Sound Targets ; American Soldiers and Music in the Iraq War
Bloomington IN: Indiana University Press, 2009.
Hardcover. Near Fine with no dust jacket. Item #10331
ISBN: 0253353238
Slight wear. Crisp hardcover still in original shrinkwrap.; "Though a part of American soldiers' lives since the Revolutionary War, by World War II music could be broadcast to the front. Today it accompanies soldiers from the recruiting office to the battlefield. For this book, Jonathan Pieslak interviewed returning veterans to learn about the place of music in the Iraq War and in contemporary American military culture in general. Pieslak describes how American soldiers hear, share, use, and produce music both on and off duty. He studies the role of music from recruitment campaigns and basic training to its use "in country" before and during missions. Pieslak explores themes of power, chaos, violence, and survival in the metal and hip-hop music so popular among the troops, and offers insight into the daily lives of American soldiers in the Middle East." Contents: Introduction; 1. Music in Military Recruiting; 2. Music as an Inspiration for Combat; 3. Looking at the Opposing Forces: An Introduction to the Music of Anti-American and Anti-Israeli Movements; 4. Music as a Psychological Tactic; 5. Music as a Form of Soldier Expression; 6. Metal and Rap Ideologies in the Iraq War; Postscript; Appendix 1: Map of Iraq; Appendix 2: Soldier E-mail and Sample Questions from Soldier Interviews; Glossary of Military Ranks; Bibliography; Index.; x, 226 pages.
Price: $49.95