The Long Road Home (TV Tie-In) - A Story of War and Family

Wow! - I started reading this book yesterday. Finished it this evening. I only put it down for very important appointments; I read it on the john, over breakfast, while on the exercise bike, in bed last night and this morning. I was amazed when I read the Acknowledgments and found she wasn't in the second Humvee on April 4, 2004. The book read like a diary of someone who was right there. This book does not glorify war; but it does lead you to love and sympathize with the participants in it. All of them. With the exception of one: the Worst President ever.

Have not yet read more than the introduction and a bit of the first chapter - the writing gives this old writer chills of envy as I wish I strung words together as well as she - and I've been at it longer than she has! For those who _enjoy_ reading about war - don't miss this book.

Great book! My husband is actually mentioned in this book. I am fortunate enough that he made it home. This book was extremely helpful to have a better understanding of what my husband went through while fighting for our freedom.

Soldiers in their first days in Iraq are ambushed. This book details the battle that ensues as well as what happens on the home front. Soon to be a mini series on TV. A gut wrenching narrative especially of interest to who want to know what war really is ...

ABC News' Martha Raddatz presents a vivid, heartbreaking, brutal and maddening ride through the hellacious labyrinth of Sadr City on April 4, 2004. The reader is thrust into the back of an open truck and seems to endure the firestorm, chaos and tragedy that the intrepid young soldiers of the First Cavalry Division did during a supposedly routine sludge run.

Ms. Raddatz does a remarkable job of telling the story with almost minute-by-bloody minute detail. Lieutenant Steve Aguero's wife Amber warned him, "In every war there is always a platoon that gets pinned down. Don't let it be yours." It was his, indeed, and when the day was over eight American servicemen were dead and dozens wounded.

Brave young men rushed to his platoon's rescue in vehicles that were often unarmored. Soldiers crouched in open beds of trucks often with little more protection than plywood, canvas, and the devotion of their fellow soldiers to protect their buddies.

Decades ago President John F. Kennedy encouraged his circle of advisors to read Barbara Tuchman's magnificent "Guns of August" about the folly of the crowned heads, relatives, and blustering politicians who lead their nations into World War I. Tuchman's insightful work seems to have dropped off the reading list of the "chicken-hawks" who swore our troops would be greeted as liberators in Iraq.

Martha Raddatz's "The Long Road Home" should be required reading for every future Commander-in-Chief and all those who are running for their chance to occupy the Oval Office. This book should be in the hands of every American who slaps a "Support Our Troops" decal on the back of their SUV and believes it is the height of patriotism.

It's a shame the "band of brothers" and their families at home paid the ultimate price because our nation suffers under a delusional, dysfunctional and diabolical administration led by a cocky cowboy in a codpiece strutting across the deck of an aircraft carrier with all the swagger of a bad Rich Little imitation of John Wayne.

How dare he dare our enemies to "Bring `em on." How dare he, Mr. Dick "I had other priorities during the Vietnam War" Cheney, and Mr. Rumsfeld send our young men and women into combat with equipment that offers no more protection than the flimsy material used in the "Mission Accomplished" banner that hung from the USS Abraham Lincoln. How dare he order troops into harm's way for a mission that has never been clearly defined.

Quite simply, this book is a clarion call for impeachment of President Bush and the architects of this travesty that was undertaken because of a series of lies and treasonous behavior.

I hope by the time this gut-wrenching look at the labors of our soldiers is turned into a movie, all our troops will have their dusty boots back on the ground in the U.S.

Thank you, Martha.

I fought in this battle, I treated and remember many of the dead and wounded men described in this book. I kept a written memory of my feelings and memories from April 4th that I jotted down in the days afterward. Unfortunately, "The Long Road Home" is no Blackhawk Down and Martha Raddatz isn't the caliber of writer and especially not researcher that Mark Bowden (author of BHD) was. It seemed that Ms. Raddatz was more interested in telling a story and projecting some very general philosophies and cliched lessons learned from American war. In the same style of Band of Brothers, or other Stephen Ambrose classics (which were VERY well researched), however theres was a different generation, fighting for far different reasons. Rather than telling THE story, following the factual timeline, interviewing more participants and other units involved. Much of her initial research, I have to assume, was taken after interviews with the Commanders and senior leadership, some of whom had almost no involvement in this battle. They told their story first, and the book reads like they may want it to be read. I wonder if Custer had lived, would he tell a similar tale.

