Heavy Metal: A Tank Company's Battle to Baghdad

by Jason Conroy

During the Iraq War, coauthor Capt. Jason Conroy commanded Charlie Company, which was part of Task Force 1-64, 2d Brigade Combat Team, part of the U.S. Army’s 3d Infantry Division. A tank unit equipped with mammoth M1A1 Abrams tanks, Conroy’s company was literally at the tip of the U.S. Army’s spear and one of the first elements into Baghdad. Veteran journalist Ron Martz was embedded in Charlie Company. Together, from the unique perspective of an armor unit that was in nearly continuous combat for four straight weeks, Conroy and Martz tell the unvarnished story of what went right and what went deadly wrong in Iraq. Conroy and his soldiers were able to overcome supply shortages, intelligence failures, and miserable weather to battle their way into downtown Baghdad, a place where they were told they would never have to fight. Heavy Metal evaluates the Army’s performance, including its use of tactics that were developed during the war but for which the soldiers had never trained. Through the exciting personal stories of the young troopers of Charlie Company - who experienced a very different war from what was seen back home on TV - Heavy Metal tells us much about the qualities of today’s American soldier, about twenty-first-century desert and urban warfare, and about how the Army should prepare to fight future wars.

Genres: Military Fiction, History, Nonfiction, Military History

320 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 2004

Reviews

[Krissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

First line of the book:

"SGT. Scott Stewart saw the tanks first."

That's my husband :)

[Sarah Giczi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am new to this type of literature, but I honestly enjoyed this book. It provides a unique, honest, and relatively unbiased perspective on the war and the experience of Capt Conroy's unit. The way it's written also had me, at times, in that state where you forget about the world around you and are totally engrossed in the story. For that alone, I would recommend this book.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

My dad wrote this book...

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Roger is in this book.

[Lon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good compliment book to Take Down about 3rd ID.