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The Long Road Home: A Story of War and Family
From ABC White House correspondent Martha Raddatz, the story of a brutal forty-eight-hour firefight that conveys in harrowing detail the effects of war not just on the soldiers but also on the families waiting back at home.
In April 2004, soldiers from the 1st Cavalry Division were on a routine patrol in Sadr City, Iraq, when they came under surprise attack. Over the course of the next forty-eight hours, 8 Americans would be killed and more than 70 wounded. Back home, as news of the attack began filtering in, the families of these same men, neighbors in Fort Hood, Texas, feared the worst. In time, some of the women in their circle would receive "the call"-the notification that a husband or brother had been killed in action. So the families banded together in anticipation of the heartbreak that was certain to come.
The firefight in Sadr City marked the beginning of the Iraqi insurgency, and Martha Raddatz has written perhaps the most riveting account of hand-to-hand combat to emerge from the war in Iraq. This intimate portrait of the close-knit community of families Stateside-the unsung heroes of the military -distinguishes "The Long Road Home" from other stories of modern warfare, showing the horror, terror, bravery, and fortitude not just of the soldiers who were wounded and killed but also of the wives and children whose lives now are forever changed.
In April 2004, soldiers from the 1st Cavalry Division were on a routine patrol in Sadr City, Iraq, when they came under surprise attack. Over the course of the next forty-eight hours, 8 Americans would be killed and more than 70 wounded. Back home, as news of the attack began filtering in, the families of these same men, neighbors in Fort Hood, Texas, feared the worst. In time, some of the women in their circle would receive "the call"-the notification that a husband or brother had been killed in action. So the families banded together in anticipation of the heartbreak that was certain to come.
The firefight in Sadr City marked the beginning of the Iraqi insurgency, and Martha Raddatz has written perhaps the most riveting account of hand-to-hand combat to emerge from the war in Iraq. This intimate portrait of the close-knit community of families Stateside-the unsung heroes of the military -distinguishes "The Long Road Home" from other stories of modern warfare, showing the horror, terror, bravery, and fortitude not just of the soldiers who were wounded and killed but also of the wives and children whose lives now are forever changed.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 195 reviews
June 5, 2011
I started reading this book about part of the war in Iraq the same night I finished watching the movie "127 Hours" about the guy who got trapped in a canyon and cut his own arm off to survive. The movie was pretty gory, obviously. The first few pages of this book are also pretty gory. I ususally do not handly gore very well, but for some reason I seem to be getting older and more hardened, and I didn't stop the movie, or stop reading.
It's been making me think. I read online (and watched youtube videos) about Aron Ralston (the arm guy), and saw lots of people say "Wow! What an amazing man!!" And "He has my respect forever. I could never do what he did."
But really, what did HE do? He was reckless and took unnecessary risks, and he almost lost his life because of it. Search and rescue crews have to risk their lives trying to recover people like him. Yep, he cut off his arm. His other option was to die. I'm kind of impressed that he managed to pull the whole thing off, but was there really anything heroic, or THAT awesome about what he did?
On the other hand, the soldiers in this book are being killed and wounded in a horrific manner left and right. What are they doing that's awesome? They're leaving their family, home and comfortable life behind to bleed and die for US. They're doing it to protect us, to bring freedom to those who are oppressed, and to make the world a better place for the next generation. So when people say "That soldier died for nothing. It's so meaningless", I say "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!" Almost every death in the world is meaningless. You die because you're old, you die in a car accident, you die because you get you arm stuck under a rock in a canyon - those are all deaths with no real meaning. But to die because you are defending freedom and ending terrorism and oppression - that is one of the very few ways to die in the world that actually has meaning.
Why doesn't somebody make movies about every soldier who dies at war, rather than dumb guys who have to cut their arms off to survive? How come? Seriously.
Anyway, I finished this book in 48 hours. The last book I read took me about 8 weeks to finish, as I have been lacking free time since my husband left on his second deployment to Iraq this year. I stayed up late at night reading this book, mostly because I wanted to finish it quickly. It was painful to read, especially the parts about families learning their soldiers were killed or wounded. It's the story of a battle in Sadr City, Iraq, in April of 2004 ("Black Sunday"). Soldiers were supposed to be there on a peacekeeping mission, but Shiite militants ambushed a platoon and fought to take over the city and run the Americans out. Cindy Sheehan's son Casey was in this battle, if you're familiar with her. The unit had just left home two weeks earlier, and had only been in Iraq a few days. Another soldier from a different unit was killed who was scheduled to return home the very next day, and get married four months later. His bags were already packed. His family had probably already planned the welcome home party, but had to change it to a funeral instead. None of it was cool. But I think everybody should read these kind of books. We all need to know these sort of stories, so we appreciate the freedom we have. It's way too easy to take it all for granted, even for a military wife like me.
It's been making me think. I read online (and watched youtube videos) about Aron Ralston (the arm guy), and saw lots of people say "Wow! What an amazing man!!" And "He has my respect forever. I could never do what he did."
But really, what did HE do? He was reckless and took unnecessary risks, and he almost lost his life because of it. Search and rescue crews have to risk their lives trying to recover people like him. Yep, he cut off his arm. His other option was to die. I'm kind of impressed that he managed to pull the whole thing off, but was there really anything heroic, or THAT awesome about what he did?
On the other hand, the soldiers in this book are being killed and wounded in a horrific manner left and right. What are they doing that's awesome? They're leaving their family, home and comfortable life behind to bleed and die for US. They're doing it to protect us, to bring freedom to those who are oppressed, and to make the world a better place for the next generation. So when people say "That soldier died for nothing. It's so meaningless", I say "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!" Almost every death in the world is meaningless. You die because you're old, you die in a car accident, you die because you get you arm stuck under a rock in a canyon - those are all deaths with no real meaning. But to die because you are defending freedom and ending terrorism and oppression - that is one of the very few ways to die in the world that actually has meaning.
Why doesn't somebody make movies about every soldier who dies at war, rather than dumb guys who have to cut their arms off to survive? How come? Seriously.
Anyway, I finished this book in 48 hours. The last book I read took me about 8 weeks to finish, as I have been lacking free time since my husband left on his second deployment to Iraq this year. I stayed up late at night reading this book, mostly because I wanted to finish it quickly. It was painful to read, especially the parts about families learning their soldiers were killed or wounded. It's the story of a battle in Sadr City, Iraq, in April of 2004 ("Black Sunday"). Soldiers were supposed to be there on a peacekeeping mission, but Shiite militants ambushed a platoon and fought to take over the city and run the Americans out. Cindy Sheehan's son Casey was in this battle, if you're familiar with her. The unit had just left home two weeks earlier, and had only been in Iraq a few days. Another soldier from a different unit was killed who was scheduled to return home the very next day, and get married four months later. His bags were already packed. His family had probably already planned the welcome home party, but had to change it to a funeral instead. None of it was cool. But I think everybody should read these kind of books. We all need to know these sort of stories, so we appreciate the freedom we have. It's way too easy to take it all for granted, even for a military wife like me.
