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P. J. O'Rourke
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Give War a Chance: Eyewitness Accounts of Mankind's Struggle Against Tyranny, Injustice, and Alcohol-Free Beer Kindle Edition

by P. J. O'Rourke (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 out of 5 stars 138 ratings
The #1 New York Times bestseller from “one of America’s most hilarious and provocative writers . . . a volatile brew of one-liners and vitriol” (Time).
 
Renowned for his cranky conservative humor, P. J. O’Rourke runs hilariously amok in this book, tackling the death of communism; his frustration with sanctimonious liberals; and Saddam Hussein in a series of classic dispatches from his coverage of the 1991 Gulf War.
 
On Kuwait City after the war, he comments, “It looked like all the worst rock bands in the world had stayed there at the same time.” On Saddam Hussein, O’Rourke muses: “He’s got chemical weapons filled with . . . with . . . chemicals. Maybe he’s got The Bomb. And missiles that can reach Riyadh, Tel Aviv, Spokane. Stock up on nonperishable foodstuffs. Grab those Diet Coke cans you were supposed to take to the recycling center and fill them with home heating oil. Bury the Hummel figurines in the yard. We’re all going to die. Details at eleven.” And on the plague of celebrity culture, he notes: “You can’t shame or humiliate modern celebrities. What used to be called shame and humiliation is now called publicity.”
 
Mordant and utterly irreverent, this is a modern classic from one of our great political satirists, described by Christopher Buckley as being “like S. J. Perelman on acid.”
 
“Mocking on the surface but serious beneath . . . When it comes to scouting the world for world-class absurdities, O’Rourke is the right man for the job.” —Los Angeles Times Book Review
 
“The funniest writer in America.” —The Wall Street Journal
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  1. Print length
    260 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Grove Press
  4. Publication date
    December 1, 2007
  5. File size
    5.5 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
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From the Publisher

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Political humorist O'Rourke is even more clever abroad than on the home front, as these sparkling dispatches reveal. A 12-week PW bestseller in cloth.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

The politically incorrect O'Rourke will likely hit best-sellerdom again in this follow-up to Parliament of Whores ( LJ 6/1/91). The Gulf War, the death throes of communism, drug testing, the Middle East, and the Nicaraguan elections receive O'Rourke's often hilarious conservative/gonzo analysis, as seen in Rolling Stone , American Spectator , and other magazines. Somewhat less successful, because they border on the mean-spirited, are pieces on the Kennedys, the Carters, Lee Iacocca, and other liberal lights. Even if you reject his conclusions regarding these issues and individuals, you can't help but laugh at O'Rourke's deflating of some sacred cows along the way.
- Pamela R. Daubenspeck, Warren-Trumbull Cty. P.L., Warren, Ohio
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B008UX2IWM
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Grove Press; First Trade Paper edition (December 1, 2007)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 1, 2007
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 5.5 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 260 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 138 ratings

About the author

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P. J. O'Rourke

P. J. O'Rourke

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P. J. O’Rourke was born and raised in Toledo, Ohio, and attended Miami University and Johns Hopkins. He began writing funny things in 1960s “underground” newspapers, became editor-in-chief of National Lampoon, then spent 20 years reporting for Rolling Stone and The Atlantic Monthly as the world’s only trouble-spot humorist, going to wars, riots, rebellions, and other “Holidays in Hell” in more than 40 countries. He’s written 16 books on subjects as diverse as politics and cars and etiquette and economics. His book about Washington, Parliament of Whores, and his book about international conflict and crisis, Give War a Chance, both reached #1 on the New York Times best-seller list. He is a contributing editor at The Weekly Standard, H. L. Mencken fellow at the Cato Institute, a member of the editorial board of World Affairs and a regular panelist on NPR’s Wait… Wait… Don’t Tell Me. He lives with his family in rural New England, as far away from the things he writes about as he can get.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
138 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book humorous and entertaining, with one mentioning it provides a good mix of humor and history. Moreover, the writing style and historical accuracy receive positive feedback, with customers describing it as a wonderful read and an interesting chronicle of events. Additionally, they appreciate the author's intelligence, with one customer noting their keen observations.

