Siren's Song: The Allure of War Paperback – December 15, 2015

Most men, I suspect, wonder how they would fare in the crucible of combat. Antonio Salinas joined the Army to find out.For good or ill, fighting has been linked to masculinity for so long that those of us who have never seen battle sometimes doubt our worth when faced with those who have. Antonio Salinas can't tell you "what war is like" -- that's as individual as the soldier -- but he can give you a raw, honest, bracing account of what he saw and did and thought and felt during his time fighting our wars. Largely recreated from combat diaries Salinas kept in Afghanistan, The Siren's Song maintains the immediacy -- warts and all -- of the experience of leading men off to war. I have used this book in my course on "Gender and Warfare" (an intro-level college gender studies course), and found student response overwhelmingly positive. Open, straightforward, and highly accessible, The Siren's Song is an excellent portrait of one man's war.

There is a vast sea of authors amongst us, and very few of them have the ability to totally grasp a concept and/or subject that totally captivates their readers. Im sure that any given reader can summon to mind a handful of popular household names of authors. What makes a great author is his/her passion and knowledge on the subject at hand, and Antonio M. Salinas KNOWS war. He goes into vivid detail of the physical, spiritual and most importantly emotional roller coaster that one can experience through such a life-changing event. He draws parallels that make it very easy for a wide variety of audiences to identify with. From the average everyday person to the battle-hardened combat veteran, and everyone in between. I am already anticipating the next book, I'm sure it will be a hit just like this one!

This book gives a great deal of personal opinion of what it is like to have AK47 and PKM rounds whizzing passed your head. It highlights the low points, the anticipation, the longing for the sounds of battle. The Siren's Song. A great read and I still haven't finished it yet.

Having also served in the Pech River Valley during the spring and summer months of 2009, I can honestly say this book is spot on. I'm very thankful to have found and read it. I've passed it on to family members and hope one day my children can read it to better understand the sacrifices our soldiers make to protect there freedom.It truly is an amazing book and I highly recommend it to all.

Good story written with character and finesse. I recommend it to anyone who wants to learn about the war in Afghanistan and about a soldier's individual experiences.

Husband is a Veteran and requested this book for Christmas.

Great book!

Where do I begin? I enjoyed reliving so many great moments of my life through this book; as a Marine recruit standing on the yellow footprints at Parris Island, to my first gaze upon those beautiful Afghan mountains, Captain Salinas so accurately captures these moments that I couldn't help but to smile at my own memories of those days. If you have ever wanted to glimpse into the chaotic beauty of Afghanistan and its amazing people...get this book. If you ever wondered what combat is like, the emotions, the noises, the "fog of war", the camaraderie of your brothers in arms...get this book. So many of our American Soldiers go into this hell and the rest of us will never have the slightest idea what it was like, so I thank you Captain Salinas for sharing your story, and for taking the time to write it down in such a pure form. I highly recommend this book, well worth the time to read.