August 7, 2016
This book is a detailed look at an ambush that took place in what is known as the Sadr City slum section of Baghdad. A massive rescue effort happened later. Finally, 8 soldiers were killed and many dozens injured.
"Some guys have seen things that no one ever wants to see. . . . I understand now what it means when you go to a veterans' ceremony and you see the old veterans get together and hug and cry, and you never really understand it. I understand it now."--Lieutenant Colonel Gary Volesky.
Almost all of these soldiers had never seen combat or lead soldiers in combat. But they would see it now: the dead and wounded. And bullets don't care how they hit a body: one guy has his genitals smeared all over his legs.
The group that was ambushed was only on a shit patrol. They were protecting a truck picking up shit, loads of raw sewage all over the streets. The soldiers cannot grasp why they would be shot at when they were only trying to help. There was even a shit market: an open market with shit puddles right next to it. The shit was known as "whatthefuck" by the soldiers. As in "Watch out for the whatthefuck."
The Mahdi Army was lead by Moqtada al-Sadr, a Shiite cleric. I've heard him on 60 Minutes. He's insane. He gives no credit to America for helping to overthrow Saddam Hussein who killed his father and members of his family. He blames it all on Allah.
A few days earlier, a group of American contractors were killed, set on fire, tortured by men and boys. Their bodies were hung from a bridge. I find it interesting how people rarely mention these incidents any more, but they will gladly point out examples of American soldiers committing crimes in combat.
The Mahdi Army used little children and women and old men to help them. All of them were put right in the line of fire. In one incident, a huge group of people is lead by women and children. Then men in civilian clothes and guns. Then finally the Mahdi Army. Unfuckingbelievable.
"Some guys have seen things that no one ever wants to see. . . . I understand now what it means when you go to a veterans' ceremony and you see the old veterans get together and hug and cry, and you never really understand it. I understand it now."--Lieutenant Colonel Gary Volesky.
Almost all of these soldiers had never seen combat or lead soldiers in combat. But they would see it now: the dead and wounded. And bullets don't care how they hit a body: one guy has his genitals smeared all over his legs.
The group that was ambushed was only on a shit patrol. They were protecting a truck picking up shit, loads of raw sewage all over the streets. The soldiers cannot grasp why they would be shot at when they were only trying to help. There was even a shit market: an open market with shit puddles right next to it. The shit was known as "whatthefuck" by the soldiers. As in "Watch out for the whatthefuck."
The Mahdi Army was lead by Moqtada al-Sadr, a Shiite cleric. I've heard him on 60 Minutes. He's insane. He gives no credit to America for helping to overthrow Saddam Hussein who killed his father and members of his family. He blames it all on Allah.
A few days earlier, a group of American contractors were killed, set on fire, tortured by men and boys. Their bodies were hung from a bridge. I find it interesting how people rarely mention these incidents any more, but they will gladly point out examples of American soldiers committing crimes in combat.
The Mahdi Army used little children and women and old men to help them. All of them were put right in the line of fire. In one incident, a huge group of people is lead by women and children. Then men in civilian clothes and guns. Then finally the Mahdi Army. Unfuckingbelievable.
January 25, 2021
Raw courage, pride, fear, sacrifice, pain, grief, retaliation, and lives forever changed by war.
While I will not mention the names of any characters in this book, reading about what they faced, the permanent scars the soldiers of war were branded with, and the PTSD they experienced, whether they were aware of it or not, was painfully evident.
This was truly a difficult book to get through because it was so emotionally charged. I believe my difficulty resulted from connecting in some emotional and spiritual way with the characters throughout this book. So much pain, so much suffering, so many tragic deaths as a result of a nasty, brutal, and deadly war.
Martha Raddatz did a very good job at telling the stories of military personnel, troops, and their families facing the tragedy, stress, uncertainty, ugliness, the side-effects, and the reality of war. It was so painful to read about the ambushes some platoons faced surrounded by strategically prepared militiamen who had no sense of emotion except to kill their enemy, regardless of them sacrificing their own women and children to carry the ambushes out. Oh, the horrors and heartlessness of mankind.
This book is a clear reminder of how we cannot take life and living for granted. Time is not guaranteed. We must tell our loved ones we love them often and not just on a special occasion. We must not allow unnecessary bickering and unforgiveness to make us live with regrets. This book indicates how survivors regretted what they recklessly said, didn't say, did, or did not do that would forever change their future as a result of the casualties of war.
This is a recommended read if you're an avid reader of war-time related stories.
While I will not mention the names of any characters in this book, reading about what they faced, the permanent scars the soldiers of war were branded with, and the PTSD they experienced, whether they were aware of it or not, was painfully evident.
This was truly a difficult book to get through because it was so emotionally charged. I believe my difficulty resulted from connecting in some emotional and spiritual way with the characters throughout this book. So much pain, so much suffering, so many tragic deaths as a result of a nasty, brutal, and deadly war.
Martha Raddatz did a very good job at telling the stories of military personnel, troops, and their families facing the tragedy, stress, uncertainty, ugliness, the side-effects, and the reality of war. It was so painful to read about the ambushes some platoons faced surrounded by strategically prepared militiamen who had no sense of emotion except to kill their enemy, regardless of them sacrificing their own women and children to carry the ambushes out. Oh, the horrors and heartlessness of mankind.
This book is a clear reminder of how we cannot take life and living for granted. Time is not guaranteed. We must tell our loved ones we love them often and not just on a special occasion. We must not allow unnecessary bickering and unforgiveness to make us live with regrets. This book indicates how survivors regretted what they recklessly said, didn't say, did, or did not do that would forever change their future as a result of the casualties of war.
This is a recommended read if you're an avid reader of war-time related stories.
April 5, 2021
Absolutely a first-rate book. I would give it ten stars if I could! Martha Raddatz is the only major network reporter I've ever seen who really gets the military and has respect for all ranks and all family members. She never condescends, never patronizes, and always tells the facts. The Iraq War was a tragedy, and she makes you feel it on every page. But Martha Raddatz also makes you feel the professionalism and pride of being a soldier. I wish she'd written ten more books like this!
April 30, 2012
Stealing away the heart word by word. Nothing could make you want to say a bad think about this book. You feel for the family and may even think of your own experience. Martha Raddatz book The Long Road Home is a heart grabbing book.
