Review

Phil Klay's new novel, Missionaries, asks whether there's such a thing as a 'good war'

By T.j. Collins
May 29 2021 - 12:00am
Soldiers in Bogota, Colombia. Picture: Shutterstock
Soldiers in Bogota, Colombia. Picture: Shutterstock
  • Missionaries, by Phil Klay. Canongate, $29.99.

In 2014, Phil Klay, a veteran of the Iraq War, published Redeployment, a collection of short stories set in Afghanistan and Iraq. The collection is notable for its kaleidoscopic tonal range, with Klay inhabiting more than a dozen different voices - artilleryman, chaplain, engineer - to paint two altogether more comprehensive portraits of the wars that have defined the post-9/11 era than any non-fiction accounts published to date have managed to do.

Subscribe now for unlimited access.

$0/

(min cost $0)

or signup to continue reading

See subscription options

Get the latest Goulburn news in your inbox

Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date.

We care about the protection of your data. Read our Privacy Policy.