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10 customers mention "Humor"10 positive0 negative

Customers find the book humorous and witty, with one mentioning it provides a good mix of humor and history.

"...O'Rourke is at his sarcastic best in this book...." Read more

"...His writing style, while often brilliant and always hilarious, can take a bit of getting used to...." Read more

"...reading this book I could not put it down because it is a good mix of humor and history...." Read more

"Pros: The usual hilariously witty style and terminology O'Rourke is famous for...." Read more

10 customers mention "Readability"10 positive0 negative

Customers find the book enjoyable to read, with one describing it as an informative read.

"...For everyone else, this is a delightful, informative read." Read more

"...His writing style, while often brilliant and always hilarious, can take a bit of getting used to...." Read more

"This was a fun book to read, which is odd for a book on war...." Read more

"...But on its own terms, I think this is an excellent book." Read more

6 customers mention "Intelligence"6 positive0 negative

Customers find the book intelligent, with one customer noting it provides a very keen observer's perspective.

"...The writer is a very keen observer who describes his experiences in a brilliant manner that is both entertaining and objective...." Read more

"...He is a great writer, intelligent, always witty. I read everything I can of his...." Read more

"...matter what your particular political ideology is; this is just funny, smart, and well researched humor...." Read more

"I find the stories and the observations interesting as much as humorous. At interesting take on the conflicts that made the headlines." Read more

4 customers mention "Writing style"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the author's writing style.

"PJ was an underrated genius. His writing style, while often brilliant and always hilarious, can take a bit of getting used to...." Read more

"...He is a great writer, intelligent, always witty. I read everything I can of his...." Read more

"Whether you lean right, or left, O'Rourke has a way with words (often laugh out-loud), and makes his point- whether or not it suits your fancy." Read more

"I love this mans writing and have sent off for my third book....." Read more

3 customers mention "Historical accuracy"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the historical accuracy of the book, describing it as a very interesting chronicle of events.

"...about in this book, I do think that this book would provide interesting insights on them for those who are too young to have any memory of them,..." Read more

"Very interesting chronicle of the events that marked recent history illustrating profound ideas with facts experienced first hand by a reporter..." Read more

"I find the stories and the observations interesting as much as humorous. At interesting take on the conflicts that made the headlines." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • D. D. LeDu
    5.0 out of 5 stars Still relevant (and irreverent)
    Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    It is eerie how relevant this book is some 20 years after it was written -- at the breakup of the Soviet Empire. Of course, at that time there was no Internet, no conservative radio nor Fox News. We only knew what the liberal left chose to tell us. The New York times, for example, had deliberately hid the Russian famines and the genocide of Ukrainian farmers. Everything we were told of the Soviet Union was framed in terms of "moral equivilency".

    The consequence is that we Americans were surpised to find that the USSR was a corrupt, failing economic system. O'Rourke explores the bewilderment felt by conservatives and liberals alike at the intensive hatred felt by its peoples at the "noble experiment" of Marxism.

    What surprises the reader today is that (although we do now have alternate news sources) the liberal media presents its biased news as if we Americans were still ignorant of the true state of the world. As just one example, the Obama administration is presented with a holy nimbus surrounding it, despite its obvious incompetence and its failures.

    O'Rourke is at his sarcastic best in this book. For example, he does not mind being called a Nazi by liberals because "no one has ever had a fantasy about being tied to a bed and sexually ravished by someone dressed as a liberal". Speaking of the causes of the Soviet collapse, he writes that " a huge and totalitarian system with all its tanks and guns, gulag camps and secret police has been brought to its knees because nobody wants to wear Bulgarian shoes."