Freedom isn't as free as it is made out to be. Without all the fighting we would be in a complete different situation.Sometimes when our troops are over seas they aren't gone to fight but they are trying to bring peace to other places. That's what Camp War Eagle was trying to do for Sadar City in 2004. Trying to make everything back to a peaceful place can be harder then what it was said out to be. Raddatz showed how hard it can be by using strong details.Keeping you hooked in she switches from whats happening in Sadar to what's happening back at home.
Family is what makes everyone come together. How we stay united as one when everything goes wrong. When the worst thing comes across they are the ones there for you. Showing what is happening back at home made everything heart touching. Having to know what is happening to the peope unknowing whats happening is awful. With this in the book though it makes it amazing.
I truly love this book their is no way to describe how amazing it is. If you know a lot about the army and you are interested in guns you will have a better understanding then the rest.Even if you don't know a lot you can learn and fall in love at the same time.
October 21, 2017
Good read and an accurate portrayal of the chaos of combat in Iraq
This book hit close to home for me as a two tour veteran of Iraq. The Soldier's stories rang true to everything I knew of that place. It was gripping also t have an accurate portrayal of the families back home and how terrifying it was for them to send away their Soldier's into the unknown. Definitely worth a read.
This book hit close to home for me as a two tour veteran of Iraq. The Soldier's stories rang true to everything I knew of that place. It was gripping also t have an accurate portrayal of the families back home and how terrifying it was for them to send away their Soldier's into the unknown. Definitely worth a read.
February 26, 2018
Pretty great book. Also very emotional. This book showed what it’s like being in war. What it’s like to leave your family. What it’s like on the battlegrounds. Pretty crazy how many people do this. Super Boring when it was super descriptive about every single soldier. (At least that’s what it felt like) Recommend to anyone who likes war books.
May 27, 2014
I always have high expectations of books about war, and this one did not fall short. After reading The long road home, I come out of it with more and more knowledge about what war is like and how it affects soldiers and their families. It starts off with a fierce battle in a relatively quiet part of Iraq, but the soldiers soon learn it is a new hot spot for enemy activity. The book goes through the entire battle, and horrific scenes that some soldiers see. It is the grim reality of war. What I also liked about the book was that Martha talked to the wives of some of the soldiers to see what they were doing at the time of the fighting. None of them had a feeling their husband’s were fighting or dying at the moment. “At the exact moment Allison Carson’s twenty-four-year-old husband took a bullet in his abdomen, she was celebrating her grandfathers eighty-first year of life.” That really strikes me in a way, because at any moment your Husband, father, brother or son can be shot and killed, but you won’t know for at least a few days. At the moment you are having fun, enjoying life, your husband could be saying his final words, thinking of you and you wouldn't know it. Overall, this was a very good booked and I liked it a lot.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 10, 2020
Having served in the Marine Corps, I was very interested in reading this book. It's the story of the First Cavalry Division that got pinned down on what was supposed to be a routine patrol in Sadr City, Iraq. The book also tells of the platoon's rescue and of the families back home at Fort Hood, Texas. No matter what your political views are, this book gives a first hand view into what troops face in combat. It's compelling reading.
April 11, 2010
This was an excellent book - it wasn't at all how I imagined it would be written. I thought it would mostly tell the story of the soldier's families back home while their loved ones were at war. This book told the story from both viewpoints and it did a tremendous job in doing so.
I was horrified when reading the violence that the soldiers experienced and angered at how the equipment they needed was simply not brought because they were told they would be on a humanitarian mission and that bringing armored vehicles would send the wrong message to the people of Iraq. This decision cost many lives and while I understand the reasoning, it was still maddening to read the story and know that many of these deaths were preventable. War is ugly and battles take place so quickly that things can be analyzed after the fact and second-guessed. I am not trying to do so nor does the author in this book. I believe she does an excellent job of telling the story without adding political slants, opinions or second-guessing. These are all my observations & opinions I am sharing.
All in all, this was an excellent book, extremely well written and a book that drew me in from the first page. I was 70 pages in before I realized it was way past my bedtime and I should stop reading. Excellent book!
I was horrified when reading the violence that the soldiers experienced and angered at how the equipment they needed was simply not brought because they were told they would be on a humanitarian mission and that bringing armored vehicles would send the wrong message to the people of Iraq. This decision cost many lives and while I understand the reasoning, it was still maddening to read the story and know that many of these deaths were preventable. War is ugly and battles take place so quickly that things can be analyzed after the fact and second-guessed. I am not trying to do so nor does the author in this book. I believe she does an excellent job of telling the story without adding political slants, opinions or second-guessing. These are all my observations & opinions I am sharing.
All in all, this was an excellent book, extremely well written and a book that drew me in from the first page. I was 70 pages in before I realized it was way past my bedtime and I should stop reading. Excellent book!
July 26, 2013
The Long Road Home falls squarely in the genre of “narrative non-fiction.” The author describes a brief but intense battle between US soldiers and members of Muqtada al-Sadr’s Mahdi Army, in which eight servicemen were killed and nearly 60 wounded. I found it to be an absolutely riveting account that described the action and the men involved in great detail. Raddatz also correlated events in the field with what these soldiers’ wives were doing and feeling as their men were fighting and, in some cases, dying. It’s certainly one of the more absorbing non-fiction books I’ve come across, keeping me so interested that I often lost track of time and hated putting it down.
I’m often a bit skeptical about non-fiction books written with explicit dialog and lush descriptions, though, as I don’t think there’s any way a book like this could be a 100% accurate, literal account as it kind of purports to be. I enjoyed it for sure, and would recommend it to anyone interested in war literature, but non-fiction readers who find this type of embellishment a challenge to their satisfaction with a book might want to look elsewhere.
I’m often a bit skeptical about non-fiction books written with explicit dialog and lush descriptions, though, as I don’t think there’s any way a book like this could be a 100% accurate, literal account as it kind of purports to be. I enjoyed it for sure, and would recommend it to anyone interested in war literature, but non-fiction readers who find this type of embellishment a challenge to their satisfaction with a book might want to look elsewhere.
May 23, 2011
This book details out an attack on American soldiers in Sadr City, Baghdad, Iraq during the current Iraq War and the subsequent rescue efforts to retrieve the pinned down soldiers. It follows the events in Iraq, as well as what was happening on the homefront with the soldiers families. The book was very well written and included quite a lot of detail into the various soldiers' histories, which helped round out the characters to be more than just a name. I also liked that it included the stories of the families and spouses. At times the book was a little confusing, just because it included so many different people and events that were occurring at the same time, but that is necessary to fully cover the entire story.