This clearly became the framework for her story and a positive, "it's just war" message permeates the entire book. She is critical of almost none of the planning or decisions made. Her interviews with the junior Officers and NCOs do not reflect any opinion they have, merely the sacrifices they made, and their recollections of the extreme violence, fear, and emotions they felt.

She took very little time to try to understand what happened, why it happened, or what should have happened, instead merely echoing some worn out ideals of American war and applying the civilian paintbrush. It's often said that history is written by the victor, in this case history was written by the first persons to mug the reporter with their rank.

She does not do justice to April 4th. This book felt cobbled together, as if the prologue and epilogue were written, pictures were inserted midbook, and the HYPOTHESIS and CONCLUSIONS were drawn before she ever conducted interviews and research.

When writing a true story, you are supposed to interview, with an open mind, and seek out facts and truth. Martha Raddatz just wasn't asking the right questions.

This is sad to me, as this is a story that still needs to be told, in print or in movie. I suspect that one day this will become a movie, my hope is that when it does the story will be told accurately and the philosophical and moral questions (and answers) will be unique to the war WE fought in.

Dan

Save yourself the time and watch "Black Hawk Down." This is a slightly interesting book, if you can overlook the horrendous punctuation and comma placement. Primarily, I was unimpressed by the lack of character development. The author discusses too many individuals to possibly keep them straight; thus, one is left with a cursory glimpse of each soldier or family member. I arrived at the end of the book with the feeling that the author did not provide the opportunity to really get to "know" the people with whom I had just spent so much of my time. Personally, I think a great book is one in which the reader is dying to meet the character for a cup of coffee at the end. The Appendix lists the 51 names of those mentioned throughout the book, and it is impossible for the reader to remember them all. Therefore, instead of feeling that I had learned more about what our soldiers are experiencing during this war and how much their families sacrifice, readers remain in their cushy American lifestlyes, driving a huge SUV, sitting in a temperature-controlled house, wearing clean socks, and eating a cheeseburger. Martha Raddatz failed to make the reader care about anything, except the horrific injuries. Similar to standing in front of the Vietnam War Memorial, one walks away remembering the numbers of those lost, not their names. Martha Raddatz skimmed the surface and neglected to bring it home.

This was part of my summer reading list. I suppose some enjoyed the sentimental accounts of brave soldiers suffering as the result of leadership unprepared for the enemy ambush that killed or wounded almost 100. But if one focuses on the factual accounting, the question Why? Why? Why? never seems completely explained. Overall our Iraqi experience won't be treated well in the history books, but that almost seems beside the point. What bothers me most is that the Lessons Learned won't receive the study they deserve, just as we failed in Vietnam to learn from our mistakes, strategic and tactical.

I realize today's unfolding technologies will provide modern warfighters will better and more up-to-date information and intelligence. The ambushes described in this book might not happen again if all systems are up and running. But what if they aren't?

It's a great book for learning and captures the essence of battle. Tears that flowed afterword, obscure the basic message: why?

Charles Krohn
Author: The Lost Battalion of Tet

I read this book as part of a professional reading program for my Army unit while I was stationed at Fort Jackson. I am a veteran of the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment and was stationed at Camp War Eagle from 2003-2004. I found the author to be quite biased in her assessment of why the 1st Cavalry unit fell into an ambush in Sadr City. The author spent a considerable amount of time embedded with the 1st Cavalry and never spent any time talking with the 2nd ACR troops at Camp War Eagle. The 2nd ACR troops were constantly attacked by IEDs in Sadr City. We always had armor nearby if we needed them. When 1st Cav came to relieve us they didn't heed our advice and lessons learned concerning Sadr City. I found this book to be a slight to the veterans and soldiers killed in Sadr City prior to the ambush. This is a great book for anyone wanting to know what combat in an urban environment is like. I would advise any reader to understand that the author has a bias and that this book isn't honest about why the 1st Cav troops were so easily lulled into an ambush.

