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Camera Boy: An Army Journalist's War in Iraq
<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {"Cambria Math"; 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; "Calisto MT"; 1107304683 0 0 159 0;} @font-face { 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; "Times New Roman"; 1073750139 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { ""; "Times New Roman","serif"; } .MsoChpDefault { "Times New Roman"; } @page Section1 { 11.0in; 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; } div.Section1 {} --> <!--[if gte mso 10]> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {"Table Normal"; ""; 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; "Calibri","sans-serif"; "Times New Roman"; } <![endif]-->Fred Minnick spent more than a year in Iraq as a U.S. Army public affairs photojournalist. With a Nikon in one hand and an M-16 in the other, he accompanied combat troops on missions ranging from raids on suspected terrorist strongholds to public relations events including the opening of a school for girls. Some of the stories made it back home, most did not.
Camera Boy offers an eyewitness account of the Iraq War from a soldier with a different POV--from behind a camera and typewriter. Unfortunately, being assigned to public affairs did not shield Staff Sergeant Minnick from the horrors of war--including the deaths of two close friends--or from the devastating effects of PTSD upon his return home.
It is a story of courage, frustration (with both the military and the mainstream media), dedication and redemption. Includes 32 pages of photos taken by the author
Camera Boy offers an eyewitness account of the Iraq War from a soldier with a different POV--from behind a camera and typewriter. Unfortunately, being assigned to public affairs did not shield Staff Sergeant Minnick from the horrors of war--including the deaths of two close friends--or from the devastating effects of PTSD upon his return home.
It is a story of courage, frustration (with both the military and the mainstream media), dedication and redemption. Includes 32 pages of photos taken by the author
- GenresNonfiction
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
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110 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
October 27, 2011
I mistakenly thought from the title that this would be about a photographer and/or photography in Iraq. What it actually is about is an average joe, that gets into some average situations, acts in an average manner, while making fun of and abusing those he perceives as beneath him and being blissfully unaware that he isn't anywhere near the top of the food chain.
The ignorance and false sense of superiority presented was probably the most interesting thing. Here is a representative sample from when he just took a picture of a women after breaking into her house looking for a suspected arms dealer:
"She spit on me again. Other Armies might have hit her over the head with the butt of a weapon, which at the time, with saliva dripping down my cheek, seemed like a pretty good idea. For the hell of it, I took fifteen pictures of the lady from every angle and at every exposure. She may have spit on me, but I have a camera and I don't live in a mud hut, so I win in the end."
The ignorance and false sense of superiority presented was probably the most interesting thing. Here is a representative sample from when he just took a picture of a women after breaking into her house looking for a suspected arms dealer:
"She spit on me again. Other Armies might have hit her over the head with the butt of a weapon, which at the time, with saliva dripping down my cheek, seemed like a pretty good idea. For the hell of it, I took fifteen pictures of the lady from every angle and at every exposure. She may have spit on me, but I have a camera and I don't live in a mud hut, so I win in the end."
December 10, 2023
I enjoyed the bourbon writing that Fred Minnick has published and was at one point an avid fan of the podcasts he hosts and participates in so I was curious to read this book. It was an enjoyable read and an excellent account of his service in Iraq. It’s a must read if you enjoy his work and want to learn a bit more about his experiences.
February 24, 2024
This is one of the most genuine autobiographies I’ve read from a veteran. At times I didn’t know what some of the jargon or acronyms meant, but that was a minor issue. It’s absolutely a good read. I do however wish it was on Kindle, especially since the printed version has small’ish font.
December 1, 2015
The purpose for Fred Minnick to write Camera Boy was to inform the world of not only his sacrifices in the War on Terror, but also the sacrifices of his unit, the men and women of the units he was embedded in, and the brave Iraqis who fought to free their homeland from the threats of the insurgents. This memoir of his year in Iraq as an Army cameraman told of three of his close friends losing everything, and of many more almost losing their lives. It told of the friendships he had forged in the heat of battle, and the pain he had felt when the bonds were severed by a man with a rifle. The novel told of the impact being a soldier took on his life and the impact it took on those around him, both in America and in the war-torn country of Iraq.
The theme of this book is to never let fear define who you are and to do what you think is right. There are no more prevalent examples than those of Samir Faisal and a fourteen year old boy named Logan. Both were Iraqi natives and they both served as interpreters for the Army. Logan, just a child, was already on the insurgents' black list for aiding the Army in a search. He also speaks four languages, English, Turkish, Kurdish and Arabic. Speaking three of those could have gotten him killed. Samir was a man with a wife and child, and he was one of the author's closest friends in his time in Iraq. His jovial nature made him well liked, and he gladly helped the Americans. This caused him great danger, though. He had never parked in the same place with the same car twice. Often times, he took a taxi to avoid the danger. But one day, as he parked his car, he paid the ultimate price. The insurgents had forced him back into his car and they were going to kill him. Samir may have given the ultimate sacrifice, but he never lost his faith in the war.