September 4, 2008
I liked this book, yet I didn't. The tale that this book tells of the stark reality of war was at times very difficult to read. All of the bloodshed, sacrifice and heartache was sometimes difficult to take and I had to take a break from reading it. I know we have people serving in the military, I know they are over in Iraq yet there is so much I do not know or am oblivious to. Regardless of your opinion on our country's involvement in Iraq, after reading this book one thing is certain--we all owe a huge debt of gratitude to our men and women in the armed forces and their families.
January 2, 2017
Very well written. A terrifying description of urban warfare.
December 15, 2018
So easy to forget what heck happened back there in Iraq. It seems like ancient history in some ways. But April 4, 2004 was a really bad day for the 1st Cavalry Division (and for a lot of the Mahdi Army, though it is hard to have much sympathy for people who shoved kids out in front to 'screen' their advances routinely). I had started watching the NatGeo series based on the book a while back and all my recordings were lost when my DVR died and I able to pick this up at a book sale. An excellent account of an utterly unanticipated surprise, the start of the Shia uprising in Baghdad. The fact that it was completely unexpected reflects rather poorly on U.S. intelligence, but the facts remain. There are some very nice maps showing exactly what happened, which really helped out in understanding it better. One must come away a renewed admiration for the courage of the ordinary U.S. soldiers and even higher up the chain, at least in this case at Brigade and Division level. An imperfect Army of course but usually tries to do the right thing. If you don't get a lump in the throat and tear up at some points you are probably past the point where anything touches you. So sad, the young families ruined.
December 8, 2017
Absolute incredible recount of such a monumental morning in our military's history. Raddatz did a phenomenal job telling the story of Black Sunday and honoring the men involved. *Caution: don't read this in public, there will be lots of tears!*
September 22, 2024
Great read on a previously unknown battle(to me) in Iraq. Very moving.
October 16, 2017
A look into the mental toll war takes on our soldiers, and the things that go on both at home and in the heat of battle.
October 7, 2013
This (non-fiction) book opens with CPT Troy Denomy yelling for his lieutenant on one of their first days in theater during the Iraq war. I picked this book up because I work for Troy Denomy (he's LTC Denomy now) and I thought it was cool that he was in a book. This book talks about the first 24 hours that they were in Sadr City, having just deployed from Ft. Hood, when one of the platoons was trapped by insurgents in the city and they were trying to rescue them.
First: the writing. This is a book written by a journalist, not a long-form non-fiction author, and you can tell - it's a little choppy. She did a great job helping you keep all the characters straight. Dealing with a whole brigade, particularly when you're not super-familiar with Army structure, there are a lot of players, and I thought for sure I'd never be able to keep track of them. But I did, partly because I knew it was going to be a challenge so I made an effort and also because the author was very careful to make each one distinct. The maps that were included were also used to great effect, and it made it easy to follow the action and understand what had happened. Otherwise it would have been one great muddy war story, and much less accessible.
Second: including the effects of the deaths/injuries of soldiers on their families back home was a genius idea. It shows to great effect the full impact of the war, not just how much the soldier is hurt.
Third: The author reiterated over and over that none of these commanders (from CPT Denomy up to the general) had ever lost a man in combat before. None of the soldiers had actually ever killed anyone before. I guess this explains the foolish decision to allow soldiers going to the rescue to head into the city in unarmored trucks - it sounded like the worst injuries and most of the deaths came from those who were in those three trucks. One of the commanders apparently looked at a truck getting ready to leave and thought, that seems awfully vulnerable, but then was overcome with urgency to rescue the lost platoon and let them go. If you've never before actually been vulnerable to death, it's no wonder that you don't think it'll be a problem this time. But still- they made the same mistake THREE times.
Fourth: I was impressed with how well-trained the soldiers were. They'd never been in a situation like this before, but they all seemed to know what to do and to be ready to improvise when they didn't.
It felt overall like the author wanted us to feel how brave and courageous soldiers are, and to win our support for them as they fight. Okay. They are brave and courageous. (And my opinion of my boss has gone up.) But my overwhelming feeling as I finished the book was, we fight wars because why? What merits the wholesale murder and desire to kill as demonstrated here? I gave the book three stars because it was put together very well, but rather than feeling all patriotic and sympathetic, I ended up with greater ambiguity about the war than before.
First: the writing. This is a book written by a journalist, not a long-form non-fiction author, and you can tell - it's a little choppy. She did a great job helping you keep all the characters straight. Dealing with a whole brigade, particularly when you're not super-familiar with Army structure, there are a lot of players, and I thought for sure I'd never be able to keep track of them. But I did, partly because I knew it was going to be a challenge so I made an effort and also because the author was very careful to make each one distinct. The maps that were included were also used to great effect, and it made it easy to follow the action and understand what had happened. Otherwise it would have been one great muddy war story, and much less accessible.
Second: including the effects of the deaths/injuries of soldiers on their families back home was a genius idea. It shows to great effect the full impact of the war, not just how much the soldier is hurt.
Third: The author reiterated over and over that none of these commanders (from CPT Denomy up to the general) had ever lost a man in combat before. None of the soldiers had actually ever killed anyone before. I guess this explains the foolish decision to allow soldiers going to the rescue to head into the city in unarmored trucks - it sounded like the worst injuries and most of the deaths came from those who were in those three trucks. One of the commanders apparently looked at a truck getting ready to leave and thought, that seems awfully vulnerable, but then was overcome with urgency to rescue the lost platoon and let them go. If you've never before actually been vulnerable to death, it's no wonder that you don't think it'll be a problem this time. But still- they made the same mistake THREE times.
Fourth: I was impressed with how well-trained the soldiers were. They'd never been in a situation like this before, but they all seemed to know what to do and to be ready to improvise when they didn't.
It felt overall like the author wanted us to feel how brave and courageous soldiers are, and to win our support for them as they fight. Okay. They are brave and courageous. (And my opinion of my boss has gone up.) But my overwhelming feeling as I finished the book was, we fight wars because why? What merits the wholesale murder and desire to kill as demonstrated here? I gave the book three stars because it was put together very well, but rather than feeling all patriotic and sympathetic, I ended up with greater ambiguity about the war than before.
April 2, 2018
The Long Road Home, by Martha Raddatz takes place in Sadr City, Iraq with the soldiers and their fight, and Fort Hood, Texas, along with a few other towns in the U.S. In the beginning the soldiers are saying their final goodbyes before they leave. Some families spend the whole day together, but others barely even talk because they are so scared. Next the setting jumps to Sadr city where the 2-5 cavalry division is arriving at their new home for the next year. Right away their duties start and the soldiers go through the city while escorting sewage trucks. As Shane Aguero’s platoon is returning back to base they come under extremely heavy fire from Iraqi insurgents on rooftops, and are forced to take cover in a house next to an alleyway. When they arrive there, they request help from their commanders. Every infantryman from the 2-5 cavalry is then sent out to rescue the platoon, but the gunfire is too heavy, so time and time again the rescue teams are forced back. Each time, they go back in and take more and more casualties. After dozens of soldiers are injured and multiple are dead, the stranded platoon is finally rescued. Even though the platoon is rescued, the town is still in enemy hands, so for the next 79 days the division fights the insurgents and eventually takes back the town. After the first two days, over 60 soldiers were injured and 8 were dead. The story the goes to the U.S and follows the stories of the families and how they react to the fighting.