    It is no wonder that American leftists have a such a visceral hatred of O'Rourke that they cannot enjoy his wit and humor. For everyone else, this is a delightful, informative read.
    9 people found this helpful
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  • Gerard Willemsen
    4.0 out of 5 stars Should be on everyone's bucket list.
    Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    PJ was an underrated genius.

    His writing style, while often brilliant and always hilarious, can take a bit of getting used to. But for anyone who detests dogma and superficiality, reading something of his works is a must. I'd recommend either this work, or "All the Trouble in the World" and "Eat the Rich".

    There is some padding in this one that really didn't need to be included, and that's why it scores a 4.
    One person found this helpful
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  • G. Walt Murray
    5.0 out of 5 stars Funny and insightful
    Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2005
    Verified Purchase
    This was a fun book to read, which is odd for a book on war. O'Rourke describes, in his unique way, the first Gulf War (and various other subjects).

    The review of the Jimmy and Roz Carter book, and the associated drinking game, are worth the price of the book. Thankfully he takes the time to expose Carter for the numbskull he really is. That is refreshing in a time when the mainstream media treat the worst President of my lifetime like he is some foreign policy guru.

    Once I started reading this book I could not put it down because it is a good mix of humor and history.

    If you are a PJ O'Rourke fan, or new to his writing, you will enjoy this book.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • J. Tant
    5.0 out of 5 stars A book that sticks with you.
    Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Truth be told, this was the very first P.J. O'Rourke book I ever read. I bought it as a cash-strapped college student upon the encouragement of a professor of mine.

    There is one phrase that has stayed with me over the twenty some years or so that has passed since I first read this book. O'Rourke was covering the "elections" in Nicaragua that ousted Daniel Ortega. Upon seeing some dejected Sandinistas, O'Rourke was tempted to shout "taste the ash-heap of history, you Bolshie nose-wipes!" Pulling no punches, O'Rourke combines smart commentary with a razor-sharp skewing of his subjects.

    The focus of this book is the first Gulf War, the one where a US-led coalition liberated Kuwait from its Iraqi occupiers. Sure, O'Rourke covers a smattering of other subjects, but these are mere side dishes to a main dish.

    This book has been out long enough that there's very little I could say about it that hasn't already been said. But on its own terms, I think this is an excellent book.
    7 people found this helpful
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  • Fedoradude
    5.0 out of 5 stars Another hilarious commentary by one of my very favorite authors.
    Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Pros:

    The usual hilariously witty style and terminology O'Rourke is famous for.

    While the book would have more impact on someone who has lived thru the events and people he talks about in this book, I do think that this book would provide interesting insights on them for those who are too young to have any memory of them, too.

    Cons:

    While P.J. O'Rourke is one of my favorite authors, I found a lot of his barbed commentary re Lee Iacocca to be a bit hypocritical. He talks about Iacocca's ego and general distaste for most everyone else, yet seems to me that O'Rourke exhibits much of the same in his commentary about himself and others.

    But would I buy the book again? Would I recommend the book to anyone else? YEAH!
    7 people found this helpful
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  • Lorna Paris
    3.0 out of 5 stars good books good price
    Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I am collecting bunches of old to new PJ O'Rourke stuff. . . great getting a bunch of stuff to my boyfriend as a gift!
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  • Chris
    4.0 out of 5 stars A fascinating piece of historical reporting
    Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Very interesting chronicle of the events that marked recent history illustrating profound ideas with facts experienced first hand by a reporter dispatched at the scene. The writer is a very keen observer who describes his experiences in a brilliant manner that is both entertaining and objective. His casual and direct style as well as his pragmatic judgment make the read exciting and captivating, leaving a desire to read the book again.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Eric Marsing
    2.0 out of 5 stars Not His Best Work
    Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2011
    I didn't even finish this one. Even though I don't agree with PJ politically, I usually find him funny at least. Not this time.
    5 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Rick
    5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful and funny.
    Reviewed in Canada on August 4, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Very entertaining read. Excellent author.
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