A Rommel Christmas: every day

March 23, 2011 4:54 PM

Gary Brecher-ne-Dolan, better known as The War Nerd, has switched from bimonthly articles to a daily blog. First stop? Why Lybia! Where else?

An armchair military analyst and historian, The War Nerd has been writing a column for The eXile (now The Exiled) since 2002.

[Previously]

posted by clarknova (24 comments total)

Good news. Despite the trollish schtick, The War Nerd was one of, if not the best war blog around back when Dubya was in office. Hope he doesn't take another extended hiatus.
posted by 2N2222 at 5:31 PM on March 23, 2011

I'm a huge fan. This is good news.
posted by Sticherbeast at 5:38 PM on March 23, 2011

You should listen to the interview with Dolan in the first link.  He explains the voice and moral perspective of his alter ego.  On top of that it's really entertaining.
posted by clarknova at 5:49 PM on March 23, 2011

From now on I’m going to blog every day. Scout’s honor. (I was one too—well, a Cub Scout, got as far as Webelos. The rule was, if you went further than that you were a fag.)

One month. I stayed in Boy Scouts just one month after Cub Scouts and Webelos.

But...that was all it took.
posted by Mike Mongo at 5:57 PM on March 23, 2011 [1 favorite]

But just on general principles, I’ll wait a few days before I believe anything DoD says.

Wise words.
posted by pompomtom at 6:01 PM on March 23, 2011

I'm not buying the F-15 conspiracy theories. The entire F-15 fleet was grounded a couple of years ago when one crashed during a training exercise. Considering this is a plane first unveiled in '72, I think its not a big stretch for them to fail now and again. As powerful as the US Military is, its not infallible.

Then again, I don't read war nerds for facts, but for the cynical attitude.
posted by damn dirty ape at 6:01 PM on March 23, 2011

Okay, wait a minute. I just finished First Stop and... sub-text!

THIS IS A WRITER WHO REMEMBERS SUBTEXT!!

[breathless excitement]

It has been SO LONG...
excuse me because I must return for more.
posted by Mike Mongo at 6:14 PM on March 23, 2011

What's that text called that's above the subtext?
posted by vibrotronica at 6:44 PM on March 23, 2011

Considering this is a plane first unveiled in '72,

The F-15E Strike Eagle is much newer than that -- first deliveries were 1986. Still getting on in years, of course. Funny, plane, the F-15E. The Original F-15 was pure fighter -- "Not a goddamn pound for air to ground." So, of course, McDoug made a bomber version -- a little structure here, a guy-in-back there, and, of course, bigger engines, that being the canonical US answer on how to make things better.

Strike aircraft tend to get low. I wouldn't be surprised if this a/c was, in fact, shot down -- sometimes, you just get unlucky.
posted by eriko at 6:47 PM on March 23, 2011

What's that text called that's above the subtext?

These days it's something called sincerity. Also, see imseriousness.
posted by Mike Mongo at 6:54 PM on March 23, 2011 [1 favorite]

...and that was great writing. Thank you, clarknova. Terrific fpp.
posted by Mike Mongo at 6:57 PM on March 23, 2011

Cool post, but the typo makes me twitch...I'm surprised it hasn't been fixed yet.
posted by StrikeTheViol at 7:15 PM on March 23, 2011 [3 favorites]

I know it's a persona, but I just cannot stand his snarky, know-it-all armchair-expert tone. It bleaches the writing of nuance and reminds me of the worst kind of internet forum. People just love this guy and I've never felt it. I know the voice is popular; I just don't know why.
posted by smoke at 7:54 PM on March 23, 2011

Some people hate nuance.
posted by LogicalDash at 8:03 PM on March 23, 2011

Cmon guys, he's The War Nerd, not The War Academic.
posted by jng at 8:27 PM on March 23, 2011

It's one thing to snark about Natalie Portman's choice of frock or earrings, but snarking about which ordnance is most appropriate for the task of vaporizing Libyan conscripts does seem rather gauche.
posted by Flashman at 8:40 PM on March 23, 2011

You always get these snide little comments about style when the War Nerd is mentioned, but rarely about substance. I think damn dirty ape's is the only one I've seen.
posted by clarknova at 9:14 PM on March 23, 2011 [1 favorite]

I don't think gaucheness is a compelling criticism of Brecher's approach. His style is in line with the persistence of war and the particular batshit insanity of postmodern war. And the truth implied by his sobriquet--that nerds are the only civilians who care enough about war to actually study and analyze the mechanics of it--is gaucher than any tweaking of sensitivities done by his tone.
posted by Kylio at 9:23 PM on March 23, 2011 [1 favorite]

His style is in line with the persistence of war and the particular batshit insanity of postmodern war.

This is a little generous and inexact. His style is to verbal dump. It's well informed, but he beats the horse good and bloody before he moves to the next pasture.

His content has to do with war, that I'm sure of. Style, I don't know.
posted by Reasonably Everything Happens at 10:59 PM on March 23, 2011

Daily War Nerd? Fuck yes. Now lemme actually read some and do nothing else.
posted by EatTheWeak at 11:44 PM on March 23, 2011 [1 favorite]

Oh, excellent. Thanks for the heads up, clarknova.
posted by homunculus at 12:38 AM on March 24, 2011

Nice. Anyone who writes such a brilliant takedown of that neocon blowhard Victor Davis Hanson is alright in my book.
posted by electroboy at 6:47 AM on March 24, 2011

Not to mention Tom Clancy!
posted by clarknova at 8:49 AM on March 24, 2011

If the Creative Assembly ever decides to take their Total War series into the logistical madness that is modern war, I hope they bring Brecher aboard to help design it.
posted by EatTheWeak at 9:27 AM on March 24, 2011