The Long Road Home, by Martha Raddatz is a realistic and emotional journey through the minds and actions of soldiers and their families. The U.S portion follows the struggles of the families of soldiers that are overseas during a deployment. It highlights the struggle that the spouses of the soldiers have to go through on a daily basis, with all of the extra work and worrying. It also paint a picture of of the great deal of effort that the families have to put in to console the other grieving families of their losses. This novel really makes the readers feel for soldiers and their families during times of struggle and heartbreak. I would not recommend this book to everyone, but for certain people. This book illustrates very graphic and emotional pictures of the horrors of war. If you are very sensitive to those types of things, then this book is definitely not for you, but if you are the type of person that can put up with that kind of stuff, then it might be for you. This book appealed to me in both a logical and emotional way. It appealed to me in an emotional way because it gave me insight on the mental struggles that soldiers and their families endure. It was appealing in a logical way because it was a very good source for information and was about a topic that I am very interested in.
The Long Road Home, by Martha Raddatz is a realistic and emotional journey through the minds and actions of soldiers and their families. The U.S portion follows the struggles of the families of soldiers that are overseas during a deployment. It highlights the struggle that the spouses of the soldiers have to go through on a daily basis, with all of the extra work and worrying. It also paint a picture of of the great deal of effort that the families have to put in to console the other grieving families of their losses. This novel really makes the readers feel for soldiers and their families during times of struggle and heartbreak. I would not recommend this book to everyone, but for certain people. This book illustrates very graphic and emotional pictures of the horrors of war. If you are very sensitive to those types of things, then this book is definitely not for you, but if you are the type of person that can put up with that kind of stuff, then it might be for you. This book appealed to me in both a logical and emotional way. It appealed to me in an emotional way because it gave me insight on the mental struggles that soldiers and their families endure. It was appealing in a logical way because it was a very good source for information and was about a topic that I am very interested in.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 27, 2010
From http://weeksnotice.blogspot.com/2010/...
Martha Raddatz's The Long Road Home (2008) is a heartbreaking and anger-inducing book. It is about the attack on U.S. troops in Sadr City on April 4, 2004 as well as its effects on the families involved back in the United States. The overall story is familiar to anyone who followed the worst parts of what we might call the denial period (or perhaps "Mission Accomplished" period) of the invasion. The troops viewed Iraq largely as a humanitarian mission, and their civilian superiors were careful to cultivate that. But suddenly they were massively fired upon, and the results were tragic.
Probably the most egregious example is the lack of tanks or armored Humvees. General Peter Chiarelli is confronted by a wounded soldier wanting to know why they didn't have tanks--Chiarelli knew that he had begged for them (and had been rebuked for publicly saying hundreds of thousands of troops would be necessary), but that the Pentagon "had thought the war was winding down; sending all the First Cavalry Division's tanks, they reasoned, would give the wrong message to the Iraqis--the message that the Americans were there as occupiers" (p. 287). Of course, we were there as occupiers even if we wanted to pretend otherwise. But that denial meant many soldiers went out to fight in the equivalent of pickup trucks, and were easy targets for snipers. They also had no idea of the Mahdi Army's tactics, which included marching with children in the front as shields--they did not know how to effectively respond.
That denial also meant the aid station was overwhelmed: "The aid station wasn't set up for surgery--it lacked the equipment and had no blood supply, which made even removing a bullet a perilous procedure" (p. 162). The scenes of carnage and death are moving, and frustrating.
The book really focuses on the people, leaving judgment to the reader, though I think it is very hard to write about this and not feel indignation. As it happens, Cindy Sheehan's son was killed that day, and so you can see how this sort of event could radically transform someone. Casey Sheehan was in the back of one of those unarmored trucks and had been in battle only a few minutes when he was shot and killed instantly. It is no pleasant thing to read about exactly how families are notified.
It is bad enough to have an invasion and occupation, yet even worse when it's done ineptly, which just means more people die. The road home is indeed long.
Martha Raddatz's The Long Road Home (2008) is a heartbreaking and anger-inducing book. It is about the attack on U.S. troops in Sadr City on April 4, 2004 as well as its effects on the families involved back in the United States. The overall story is familiar to anyone who followed the worst parts of what we might call the denial period (or perhaps "Mission Accomplished" period) of the invasion. The troops viewed Iraq largely as a humanitarian mission, and their civilian superiors were careful to cultivate that. But suddenly they were massively fired upon, and the results were tragic.
Probably the most egregious example is the lack of tanks or armored Humvees. General Peter Chiarelli is confronted by a wounded soldier wanting to know why they didn't have tanks--Chiarelli knew that he had begged for them (and had been rebuked for publicly saying hundreds of thousands of troops would be necessary), but that the Pentagon "had thought the war was winding down; sending all the First Cavalry Division's tanks, they reasoned, would give the wrong message to the Iraqis--the message that the Americans were there as occupiers" (p. 287). Of course, we were there as occupiers even if we wanted to pretend otherwise. But that denial meant many soldiers went out to fight in the equivalent of pickup trucks, and were easy targets for snipers. They also had no idea of the Mahdi Army's tactics, which included marching with children in the front as shields--they did not know how to effectively respond.
That denial also meant the aid station was overwhelmed: "The aid station wasn't set up for surgery--it lacked the equipment and had no blood supply, which made even removing a bullet a perilous procedure" (p. 162). The scenes of carnage and death are moving, and frustrating.
The book really focuses on the people, leaving judgment to the reader, though I think it is very hard to write about this and not feel indignation. As it happens, Cindy Sheehan's son was killed that day, and so you can see how this sort of event could radically transform someone. Casey Sheehan was in the back of one of those unarmored trucks and had been in battle only a few minutes when he was shot and killed instantly. It is no pleasant thing to read about exactly how families are notified.
It is bad enough to have an invasion and occupation, yet even worse when it's done ineptly, which just means more people die. The road home is indeed long.
