Birding Babylon: A Soldier's Journal from Iraq

by Jonathan Trouern-Trend

Early in 2004, Sergeant First Class Jonathan Trouern-Trend of the Connecticut National Guard began a year's deployment in Iraq. He had been a birder from the age of 12, so naturally he looked for... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1578051312
• ISBN13: 9781578051311
• Release Date: April 2006
• Publisher: Sierra Club Books
• Length: 79 Pages
• Weight: 2.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.1" x 6.3"

Customer Reviews

Enjoyed hearing about his birding experiences in Iraq

Being a bird enthusiast, AND having a son in the US Army inspired me to buy (and read) this book. I had originally bought it to give to my son (who enjoyed watching birds...mostly raptors....as a child), I decided to read it myself and was amazed at the species of birds this soldier was seeing over there. Sounds like (in addition to his mission) he did have some downtime and had some positive things to say about the region, which was nice. It has to be hard to be away from your family and friends for so long....and Jonathan found a way to stay busy and keep upbeat. Kudos to him, and God Bless our military!

Birding Babylon-Simple Beauty in Wartime

This is a small, beautiful book. The natural phenonomena and bird-life that Jonathan Trouern-Trend desribes with such simple elegance in Birding Babylon is both comforting and poignent as it all takes place in Iraq near the beginning of our most recent conflict there. I salute Mr. Trouern-Trend, both as a fellow "birder" as well as a poet. His writing is spare and unembelished, yet the warm sentiment he awakens in the naturalist' heart is undeniable. Here, again, poignance was the feeling he inspired, as well as admiration for a job well-done. I love this little book. I bought 3 more copies as soon as I read it to give to friends. Thank you, Sergeant Trouern-Trend. I salute you! Beth Hall, San Diego, CA

A nice perspective on a terrible war

Because I am a birder, a friend bought me this book. It is perfectly aimed, not a pure birding, and no ranting about the war. Shows the power of nature and appreciation of nature to put a lovely perspective on even the most ugliest of wars. I wanted to know what the birds he referred to looked like so am ordering the birds of the middle east. one might wish photos or more realistic drawing of the birds, but I think that would detract from the journal-like nature of this cute little book.

I love this book

This book is great! Part birding journal, part soldier's diary, and fully a reminder that Iraq isn't just a place on a map or in the newspaper. It's a quick read and you really get the feeling that you are just reading the author's notebook that he had in his back pocket while on patrol--really interesting. There's also a list of the 122 species that he saw while in Iraq, which was very enlightening--it's not just a desolate war-torn area over there--there are real signs of life! And the book itself is a really pretty hardcover book; there are even illustrations of all the different birds he saw.

Inspiration and hope from a soldier's birding journal

This is a lovely book--What inspired me about Jonathan's observations was that they brought home the reality that those whom we send to war take all their human passions and loves with them. Too often we think of soldiers as 'just' soldiers--and this book reminds us how wrong we are when we do that. The author's journal entries show us a world full of nature's resilience, and we don't only learn about the birds of Iraq, we see another side of a soldier's life overseas. I'd highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in birding, or who wants a view of Iraq that is different from what we see on the nightly news. And for anyone who needs a healthy dose of inspiration, this is a great read too--when was the last time you read something about Iraq that made you hopeful? And you can't beat the price--I'm buying a couple copies as gifts for friends, and definitely one for my dad for Father's Day.