Beyond The Book  

At BookBrowse, we don't just review books, we go 'beyond the book' to explore interesting aspects relating to the story.  In our current issue we reviewed Fobbit by David Abrams and, for the back-story, explored the topic of Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) and the personnel, sometimes known as fobbits, who work there. 

Read the back-story & review in full here

Forward Operating Bases and Their Place in Military Strategy

David Abrams' novel Fobbit is set primarily at Triumph, a fictional Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Baghdad, Iraq.

Almost always very close to the action, FOBs are secure areas where military operations are planned and front-line soldiers are fed and housed when off duty. FOBs can be low-tech: generally tents or bunkers surrounded by minimal defenses. Others are made up of reinforced boxcar-like containers, and all are more heavily fortified. A typical modern FOB will be surrounded by high blast-resistant walls - often topped by concertina wire - and have multiple guarded entry points (at least two, one for vehicles and one for personnel). Large stone-filled gabions (mesh cages) or smaller barricades are placed around the base to prevent a vehicle from being able to ram personnel-filled structures. "Hedgehogs" - spiky metal objects that look like huge children's play "jacks" - are frequently chained together and used to impede free movement around the base. Bunkers may also be covered by a shell of high density polyethylene to protect them from overhead attack.

Sometimes the military uses captured enemy structures as FOBs, minimizing the work necessary to create and secure a working base. In the Iraq War, the U.S. used Saddam Hussein's palaces, most notable of which were FOB Prosperity in Baghdad and FOB Danger in Tikrit.

The role of the FOB has expanded in the 21st century. New technologies require the presence of more non-combat troops such as those who maintain the base's computer infrastructure. In addition, military psychologists have begun to realize the importance of FOBs in providing a place for front-line soldiers to relax in relative safety, affording much needed relief and helping to maintain their mental health. Also important to the troops' well-being is their ability to easily contact those back home via newly available media such as video chats, e-mail, and the Internet.

Still, conditions at FOBs vary widely. In some cases they're little more than places to sleep and eat, but others can be very elaborate. An article at Globalsecurity.org says of FOB Danger in Iraq:

   

Above is part of BookBrowse's backstory for Fobbit by David Abrams. Read the review and back-story in full

by Kim Kovacs

Blogs:   

Banned Books Week (Sept 30-Oct 6) is celebrating, for want of a better term, its 30th year.

Banning books has a long and ignoble history going back into the mists of time. Possibly the oldest known ban was against 5th century BC Greek philosopher Anazagoras who made the mistake of suggesting that the sun is "white hot stone and that the moon reflected the sun's rays" - which caused him to be exiled from Athens and all his writings burned.

Of course, through much of history it wasn't just the writings that got burned but the writers themselves. Indeed, it wasn't even necessary to put pen to paper to find oneself atop a bonfire, or other equally nasty fate - a word, a deed, or even the mere suspicion of a thought could have been enough. So, I suppose we should be grateful that in the USA today we've evolved from burning people to merely attempting to ban their books. The history of book censorship in the USA began in 1873 when Anthony Comstock founded the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice. The target of the society's ire was primarily dime novels which the society believed enticed children to a life of crime and lust. Comstock died in 1915 and the society dwindled away until it was dissolved in 1950, after Comstock's successor retired...

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The 2012 "5 Under 35" Honorees

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Junot Diaz Rocks Boston

Minutes before joining the snaking line outside Coolidge Corner theater in Brookline, my husband and I tucked into soft corn tacos and guacamole and even an elote (corn on the cob) at Boston's awesome Dorado restaurant. The 500-some people waiting in line were the lucky ones with tickets to a reading by my all-time favorite author, Junot Diaz.

Diaz joked around that Brookline Booksmith was one of many fine bookstores in the Boston area (he will do another reading for Harvard bookstore next week). "This city has many dealers," he joked.

While Diaz did do a couple of readings from his latest book, This is How You Lose Her, he seemed to prefer answering questions from the audience and hearing about their experiences. His responses to all questions were as warm, thoughtful and kinetic as his fantastic prose is.

Diaz on being an immigrant: "Immigration sucks, man! Imagine coming from a place where you fit in, to one where you just stand out, to where it feels like there is this huge lesion on your face. It's especially hard on kids. You can probably hear these kids' collective shriek somewhere." ... Continue reading