September 19, 2016
ABC News chief White House correspondent, Martha Raddatz, used her reporting skills write this book about an ambush that took place in Sadr City, Iraq, on April 4, 2004. What was supposed to have been the start of a peace-keeping mission, turned into the start of a war with Iraqi militants, intent on wiping out the U. S. military presence in the city. The U.S. soldiers involved in the fighting were not prepared for the battle, as they thought they were going to Sadr City for a year just to keep the peace. Imagine their surprise and shock when the convoy headed to the Army base was ambushed by Iraqi militants and civilians armed with all manner of weapons. Eight American soldiers were killed in that one day; dozens of others were wounded, some critically. April 4, 2004, Easter Sunday, became known as "Black Sunday."
Raddatz gives us insight into the minds of those U.S. soldiers involved in the fighting. She also provides graphic details of the horrors of the fight. As such, this is not an easy book to read, particularly because this is a true story - - it's NOT fiction.
Although the subject matter was gruesome, Raddatz did a good job of humanizing the event. She not only told us about the soldiers involved, she gave details about their wives and families whom they had left behind. The last chapter, which takes place during the week following the ambush, is about the military families. Raddatz relates the stories of the wives and families seeing their wounded family members for the first time, or seeing the caskets of their dead love ones. It's a very moving chapter.
After that, there is an Epilogue about what events that took place nearly a year after the ambush. And, an Appendix lists all the soldiers that were wounded in battle and what they (and some of their families) were doing as of 2006.
The story is well-written and will definitely give you a different perspective on the ravages of war.
Raddatz gives us insight into the minds of those U.S. soldiers involved in the fighting. She also provides graphic details of the horrors of the fight. As such, this is not an easy book to read, particularly because this is a true story - - it's NOT fiction.
Although the subject matter was gruesome, Raddatz did a good job of humanizing the event. She not only told us about the soldiers involved, she gave details about their wives and families whom they had left behind. The last chapter, which takes place during the week following the ambush, is about the military families. Raddatz relates the stories of the wives and families seeing their wounded family members for the first time, or seeing the caskets of their dead love ones. It's a very moving chapter.
After that, there is an Epilogue about what events that took place nearly a year after the ambush. And, an Appendix lists all the soldiers that were wounded in battle and what they (and some of their families) were doing as of 2006.
The story is well-written and will definitely give you a different perspective on the ravages of war.
September 21, 2017
An important read - without being overly dramatic, pointed out errors in thinking and did a good job of describing "the fog of war". The author took what could have been an after action and personalized it with the background of many of the individuals involved.
Read
January 16, 2009The Long Road Home: a Story of War and Family, by Martha Radatz. Narrated by Joyce Bean. Produced by Tantor Media, downloaded from audible.com.
Joyce Bean is one of the best narrators and did a wonderful job portraying the different characters in this book. I can’t do better at describing this book than the publishers note:
From ABC White House correspondent Martha Raddatz comes the story of a brutal 48-hour firefight that conveys in harrowing detail the effects of war, not
just on the soldiers but also on the families waiting back home. In April 2004, soldiers from the 1st Cavalry Division were on a routine patrol in Sadr
City, Iraq, when they came under surprise attack. Over the course of the next 48 hours, eight Americans would be killed and more than 70 wounded. Back
home, as news of the attack began filtering in, the families of these same men - neighbors in Fort Hood, Texas - feared the worst. In time, some of the
women in their circle would receive "the call": the notification that a husband or brother had been killed in action. So the families banded together in
anticipation of the heartbreak that was certain to come. The firefight in Sadr City marked the beginning of the Iraqi insurgency, and Martha Raddatz has
written perhaps the most riveting account of hand-to-hand combat to emerge from the war in Iraq. This intimate portrait of the close-knit community of
families Stateside, the unsung heroes of the military, distinguishes The Long Road Home from other stories of modern warfare, showing the horror, terror,
bravery, and fortitude not just of the soldiers who were wounded and killed but also of the wives and children whose lives are now forever changed.
Joyce Bean is one of the best narrators and did a wonderful job portraying the different characters in this book. I can’t do better at describing this book than the publishers note:
From ABC White House correspondent Martha Raddatz comes the story of a brutal 48-hour firefight that conveys in harrowing detail the effects of war, not
just on the soldiers but also on the families waiting back home. In April 2004, soldiers from the 1st Cavalry Division were on a routine patrol in Sadr
City, Iraq, when they came under surprise attack. Over the course of the next 48 hours, eight Americans would be killed and more than 70 wounded. Back
home, as news of the attack began filtering in, the families of these same men - neighbors in Fort Hood, Texas - feared the worst. In time, some of the
women in their circle would receive "the call": the notification that a husband or brother had been killed in action. So the families banded together in
anticipation of the heartbreak that was certain to come. The firefight in Sadr City marked the beginning of the Iraqi insurgency, and Martha Raddatz has
written perhaps the most riveting account of hand-to-hand combat to emerge from the war in Iraq. This intimate portrait of the close-knit community of
families Stateside, the unsung heroes of the military, distinguishes The Long Road Home from other stories of modern warfare, showing the horror, terror,
bravery, and fortitude not just of the soldiers who were wounded and killed but also of the wives and children whose lives are now forever changed.
February 5, 2016
I thought the “Long Road Home” was a great book. The first thing I should say is that it can be very descriptive in the injuries people suffer. It gives descriptions of what kind of suffering the troops went through over there. It shows how our troops not being properly armed and transported could end very badly because we don’t want people to get the wrong idea. Reading this book will give you a better concept of what war is really like. Obviously it’s not going to be spot on because it’s from someone else’s perspective and they may see things differently.
There are a lot of names thrown around in the book, but the author makes the people recognizable. She makes sure the book isn’t confusing by bringing someone up and the beginning and never talking about them again until the last four pages to confuse you. The brilliant thing about this book though, is she shows the impact of the deaths back at home. The anticipation to see if they would get that letter saying their son has died. It’s quite sad honestly.
Almost all of the men had never seen combat before, never killed anybody. They made mistakes, there was a lot of pressure on them. They were placed in a situation they hadn’t been in before and they were scared. They made mistakes, they were new to the concept of actual combat, not just training drills. But put yourself in that position, it’d be tough for anyone. So if you like real stories, stories like “Black Hawk Down” then I would recommend this for you.
There are a lot of names thrown around in the book, but the author makes the people recognizable. She makes sure the book isn’t confusing by bringing someone up and the beginning and never talking about them again until the last four pages to confuse you. The brilliant thing about this book though, is she shows the impact of the deaths back at home. The anticipation to see if they would get that letter saying their son has died. It’s quite sad honestly.
Almost all of the men had never seen combat before, never killed anybody. They made mistakes, there was a lot of pressure on them. They were placed in a situation they hadn’t been in before and they were scared. They made mistakes, they were new to the concept of actual combat, not just training drills. But put yourself in that position, it’d be tough for anyone. So if you like real stories, stories like “Black Hawk Down” then I would recommend this for you.