The Long Road Home has received many five-star reviews - and certainly deserves them. It is a story of soldiers in uniform under some of the most intense urban combat conditions ever experienced by US forces. The story is interwoven seamlessly with the experience of wives and families of these soldiers, waiting anxiously in the US for news and later for the return of the wounded, some of them irrevocably shattered.

The Long Road Home is not an easy read for civilians in 2017 -- or for former military who served in the Vietnam era as I did. I did not serve under combat arms, but many of those I worked with did. I have heard stories of combat from soldiers and airmen whose eyes were haunted when they related brief memories. However, the reasons for my personal discomfort are larger than the horrors of combat.

We see in The Long Road Home, a repetition of the kinds of profound mistakes that Americans have made repeatedly in wars of the 20th Century. Occupation forces were sent into Iraq in 2004, after Operation Iraqi Freedom had toppled the Sadaam regime. The follow-on occupation forces were relatively lightly equipped, anticipating a grateful reception and a peace keeping action -- not the kind of factional war that rapidly developed in the power vacuum which US shock and awe operations had created. Our forces went yet again into a part of the world whose culture and values neither the US policy apparatus nor military leaders understood. And we again fought ten one-year wars, rather than a war of ten years -- losing the hard-won knowledge of troops rotated out of theater after a year to 16 months.

Among the issues that US policy leaders did not understand -- and may still not understand despite the pictures we have seen of a destroyed Aleppo and the millions of refugees still fleeing to Europe -- is that Muslim cultures of the Middle East do not value human life or factual truth over "virtue." And virtue is defined according to the version of religious history that you believe.

Shia and Sunni have been killing each other for 1400 years over issues of theology that one might compare to the decades of religious war in Europe following the Protestant Reformation. Unlike the West, Middle East Muslims seem to show no less appetite for religious atrocity today than they did hundreds of years ago.

Few Americans will recall the scenes witnessed by a US platoon trapped in an alley in Sadr City, as ably described by author Martha Raddatz. Most American media have avoided reporting details. But the truth is that local Shia militia of the Mahdi Army loyal to Muqtada al-Sadr mounted repeated human wave attacks against this trapped patrol. Shia troops herded ranks of women and children in front of them five-abreast, to fall like harvested wheat from the withering fire of US light armored vehicles defending the platoon. This atrocity was the result of a Muslim version of "virtue". But the lesson seems to have escaped all western observers.

Many people in the Middle East practice values that are profoundly different from those of westerners. If we do not understand how and in what ways these people are different, and find better ways to winnow out the radicalized from the peace loving, it might be only a matter of time before we see horrors in American streets to rival those of Bagdad.

This gives you a clearer understanding of what goes on behind the lines of War. I read this while my husband was in Iraq for 10 months, and as odd as it sounds, it never left my nightstand. It was as if it were my connection to him. Martha did a fantastic job bringing the battles into our homes. I would recommend this any day.

This compelling book reads like a novel and will likely have you sitting on the edge of your chair. It describes an hour by hour operation of American soldiers in Sadr City and the withering attack to which they were exposed. This culminated in multiple fatalities and dozens of wounded soldiers. Balancing this is the perspective of the lives and families that make up the community at Fort Hood, Texas.

Author Martha Raddatz and this book have no overt political agenda, but one cannot read it without wondering about the policy of the current occupation in Iraq.

For example, are the troops adequately equipped with a sufficient number of hard sided vehicles? Many of the deaths and wounds occurred to soldiers in vehicles with little or no armored protection.

Is America equipped to successfully fight another counter insurgency war? Perhaps the only way that America could be defeated in Iraq would be by tying down America as an occupation force and waging guerrilla warfare against it. That is precisely what has evolved into a Vietnam-like war of attrition.

Raddatz leaves the broader public policy questions to others, but relates a white-knuckle story of combat and the struggles of those who wait at home for their loved ones to return.

One of the problems in understanding what is happening in Iraq is in understanding what our soldiers are facing there. Too often, we forget that understanding of World War II and Korea came many years afterwards. It is always dangerous to think that news sound bytes or third hand analysis will provide for you what you need to know. Martha Raddatz had done some especially important reporting in this book that I believe everyone should read. At least everyone who cares about what is actually going on over there.