This novel is a narration. Minnick starts off the book by introducing the reader to his friends and colleagues at the 139th Mobile Public Affairs Division based out of Wisconsin and describing the unit as "feminine and smelled like fru-fru candles," as there was only other male in the 139th. He goes on to tell of his bonding with the women in his unit, and how they took care of him when he was sick. Next, he tells of his flight to Iraq and his first few assignments there. His first article about the Stryker armored vehicles was a flop, considering his photos were terrible shots. His lucky break came when he had to photograph the effects of a car bomb. It was gruesome, and it was his first taste as to what war was like. It then told of his raids, the bonding with the portly Iraqi Samir, and of the time he lost two of his close friends. It tells of how he lived his life while halfway across the world and how he spent his life back in his homeland.
My opinion of this book is one of appraisal. I enjoyed many parts of this book, from learning some military lingo to reading about the firefights Minnick encountered. I especially enjoyed the comical section of the book where he and another sergeant made puns about an Iraqi soldier falling down a port-a-potty and rupturing his scrotum. The book was well executed, except there were a handful of typos that felt like a popcorn kernel stuck in my teeth. These would be the only things i would change, as the book was written all too well. This book reminds me of another novel written by a soldier, 19 year old Ryan Smithson, who worked construction. He built walls and filled in craters left by car bombs and IEDs. Ghosts of War had many of the same aspects of this novel, and is truly worth the read.
The theme of this book is to never let fear define who you are and to do what you think is right. There are no more prevalent examples than those of Samir Faisal and a fourteen year old boy named Logan. Both were Iraqi natives and they both served as interpreters for the Army. Logan, just a child, was already on the insurgents' black list for aiding the Army in a search. He also speaks four languages, English, Turkish, Kurdish and Arabic. Speaking three of those could have gotten him killed. Samir was a man with a wife and child, and he was one of the author's closest friends in his time in Iraq. His jovial nature made him well liked, and he gladly helped the Americans. This caused him great danger, though. He had never parked in the same place with the same car twice. Often times, he took a taxi to avoid the danger. But one day, as he parked his car, he paid the ultimate price. The insurgents had forced him back into his car and they were going to kill him. Samir may have given the ultimate sacrifice, but he never lost his faith in the war.
This novel is a narration. Minnick starts off the book by introducing the reader to his friends and colleagues at the 139th Mobile Public Affairs Division based out of Wisconsin and describing the unit as "feminine and smelled like fru-fru candles," as there was only other male in the 139th. He goes on to tell of his bonding with the women in his unit, and how they took care of him when he was sick. Next, he tells of his flight to Iraq and his first few assignments there. His first article about the Stryker armored vehicles was a flop, considering his photos were terrible shots. His lucky break came when he had to photograph the effects of a car bomb. It was gruesome, and it was his first taste as to what war was like. It then told of his raids, the bonding with the portly Iraqi Samir, and of the time he lost two of his close friends. It tells of how he lived his life while halfway across the world and how he spent his life back in his homeland.
My opinion of this book is one of appraisal. I enjoyed many parts of this book, from learning some military lingo to reading about the firefights Minnick encountered. I especially enjoyed the comical section of the book where he and another sergeant made puns about an Iraqi soldier falling down a port-a-potty and rupturing his scrotum. The book was well executed, except there were a handful of typos that felt like a popcorn kernel stuck in my teeth. These would be the only things i would change, as the book was written all too well. This book reminds me of another novel written by a soldier, 19 year old Ryan Smithson, who worked construction. He built walls and filled in craters left by car bombs and IEDs. Ghosts of War had many of the same aspects of this novel, and is truly worth the read.
March 7, 2016
Very disappointing, and I REALLY wanted to like this book. Written by a U.S. Army soldier who (I assume) was a graduate of the Defense Information School (DINFOS) but you wouldn't know it by the quality of the writing or the editing. EVERYBODY is a dirt bag according to the author... including himself. Remarkably, he managed to find the one guy in Iraq who was beaten by Uday and enjoyed it.
You learn very little about how Public Affairs works in the Army, its role in keeping the U.S. public informed or how soldiers can communicate without using the "f-word." Neither do you learn about NCOs can create a non-threatening environment for females to work in.
The book doesn't seem to know what it's about, which makes it kind of pointless. If you are going to write an antiwar book, write an antiwar book. If you're going to write a book about what we hoped to accomplish in Iraq, then write about reconstruction in that country. And if you're going to write about how you gawked at female body parts in Qatar, there's a market for that too. But the book just never seems to have a direction or a conclusion, which makes robs it of its impact. Lots of photos, though.