July 17, 2007
i just kind of felt like i had to read some account of a battle in iraq since i pretty much know nothing about the military aspect past the letters ied. this is an account of the "battle" of sadr city, which was really a complex ambush followed by a chaotic series of rescue attempts, before soldiers knew their was such a thing as an insurgency and that armored vehicles would soon be a necessity. (by the way this is the battle where casey sheehan, cindy sheehan's son died, not in the rescue attempt of the soldiers but in an attempt the next day, still in unarmored convoys mind you, to recover lost equipment)
my favorite character was the one guy who refused to leave the mess table before finishing his meal when news came that one of the platoons needed to be rescued. a career soldier nowhere near the rank he should have been (picture dolochov from war and peace) and who only wanted to reach retirement and go home, he ended up saving about a half-dozen lives in his unarmored convoy, every limb and even torso applying pressure to his wounded compratriots. i was sad to read in the appendix that he was from cameron, la, leveled by hurricane rita.
the book is okay and does a good job of conveying the surreal nature of battles over there . it tries to distinguish itself from blackhawk down by adding a few skippable chapters about the homefront.
my favorite character was the one guy who refused to leave the mess table before finishing his meal when news came that one of the platoons needed to be rescued. a career soldier nowhere near the rank he should have been (picture dolochov from war and peace) and who only wanted to reach retirement and go home, he ended up saving about a half-dozen lives in his unarmored convoy, every limb and even torso applying pressure to his wounded compratriots. i was sad to read in the appendix that he was from cameron, la, leveled by hurricane rita.
the book is okay and does a good job of conveying the surreal nature of battles over there . it tries to distinguish itself from blackhawk down by adding a few skippable chapters about the homefront.
March 21, 2023
I had initially resolved not to read this particular tale. However, for myriad reasons, I finally picked it up. I'll start with the caveat that the main strength of this book rests on the people it describes, not the writing or reporting...but I'll also grant Martha Raddatz the unyielding truth that any combat narrative is necessarily limited both by one's access and the fact that it's one of the human experiences that simply cannot be adequately translated or transmitted to those who haven’t lived it. Given my lack of expertise on that front, I’m not here to summarize events or try to sell you on service, honor, or valor so much as to critique Martha Raddatz’s book.
Raddatz's entry point was, obviously, restricted to a select group of individuals with a story to tell. Consequently this is a fairly narrow picture of events during one window of time in Iraq. That doesn't mean it's inaccurate - - without going into any detail, her reporting tracks with secondhand information I've gleaned from others, and with other books that I've read about the war in general, so I'm not implying that it's false in any way, just...narrow. The same can be said of almost any other book on the subject (or film for that matter) so this isn't a disqualification so much as something to keep front of mind when reading: what has been left out? Who isn't talking? What might they have to say if they were willing to speak? Would this experience provoke the same reaction in everyone, or might others have entirely different thoughts and feelings in response to it? (Spoiler alert: they might indeed.)
She's able to get around the limitation of her perspective somewhat via the aspect that makes 'The Long Road Home' unique among the other books of this genre, which is the homefront narrative. It was a creative way to heighten the contrast between the Americans sitting at home watching television in their living rooms and the Americans dealing with raw sewage and a bloody, somehow-unexpected insurgency and sectarian clusterf**k on the other side of the planet. Toggling back and forth between these two worlds is a bewildering shift even as a reader, and I think it's one of the better editorial choices made for this book.
Misgivings about journalism aside, the people described here are unforgettable, and reading it felt frankly a bit voyeuristic. These aren’t the most harrowing descriptions of violence I’ve read, but affecting enough that at certain parts I had an autonomic response and then found it necessary to finish the chapter, take a walk to think, and then sit on my hands instead of texting a few friends to coddle me about being very up in my feelings over what I’d just read. Despite (or perhaps because of) an existing familiarity with some of the events described, I still found myself tearing up on behalf of individuals, and then grinding my teeth in frustration at decisions from on high.
…which brings to mind a complaint I have with this book, published in 2007 just as it was an appropriate time for a certain political party to begin publicly mourning Iraq war deaths in order to make political hay out of it. Politically speaking, whether or not you’re already familiar with Rumsfeld and his infamous “the Army you have…” comments (and the decisions behind them, regarding hearts and minds and appearances and armor and ROE) I don’t imagine this book will win he or his cohort any fans....nor should it. In that sense I think it functions exactly as intended. I question the motivations behind this kind of trauma-tourism at this time and with this specific bent, even as I’m moved by it and find it worthy on its own merits. I have not seen a book from Ms. Raddatz focusing on fatalities during the subsequent administration, nor about further deaths and a catastrophic ending to the conflict in Afghanistan (though I welcome correction if I’ve missed those books).
Overall I think this was a well written effort, in apparent conjunction with a television show (which I have not and don’t plan to see) at getting a very jaded and apathetic public to bestir themselves to care for what was in fact still happening in Iraq, and for those coming home from it. There are moments and events described here that I'm quite sure I won't forget, and one particular phrase has been stuck in my head ever since reading it. Beyond all of that, the people of the 1st Cavalry Division certainly deserve your attention and remembrance for the time it takes to read this book and beyond.
That said, I felt a keener sense of understanding what I'd describe as the wide array of personalities who went to war on behalf of the U.S. after having read David Finkel’s The Good Soldiers, sticking with the Army, and shifting to the Marines with Evan Wright’s Generation Kill: Devil Dogs, Iceman, Captain America, and the New Face of American War and Nate Fick’s One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer.
Fick writes about his own time as a USMC officer and doesn't need to compensate for being a journalist the way the others do. If I had to hazard a guess I’d say that much of the difference for Finkel and Wright came down to the matter of a willingness to open up to embeds who were male, who were there for significantly longer periods of time and thus present for more frequent and more violent events (and hence brought into a more trusted circle of confidence), and who were frankly more skilled at their jobs. For these and any number of other reasons, these books had a greater sense of intimacy for me. That’s on the author, not the men she wrote about. Despite that I’d still recommend this book, not only out of a sense of appreciation and historical significance - - though there is certainly that - - but because as piece of literature the painful dualism between Sadr City, Iraq and Killeen, Texas that Raddatz makes so obvious here is actually something that other books of this type tend to be lacking.