I want to emphasize the quality and style of the reporting. It is rare nowadays for a reporter to not also telegraph their own politics and opinions of the events they describe. Raddatz has higher standards. It is impossible for the reader to be sure about her thoughts about the events. Oh, you might project some onto her words, but if you carefully read what is on the page you cannot honestly infer her views. This is all one can ask of a reporter and Raddatz delivers.

The book centers on the battle that took place in Sadr City on April 4, 2004. A platoon that had newly arrived in Iraq was assigned the glorious daily detail of cleaning up the rivers of raw sewage the run in the streets. It isn't that the sewage runs because of wrecked sewers. There just are not any. This is normal life for these folks. One would think these folks would be grateful for the help. Instead, the Shia Muslims that made up the local population decided to declare their independence by attacking this maintenance detail. Hundreds of militia began firing at them.

The vehicles used for such work were not all armored and while they were armed they were not prepared for fighting on this scale. They quickly found an alleyway and commandeered a house and set up a defense. One of their number was killed and many were wounded before they set up the defense. They called for help and it was sent right away.

However, the help sent did not really understand the scope of the difficulty and brought humvees with canvas tops and opened backed troop carriers. They, too, suffered tremendous injury and death from the rooftops and doorways. It took a number of efforts over the next three hours to rescue the first platoon.

There are many scenes of heroism, loss, and horror. Many questions are raised. However, one should not play the awful bureaucratic political game of looking at what actually happened and then criticize the actions taken as if what happened could have actually been known beforehand. I will leave you to read about these incidents for yourself, but at the end of that day's battle eight soldiers had died and more than seventy were injured.

One of those who died in the efforts to pacify the city after the rescuer was Casey Sheehan. He was a humvee mechanic who was recruited to go out and help the wounded because he had some training in dealing with injuries. When all the random lead was flying he took a high powered round through his helmet and into his brain. I mention Specialist Sheehan because of the notoriety of his mother not because his sacrifice was any different than that offered by every other soldier on that day.

One of the most dramatic parts of the book is comparing Cindy Sheehan's reaction to hearing of her son's death (pg 261) with that of Diane Ibbotson when she heard about the death of her son, Forest (pg 262). I am not criticizing one over the other, but I am sure you will have a reaction to them. One moves me more with the quiet and selfless dignity, but you will have your own thoughts about these events.

Raddatz also shows us the families of these soldiers and what their support of their soldiers ON OUR BEHALF cost them. It is heart warming and heart breaking. The author achieves a great deal in making the soldiers real people with real wives, real children, parents, and siblings. The friendships among the soldiers also matter. However, in a fight you are comrades with the soldiers all around you whether you know them or not. Your survival depends on that trust and sacrifice.

This is a very moving book that I am glad I read and firmly recommend that you read.

Bookstore shelves already are groaning under the weight of volumes analyzing the geopolitics of the Iraq War and chronicling the decisions that took the United States into a war that has now lasted longer than our involvement in World War II. Anyone looking for a gripping account of that war from the perspective of the soldiers who have to fight it everyday need not search any further than THE LONG ROAD HOME for an unflinching portrayal of its harsh reality.

Veteran ABC News reporter Martha Raddatz has chosen to concentrate on a tiny slice of the conflict --- what she describes as "perhaps the most crucial turning point in the Iraq War." Late in the afternoon of April 4, 2004, Palm Sunday, a 20-man platoon left its base to accompany Iraqi sewage trucks sarcastically named "honey wagons" on a routine patrol through the streets of Sadr City, a six-square-mile slum in which 2.5 million Shiite Muslims live. Before nightfall, the platoon found itself locked in mortal combat with thousands of members of Muslim cleric Moqtada al-Sad'rs Mahdi Army and Iraqi civilians whose hatred of the American soldiers reached an almost suicidal mania.

What makes this book such a gripping read is its laser-like focus on a battle that lasted barely two hours. Raddatz's account feels as if it proceeds almost in real time, as the soldiers of the First Platoon, holed up in buildings in the heart of Sadr City, realize they have no chance to fight their way out of this urban nightmare and must depend on the courage of their fellow soldiers to save them from annihilation. Despite those heroic rescue efforts, including bravery that resulted in the award of Silver Stars to two of the soldiers involved in the battle, seven members of the platoon and one rescuer lost their lives.

