Virtual Event: Sebastian Junger

Harvard Book Store, Politics and Prose, and Books & Books welcome renowned writer SEBASTIAN JUNGER—author of the bestselling Tribe, A Death in Belmont, and The Perfect Storm—for a discussion of his latest book, Freedom. He will be joined in conversation by GAYLE TZEMACH LEMMON, national security expert and author of the New York Times bestselling books The Daughters of Kobani, Ashley’s War: The Untold Story of a Team of Women Soldiers on the Special Ops Battlefield, and The Dressmaker of Khair Khana.

Ticketing

There are two ticket options available for this event.

Admission Ticket - $31.00: Includes one admission link and one copy of Freedom. Copies will be signed (specially bound by the publisher) while supplies last. US shipping also included. Books will be shipped to ticket-holders following the event. Please note: we are unable to ship internationally.

Pay-What-You-Can Ticket: Includes one admission link. We suggest a $5 donation to support Harvard Book Store's staff and our virtual event series during these difficult times. Thank you for your support!

About Freedom

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.