Raddatz's entry point was, obviously, restricted to a select group of individuals with a story to tell. Consequently this is a fairly narrow picture of events during one window of time in Iraq. That doesn't mean it's inaccurate - - without going into any detail, her reporting tracks with secondhand information I've gleaned from others, and with other books that I've read about the war in general, so I'm not implying that it's false in any way, just...narrow. The same can be said of almost any other book on the subject (or film for that matter) so this isn't a disqualification so much as something to keep front of mind when reading: what has been left out? Who isn't talking? What might they have to say if they were willing to speak? Would this experience provoke the same reaction in everyone, or might others have entirely different thoughts and feelings in response to it? (Spoiler alert: they might indeed.)
She's able to get around the limitation of her perspective somewhat via the aspect that makes 'The Long Road Home' unique among the other books of this genre, which is the homefront narrative. It was a creative way to heighten the contrast between the Americans sitting at home watching television in their living rooms and the Americans dealing with raw sewage and a bloody, somehow-unexpected insurgency and sectarian clusterf**k on the other side of the planet. Toggling back and forth between these two worlds is a bewildering shift even as a reader, and I think it's one of the better editorial choices made for this book.
Misgivings about journalism aside, the people described here are unforgettable, and reading it felt frankly a bit voyeuristic. These aren’t the most harrowing descriptions of violence I’ve read, but affecting enough that at certain parts I had an autonomic response and then found it necessary to finish the chapter, take a walk to think, and then sit on my hands instead of texting a few friends to coddle me about being very up in my feelings over what I’d just read. Despite (or perhaps because of) an existing familiarity with some of the events described, I still found myself tearing up on behalf of individuals, and then grinding my teeth in frustration at decisions from on high.
…which brings to mind a complaint I have with this book, published in 2007 just as it was an appropriate time for a certain political party to begin publicly mourning Iraq war deaths in order to make political hay out of it. Politically speaking, whether or not you’re already familiar with Rumsfeld and his infamous “the Army you have…” comments (and the decisions behind them, regarding hearts and minds and appearances and armor and ROE) I don’t imagine this book will win he or his cohort any fans....nor should it. In that sense I think it functions exactly as intended. I question the motivations behind this kind of trauma-tourism at this time and with this specific bent, even as I’m moved by it and find it worthy on its own merits. I have not seen a book from Ms. Raddatz focusing on fatalities during the subsequent administration, nor about further deaths and a catastrophic ending to the conflict in Afghanistan (though I welcome correction if I’ve missed those books).
Overall I think this was a well written effort, in apparent conjunction with a television show (which I have not and don’t plan to see) at getting a very jaded and apathetic public to bestir themselves to care for what was in fact still happening in Iraq, and for those coming home from it. There are moments and events described here that I'm quite sure I won't forget, and one particular phrase has been stuck in my head ever since reading it. Beyond all of that, the people of the 1st Cavalry Division certainly deserve your attention and remembrance for the time it takes to read this book and beyond.
That said, I felt a keener sense of understanding what I'd describe as the wide array of personalities who went to war on behalf of the U.S. after having read David Finkel’s The Good Soldiers, sticking with the Army, and shifting to the Marines with Evan Wright’s Generation Kill: Devil Dogs, Iceman, Captain America, and the New Face of American War and Nate Fick’s One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer.
Fick writes about his own time as a USMC officer and doesn't need to compensate for being a journalist the way the others do. If I had to hazard a guess I’d say that much of the difference for Finkel and Wright came down to the matter of a willingness to open up to embeds who were male, who were there for significantly longer periods of time and thus present for more frequent and more violent events (and hence brought into a more trusted circle of confidence), and who were frankly more skilled at their jobs. For these and any number of other reasons, these books had a greater sense of intimacy for me. That’s on the author, not the men she wrote about. Despite that I’d still recommend this book, not only out of a sense of appreciation and historical significance - - though there is certainly that - - but because as piece of literature the painful dualism between Sadr City, Iraq and Killeen, Texas that Raddatz makes so obvious here is actually something that other books of this type tend to be lacking.
October 27, 2015
Gripping - and sobering. Raddatz describes the 24-hour battle on April 4, 2004 that started the six-month fight in Sadr City. A platoon from the First Cavalry Division on escort through Sadr City was ambushed and cut off. As they fought, for hours, attempts to relieve and rescue the platoon were ambushed and assaulted, endlessly, throughout Sadr City. It was an organized, wide spread and and relentless attack on the US Army forces. It was the precursor to the ensuing six-month battle of Sadr City. In that initial 24-hour battle, eight soldiers were killed and 60 wounded. Raddatz lays out the events of the battle and its consequences and effects on the soldiers engaged in it, and correlates that with the concurrent events, consequences and effects upon their families and loved ones back in the States.
This is one of those books that needs to be read to better appreciate and understand the courage, sacrifice, and bravery of our incredible fighting men and their loved ones back home, and the measure of grievous losses that are the inevitable price of battle - always.
This is one of those books that needs to be read to better appreciate and understand the courage, sacrifice, and bravery of our incredible fighting men and their loved ones back home, and the measure of grievous losses that are the inevitable price of battle - always.
July 5, 2016
This humanistic depiction of a horrific battle during the Iraq war is beautiful and elegantly crafted. Multiple points of view tell the stories of the soldiers, commanders, and families involved, so that the reader gets a 360 degree view. There are other layers too, which include the emotional complexities of all involved and expert narrative of the harrowing experiences of soldiers and those who love them. This book will run you through a gambit of emotions from laughter to horror to joy, but it seems necessary to tell stories like these, because they humanize something that seems so far from the comfortable couches and over indulgences of the comforts we take for granted. By the end of this story, I felt so grateful to be where I am, and for those who have helped me to get there, whether I knew them or not. I also felt the ambiguity of the Iraq War through the soldiers own voices which to me are more potent than any politicians. I'm very grateful to have read this and commend its author.
June 12, 2007
I don't even know where to start. I think this is a book that everyone should read. It is about a battle/ambush in Sadr City, Iraq. My brother Trevor was stationed there at the time. He was one of the lucky ones and was in armored vehicles at the time. If you read it Trev was in the Quick Reaction Force (QRF) the first group sent in to rescue the ambushed platoon. His platoon isn't talked about to much, as I said they were the lucky ones.
The reason I recommend this book to everyone is because it is really well written and factual. I didn't feel like the author took any sides as far as the war is concerned. It is not about whether the war is right or wrong, but rather about the soliders and their families and what they are fighting for (each other). It is about what they went through and their love and loyalty to each other and our country. It is about what happened that day in Sadr City and how these amazing men and their families sacrificed all for each other.
The reason I recommend this book to everyone is because it is really well written and factual. I didn't feel like the author took any sides as far as the war is concerned. It is not about whether the war is right or wrong, but rather about the soliders and their families and what they are fighting for (each other). It is about what they went through and their love and loyalty to each other and our country. It is about what happened that day in Sadr City and how these amazing men and their families sacrificed all for each other.
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