Raddatz's writing is so vivid and full of riveting detail it's apparent she had extensive access to all of the principals involved in these events. Indeed, at times it's hard to believe she was not on the scene. The pace of the battle scenes is swift and relentless, slowed only occasionally by the insertion of details of the urban geography or references to the military units involved. Most readers will find themselves skimming in their haste to learn the soldiers' fate.

Unlike many who have written about the Iraq War, Raddatz does not have an obvious political agenda. At the same time, while her writing is cool and factual she isn't reluctant to spotlight handicaps, like the shortage of adequately armored vehicles, the gaps in the training of our troops and the apparent lack of readiness to deal with a situation on the ground that changed in an instant from what many still thought was a peacekeeping mission to all-out urban guerilla warfare. It's hard to suppress feelings of anger at these deficiencies, but those emotions quickly mingle with ones of admiration at the skill and bravery with which our soldiers fight.

As compelling as her account of the Palm Sunday battle is, Raddatz doesn't confine her attention to that engagement. Alongside it, she recounts the hardships of the soldiers' families at Fort Hood, Texas, learning of the battle on a placid Sunday afternoon and then having to wait, in some cases for days, to learn the fate of their loved ones. We come away from the stories of life on the home front with a renewed appreciation of the sacrifice these family members make when their spouses and parents go off to war.

As of this writing, almost 3,500 United States military personnel have died in Iraq, and recent months have brought an escalation in the number of casualties. Few Americans are neutral in their opinions about this country's policy, but even those most passionate in their political views probably don't pause very often to think about what daily life is like for the soldiers in combat there. THE LONG ROAD HOME offers a useful corrective to that state of mind. It reminds us that each soldier's life is precious and every death is singular.

Raddatz has said that she wanted readers "to put themselves in the place of these soldiers and their families. I want them to feel what they felt." She has done that with skill and sensitivity in this sobering book.

--- Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg

Thanks go to Martha and her incredibly talented staff for producing a great book that really describes that day.

I commanded the Crusaders, a tank company from 1st Armored Division, that was literally in the very last hours of our tour in Iraq when this fight took place. In the aftermath, we would be extended 3 months and fight almost the whole time. Combat is very subjective and perceptions of it are dramatically different, even among soldiers in the same unit, given their age, level of experience, and most importantly, their level of responsibility. Keep in mind that almost all of the key leaders in this book were in their early 30s, or more often in their 20s.

I would encourage readers to try to envision the emotional impact of this battle on a battalion that had just arrived in Iraq, the Lancers (2d Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment). It has been painful for me to read criticism of the decisions made that affected the rescue of Commanche Red Platoon that day. Combat, especially close urban combat in the first day of an insurgency in which there is no precedent, requires very rapid decisions that will be life and death for all soldiers involved. Lancer Battalion proved that day that they were very capable fighters and very good at developing tactics very quickly that would help us achieve our objectives. As American soldiers, we never ever leave our fallen behind. This is a huge part of our identity. The Lancers fought very heroically and their leaders made the right decisions to get those boys out of there. I would challenge anyone to do better.

All of the soldiers I fought with that day fought like tigers. I was not disappointed by a single man. My association with these men and other men in three months of constant subsequent fighting will always be my highest honor. There is absolutely no greater generation of young Americans at any point in our history. My company lost one Killed In Action (KIA) that day, Sergeant Mike Mitchell, from California. That morning, he and I had run together around the Martyr's Monument in downtown Baghdad, just south of Sadr City. 2 other soldiers were wounded that day, First Lieutenant Chris Dean and Specialist Micheaux Sanders, both of whom received the Silver Star for their actions that day.

In subsequent combat in Najaf and Kufa, we would lose two more KIA, First Lieutenant Ken Ballard from California and PFC Nick Zimmer from Ohio. 3 more would be wounded. All of this from a company of 56 tankers. I must add that two of our mechanics were decorated for bravery as well, Sergeants Mitchell and Halverson. 1 out of every 7 earned the Purple Heart. I am in awe of their performances just as I am of the infantry we fought with on April 4th, 2004 from 2d Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment.