You learn very little about how Public Affairs works in the Army, its role in keeping the U.S. public informed or how soldiers can communicate without using the "f-word." Neither do you learn about NCOs can create a non-threatening environment for females to work in.
The book doesn't seem to know what it's about, which makes it kind of pointless. If you are going to write an antiwar book, write an antiwar book. If you're going to write a book about what we hoped to accomplish in Iraq, then write about reconstruction in that country. And if you're going to write about how you gawked at female body parts in Qatar, there's a market for that too. But the book just never seems to have a direction or a conclusion, which makes robs it of its impact. Lots of photos, though.
May 5, 2012
This is an incredible book! At this point, I think all of us know at least one person who has served our country in Iraq or Afghanistan. This book, this memoir, is the story of one soldier who served in Iraq in 2004. Serving with a public affairs unit, the author recounts the missions he went on with front-line units. He tells the story from an insiders point of view, not glossing over the gory details.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not recommending this book as a gore-fest. The author wants his readers to know what it's like in the field with soldiers doing dangerous work. He doesn't stop there however, he also tells what it was like for him when he returned from Iraq. The last couple of chapters should be mandatory reading for anyone who has friends or family returning from combat.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not recommending this book as a gore-fest. The author wants his readers to know what it's like in the field with soldiers doing dangerous work. He doesn't stop there however, he also tells what it was like for him when he returned from Iraq. The last couple of chapters should be mandatory reading for anyone who has friends or family returning from combat.
June 11, 2012
I would give this 3.5 if I could - it was written by a public affairs journalist/camera man in Iraq, and his prose is just better suited to newspapers/magazines than non-fictional accounts. You can tell he's young, doesn't have that awesome of a vocabulary, and I was surprised his descriptions weren't a little more graphic. That being said, it definitely gave me a good picture if what it was like over there for our military as well as the Iraqis (both the ones who were supportive and against the U.S. being there). It was unsettling, to say the least.
August 9, 2012
What Minnick is able to do is nothing short of capturing the realities of what the war in Iraq was like during the timeframe of the book. Some stories in it are touching and personal...others are universal.
Both insightful and filled with humor, Camera Boy is an enjoyable read from cover to cover.
If you want to know about strategy or politics, then pick up a book written by a historian or former general. If you want to know what it was like to be an actual soldier, on the ground in Iraq - armed with a camera more than a rifle - Camera Boy is THE book to read.
Both insightful and filled with humor, Camera Boy is an enjoyable read from cover to cover.
If you want to know about strategy or politics, then pick up a book written by a historian or former general. If you want to know what it was like to be an actual soldier, on the ground in Iraq - armed with a camera more than a rifle - Camera Boy is THE book to read.
October 17, 2011
The story of an average Joe in the National Guard who serves a year in Iraq and the consequences when he comes home. I recommend everyone read this book because of the subject matter, though I only gave it three stars because the writing is fairly average. The author doesn't sugar coat anything and paints a brutally honest picture, which is appreciated by the reader but probably not all the subjects he writes about.
December 26, 2012
This book was written by a National Guard Public Affairs Soldier who was deployed to the same area during the same timeframe as my hubs and Dad and old unit were back in 2004-05...thought it would be interesting to read a little about someone else's experience there...decent quick read, it was almost like sitting down and chatting with the author...
May 10, 2012
I really did not care for parts of this book. I just couldn't click with the author, his writing style or his opinion/treatment of others he felt he had power over. I will admit that the last third of the book was better for me.
May 30, 2012
Wow: What a ride Mr. Minnick was on. I enjoyed reading this memoir and appreciated the circumstances he was in as well as the experiences he had. Learned a lot although would have loved to have seen more of his photography throughout the book.
November 23, 2011
First-person experiences of a young journalist soldier serving in Iraq. His candid account can help us understand what it's like to go from war zone to home zone - and why it can be so very dificult.
May 3, 2012
didn't like this book..didn't complete it
May 13, 2012
Great book on Iraq.
November 20, 2012
I really loved this book. If you're offended by bad language, skip it. It's a GREAT first-hand experience of war. If you like military books, this is a good and easy (pretty quick) read.
November 25, 2012
Thought this would be about the nitty gritty of capturing a war zone. not true, just a platform for casual racism and homophobia. Also poorly written.
December 24, 2012
Expected to read about an Army Journalist life as a photographer .. Got about halfway through. Disappointed.
January 9, 2013
What an interesting read about a life of what a soldier goes through and how it inevitably changes their life. Can appreciate the story as a sibling of a soldier who has fought in Iraq.
September 4, 2013
An interesting real life look at the Iraq war from the point of view of a soldier/journalist who carried a rifle and a camera.
January 22, 2012
An interesting look at the beginning of the war in Iraq.
July 19, 2012
It was interesting to read a book from someone who didn't have a direct combat role.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews