Double Knot

by Mac Caltrider, Tyler Carroll (editor), Ethan Rocke (foreword)

In Double Knot, Mac Caltrider takes us to the front lines of Afghanistan during the most violent period of America's longest war. But this powerful work is a refreshing break from the blood-soaked memoirs that typically emerge from the battlefield. With clear inspiration from the likes of Joan Didion, Bill Buford, and John Jeremiah Sullivan, Caltrider combines humor, wit, and insight to reveal complex truths about combat and life after service.

In his debut book, Caltrider takes us on a tour of Afghanistan's IED-filled Helmand province, where every footstep is an act of bravery. Without a chance to exhale, he moves on to explore the messy world of policing in the wake of George Floyd and the outbreak of COVID-19. Caltrider then takes us up the snow-swept slopes of Mount Rainier and on a whirlwind tour of the United States alongside Miss America, some of the Pentagon's top brass, and a gaggle of B-list celebrities who more closely resemble a circus than a morale boost. As the stories progress, a narrative through-line emerges, revealing the complicated ways in which war remains with those who wage it.

182 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 19, 2024

Reviews

[Haley Hofmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book. I read this in one sitting. Each essay was incredibly well written, and I loved the flow between the past and present. This one is going to stay on my shelf for a long time and I will absolutely pick it up again in the future.

[Leo Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Sometimes we climb the mountain just because we want to climb the damn mountain.”

With this freshmen work, Mac Caltrider has left an indelible mark on the modern war story. Double Knot manages to distill the absurdity of America’s longest war (and all its entrails) with composure, grace, and humanity. From the viewpoint of a Marine combat veteran, we receive an exceptional perspective etched in crisp prose.

[Chris Snyder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible writing. This really pulled the curtain back on war in our current society and it’s terrifying. Not just what people go through in combat but how they have to adjust to the world afterwards.

[Luke Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Double Knot by Mac Caltrider is hands down the best work of creative nonfiction I’ve ever read. I couldn’t put it down and read it in about 3 hours. This book is a must-read for everyone who’s served, no matter the branch, but even more so for those who haven’t. I think I speak for everyone that has read or will read this book, Mac, please keep writing - we need more voices like yours.

[Adam Wilburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book. I was blown away by this one. Definitely the best book that Dead Reckoning Collective has ever published. Read this book. I can’t say enough about it. Incredible.

[Josh Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in wake of leaving the army and felt myself swallowed up within its pages.
All at once feeling the grief for the life I’d left behind while simultaneously giving me the opportunity to reflect on all the experiences whether large or small.
Cannot recommend this book enough!

[Douglass Hoover · Rating 5 out of 5]

In his powerful memoir Double Knot, Caltrider delivers a stunningly honest and beautifully written story of a young man’s journey through war and, perhaps more importantly, what comes after.
Armed with a wide-angle view afforded by his vast experience working in the veteran community as a journalist, Caltrider combines the elements of post-war life seamlessly with his own harrowing experiences of combat. From fighting on the frontlines in Afghanistan to becoming a Baltimore cop during the height of Covid, all the way to finding his true calling as a journalist, Caltrider exposes critical truths from a life hard lived. The ride alone offers enough to keep you locked in, never mind the expert prose. But this isn’t a story based in plot. Unlike so many others of the genre, this isn’t some grandiose retelling of adrenaline-soaked moments and great deeds accomplished. On the contrary, this story reads more as a confession. In this way Caltrider shows us the realities of war in a way so rarely seen – devoid of the egotistic chest thumping so prevalent in the modern traditions of warrior culture. This is no ode to combat. Instead, Caltrider utilizes his own smooth and poetic writing style to express a story of humility and growth despite the viscousness of war. Nothing is held back. The harsh values that grew from America’s most confusing and overlooked war are laid bare. There are no glorious heroes portrayed in these pages, but in their place stand harsh lessons, painful regrets, and tough men fulfilling their duty to one another – a testament to the value of the words themselves, as nothing could better lend itself to exhibiting the true nature of war.
In an era dominated by clickbait and native advertising, Caltrider has proven himself worthy to stand among the old guard – those few elite journalists who remain devoted to expressing the genuine truth of human experience via the power of the written word. These aren’t just stories. They are a prayer offered at the altar of history, steeped in truth and trimmed in fine prose.

[Geoffrey Hengerer · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a book that fits in your cargo pocket like MCDP 1, “Double Knot” separates the wheat from the chaff, giving you a real “war book” with seven amazing stories shaped by time and memory. This masterpiece covers the wide range of a GWOT veteran’s experience. The author goes from answering the call to serve, to loss, to heroism, to the absurdities of Green Bean Coffee in a combat zone, to coping with memories unlocked from one’s “mental seabag,” to de-romanticizing veteran suicide, to briefly becoming a police officer in Baltimore County during COVID and the fallout of George Floyd, to emerging as a writer who saw life differently than he did as a young NCO, to searching for that “shared misery” missing since hanging up the uniform, to deployments impacting families back home, and to providing the perfect definition of “tribe.” He accomplishes of this in a brief 175 pages while also reconciling the complicated legacy of 20 years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Exceptional work and a must read! Bravo Zulu, Mr. Caltrider, and Semper Fidelis! Can’t wait to read what you write next!

[Alex Barron · Rating 5 out of 5]

By turns poignant and absurd, this memoir depicts the life of a grunt in Afghanistan from harrowing firefights and recovery missions to moments of boring drudgery. This isn't an anti-war screed, but it is careful never to glamorize the experience either.

War is the through line in these seven essays, but Caltrider takes us far beyond the battlefield - to the streets of Baltimore, which he patrolled as a cop, and to Mount Rainier, which he climbed with a group of veterans. His writing is clear and lucid, sharp and thoughtful, without drawing attention to itself. And his reflections are universal enough to never alienate his civilian audience. In the final essay, Caltrider proclaims a love of narrative nonfiction. "Double Knot" betrays the influence of the very best nonfiction writers, some of whom Caltrider quotes directly at the beginning of chapters: John Krakauer, Sebastian Junger, Bill Buford, and even Joan Didion. His book belongs on a shelf next to theirs.

[Marcus Boggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’d just finished reading With The Old Breed by Sledge before passing it along to a friend whose Grandfather landed on Guam as a Marine infantryman. I thought Mac’s depiction of life as a Marine Infantrymen tied together the timeless connection between generations of those who became Marines and fought our country’s battles.

The book was given to me by the college friend of Mac’s Mom in Virginia Beach and she asked my opinion as a retired Marine Infantry Officer. My report back: truly brilliant. The format of short stories and essays and the clean prose reminded me of Hemingway.

I must also recognize Mac’s continuing search for knowledge and understanding of what he’d experienced. I fought back the tears when he shared war from a parent’s view. My younger brother and I put our parents through such torment long before overseas telephone calls and even email.

Well done Mac. Semper Fi Marine.

[Stan Lake · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Double Knot” by Mac Caltrider hits like a freight train. His collection of essays gives an unflinching look at the veteran experience for the GWOT era. This isn’t a blood and guts combat glorification memoir, but an introspective journey through the effects of war both on and off the battlefield. I remember reading an early version of one of the included essays called “Harden Up” in a magazine and reached out to Mac thanking him for finally saying the thing that needed to be said about veteran suicide. His experiences are penned in a way that makes you want to be a better writer and you leave thankful that someone in our community is this damn gifted as a storyteller. He has truly set the bar for what we should expect out of a memoir for our generation. Thanks for writing this Mac.

[SemperRead · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Double Knot” is about what happens when the war follows you home and refuses to let go. From patrols in Helmand to policing the streets of Baltimore, Sergeant Mac Caltrider writes with honesty, restraint, and hard-earned clarity about duty, regret, and the bonds that make the weight bearable. This is a book about brotherhood, accountability, and learning that the hardest tests often come after the shooting stops.

[Nicholas E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a powerful story told in seven essays. In the first essay you'll learn about the title, the significance of the cover art and how some images stay with us forever.
By the final essay you'll think you're prepped for the end, but you're not. If you're a veteran, get ready for a kick in the feels. If you're not a veteran, Mac will still make you feel it.
He's just that damned good.

[Eugene Theriot · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not a gifted enough writer to leave Double Knot a proper review. Rest assured it’s well worth a read, and reread.