Most importantly, I want to thank Martha and her staff for relating what effect this had on our families. It is often unreported and it is so vitally important in understanding the nature of this war which is being fought by a very small minority of Americans, that go to Iraq tour after tour.

The wives had to endure "email blackouts" in which email was off limits after we had lost men KIA until the official notification process was complete. My wife Beatrix knew that no emails meant that we had lost a soldier. She only speaks German though and she would call other German wives and see what they knew and stay awake nights until the word came through who had fallen. The wives and families are heroes of the highest order and it is wonderful that they are depicted as such. God bless them all. You can read accounts of combat to try to understand bravery. I think you could also talk to an Army wife, and you would learn just as much about sacrifice, duty, love, compassion and commitment; all of the qualities that make a great soldier or hero.

Very respectfully,

John C. Moore

Major, United States Army

A powerful book showing the stupidity of war but the loyalty, comradeship and patriotism of the participants. The incompetence, unpreparedness inflicted by the Administration and the Brass is appalling. WHY is America always engaged in wars? Why is the Defense budget so enormous? Why are there over a thousand US bases around the world? Insanity rules. Warning: this is a tear-jerker

This book is about the soldiers who fought the initial Iraqi insurgency and their families back home. It is a book that seizes your psyche and compels you to read it through to the end. The author weaves a fabric of todays military including the soldiers, the leaders, and the families of the soldiers. She leaves nothing out of her story that can only be considered a modern classic war novel. She captures fear in its rawest form as experienced by the soldiers caught in an ambush and in the wives who shoulder the burden of being a singular parent of the family. As a veteran Viet Nam, I felt every page of this book as if I had lived it personally. It brought back an avalanche of memories and I am glad I read it. I can highly recommend her book to everyone.

War is always a confusing and fluid situation in which no one has perfect knowledge of the situation and in which the enemy also has a vote. In battle the situation can change radically and rapidly, and leaders are always stretching to keep up with the situation. Critics at home, faced with no personal danger and armed with 20/20 hindsight are too often fountains of wisdom about what should have been done and who was "incompetent" in dealing with a fast-moving situation while armed with only partial information.

Martha Raddatz has captured clearly the reality of war, for the soldiers as well as the families on the home front. This book chronicles the events, the experiences and the attitudes of the individuals and their families involved in one battle from their own points of view.

It is unusual to find such an objective perspective about a subject so fraught with emotion in our country today. Too many are only interested in pointing fingers and assigning blame to really appreciate the selfless sacrifices our brave soldiers and their families are making for their country. Soldiers of my generation were spit at (and worse) as we returned from the war, and I see a lot of those attitudes building in our country again; let us hope that the experiences of my generation are never again repeated in this country.

It is far easier to criticize than to understand; this book offers understanding to those who are willing to see. All Americans should read this book to appreciate the price of their freedom which has been paid in blood by our soldiers in all of the wars in our country's history.

My husband is one of the soldiers mentioned often in this book (see page 175/176 for an example); Seth was Captain Denomy's driver on that fateful day (BTW, the proper spelling of our last name is WEIBLEY). We received our copy last night, and after reading excerpts to my husband over the phone (on his way home from work), he stated everything I'd read was dead-on. When he came home, he was reading the book - and whenever he set it down, I picked it up. We're devouring it! It's an intense read, to say the least. My husband is very humble, and for the most part, I've only learned about his acts that day from the awards he's received, the word from his friends, and this book. After you read the story of Black Sunday, you'll understand why he doesn't speak about that day often. I guess the only issue I have (other than the misspelling of our last name) is that in the back of the book where the soldiers lives and families were followed up on, there is no mention of Seth. Not of his life after the Army, his continuation of protective federal service in the civilian sector, and nothing about his receiving The Valor Device award. Generally, the valor device is for specific heroic acts during or supporting direct combat with the enemy. The explanation for why Seth SPECIFICALLY won the award SHOULD be a part of this book, as well as his multiple nominations for The Bronze Star; if my husband was overlooked, others were as well. Every one of these amazing men and women should be recognized, it's IMPORTANT, it's HISTORY. Perhaps in the 2nd edition these corrections may be made, and the details that were overlooked and/or left out, included. In the end, I give credit to the author for not making this book a political soapbox. She wrote it about the soldiers, and that's where her focus remains throughout. Martha Raddatz showed these brave souls the respect that they, and their families (the silent ranks), deserve. And I, for one, thank her for this VERY well-written - and powerful - account!

