Freedom, Sebastian Junger
Freedom, Sebastian Junger
5 Rating(s)
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Freedom

Author: Sebastian Junger

Narrator: Sebastian Junger

Unabridged: 3 hr 6 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/18/2021


Synopsis

A 2022 Audie Award Finalist

A profound rumination on the concept of freedom from the New York Times bestselling author of Tribe.

Throughout history, humans have been driven by the quest for two cherished ideals: community and freedom. The two don’t coexist easily. We value individuality and self-reliance, yet are utterly dependent on community for our most basic needs. In this intricately crafted and thought-provoking book, Sebastian Junger examines the tension that lies at the heart of what it means to be human.

For much of a year, Junger and three friends—a conflict photographer and two Afghan War vets—walked the railroad lines of the East Coast. It was an experiment in personal autonomy, but also in interdependence. Dodging railroad cops, sleeping under bridges, cooking over fires, and drinking from creeks and rivers, the four men forged a unique reliance on one another.

In Freedom, Junger weaves his account of this journey together with primatology and boxing strategy, the history of labor strikes and Apache raiders, the role of women in resistance movements, and the brutal reality of life on the Pennsylvania frontier. Written in exquisite, razor-sharp prose, the result is a powerful examination of the primary desire that defines us.

About Sebastian Junger

Sebastian Junger is the New York Times bestselling author of TribeWar, Freedom, A Death in Belmont, Fire, and The Perfect Storm, and codirector of the documentary film Restrepo, which was nominated for an Academy Award. He is also the winner of a Peabody Award and the National Magazine Award for Reporting.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Danielle on March 20, 2021

I honestly have no idea what this book was supposed to be about. It was sort of just all over the place. Part of it is Sebastian Junger talking about his experiences walking the railroad lines along the east coast. I actually found that part of interesting and wish the whole book was about doing tha......more

Goodreads review by Tom on January 27, 2025

An enjoyable and often fascinating book about many things, among them war, anthropology, the notion of personal and collective freedom, and Junger's journey walking 400 miles along railroad tracks in Pennsylvania. It's a little scattergun at times and less urgent than the other of his that I read re......more

Goodreads review by Jim on July 24, 2022

An interesting, though not completely satisfying, rumination on freedom as a group of men hike (though not continuously, but over time and in different arrangements) through the northeast along railroad lines (mostly through Pennsylvania), from the coast to the mountains. The walking seemingly a fra......more

Goodreads review by Laura on August 21, 2021

In this collection, Junger explores the idea of freedom and community - how we value independence and individuality, but rely on others for many of our needs. Junger, a fellow war journalist, and 2 vets from the Afghan war, spend time walking the railroad lines of the East Coast, their days drilled......more


Quotes

"Like Hemingway, Orwell, or Churchill himself, Sebastian Junger is intoxicated by life's perilous extremities. He's chased the front in Bosnia, Serbia, and—most famously—Afghanistan. His voice is like a fingerprint, a baritone played on vocal cords pulled almost to the breaking point. Now the writer meditates on independence and interdependence as he, three friends, and a dog hike and camp rough along 400 miles of track right here in the relative safety of the U.S. of A. The vagrants march through rain, cook over open fires. Trains so heavy and fast "they seem to set the whole world in motion" explode the solitude. The hike stitches the narrative together, but all is window dressing for Junger's two great loves: courage and a naked heart. You'll hear it in his voice."