers have to fight among themselves first...
you know that my experience is quiet similar.
I Also got into the unit I wanted, As a garin we wanted to be together in Nahal.
In my time the moral was rising up after some bad things that happened to the unit
I would like to read the book.
BTW, I watched Beaufort last week and left me wondering.
Probably my favorite book on the Western oleh in the IDF. I think it also speaks to us because his period of sadir pretty much coincides with ours. One of the reasons I picked up 188 was that it wasn't another story of a Nahalai living on kibbutz. But yeah, I don't believe he displayed a whole lot of depth for Israel at large or Israelis and what was going on at the time.
Hello guys, does anyone have this pics bigger?
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