This was an excellent book. Well written and really made you know the soldiers involved and placed you in the action. It really made it personal. I was expecting the author to point fingers at the rediculous methods employed by the US commanders, but the author just tells the story and lets the reader come up with his or her own opinion. I am in the middle of reading another book about Iraq, "No True Glory", and appreciate this book even more. No True Glory tells the story of a much larger operation, and as a result you lose that personal feeling. You won't be dissapointed with this one.

Martha Raddatz puts the reader with our troops on the streets of Sadr City the day Muqtada al-Sadr decided to inform America that it wasn't a peace mission we were on in Iraq. It is a graphic story of sacrifice. Many of us don't even know anyone who knows anyone making a sacrifice for our interests in the Middle East. Almost all of us have gone on with our lives these past four years with no personal involvement other than anger reading the news of unaccountability and incompetence. We can't really feel it. This book will at least briefly get you in serious touch with Americans paying the price. I hope readers besides me will remember the blood and bravery and loyalty and all those left sobbing when we set our thermostats and our cruise controls. It is a beautifully written book.

My husband is one of the soldiers mentioned often in this book (see page 175/176 for an example); Seth was Captain Denomy's driver on that fateful day (BTW, the proper spelling of our last name is WEIBLEY). We received our copy last night, and after reading excerpts to my husband over the phone (on his way home from work), he stated everything I'd read was dead-on. When he came home, he was reading the book - and whenever he set it down, I picked it up. We're devouring it! It's an intense read, to say the least. My husband is very humble, and for the most part, I've only learned about his acts that day from the awards he's received, the word from his friends, and this book. After you read the story of Black Sunday, you'll understand why he doesn't speak about that day often. I guess the only issue I have (other than the misspelling of our last name) is that in the back of the book where the soldiers lives and families were followed up on, there is no mention of Seth. Not of his life after the Army, his continuation of protective federal service in the civilian sector, and nothing about his receiving The Valor Device award. Generally, the valor device is for specific heroic acts during or supporting direct combat with the enemy. The explanation for why Seth SPECIFICALLY won the award SHOULD be a part of this book, as well as his multiple nominations for The Bronze Star; if my husband was overlooked, others were as well. Every one of these amazing men and women should be recognized, it's IMPORTANT, it's HISTORY. Perhaps in the 2nd edition these corrections may be made, and the details that were overlooked and/or left out, included. In the end, I give credit to the author for not making this book a political soapbox. She wrote it about the soldiers, and that's where her focus remains throughout. Martha Raddatz showed these brave souls the respect that they, and their families (the silent ranks), deserve. And I, for one, thank her for this VERY well-written - and powerful - account!

This was an excellent book. Well written and really made you know the soldiers involved and placed you in the action. It really made it personal. I was expecting the author to point fingers at the rediculous methods employed by the US commanders, but the author just tells the story and lets the reader come up with his or her own opinion. I am in the middle of reading another book about Iraq, "No True Glory", and appreciate this book even more. No True Glory tells the story of a much larger operation, and as a result you lose that personal feeling. You won't be dissapointed with this one.

Martha Raddatz puts the reader with our troops on the streets of Sadr City the day Muqtada al-Sadr decided to inform America that it wasn't a peace mission we were on in Iraq. It is a graphic story of sacrifice. Many of us don't even know anyone who knows anyone making a sacrifice for our interests in the Middle East. Almost all of us have gone on with our lives these past four years with no personal involvement other than anger reading the news of unaccountability and incompetence. We can't really feel it. This book will at least briefly get you in serious touch with Americans paying the price. I hope readers besides me will remember the blood and bravery and loyalty and all those left sobbing when we set our thermostats and our cruise controls. It is a beautifully written book.

Our son was directly involved in this battle. His actions and comments have been accurately reported. He was born into a career ARMY family and has chosen to make the ARMY his career. It is our opinion (collectively as a family, with expertise and a distinct interest in this subject)that Martha Raddatz's account of the combat that occurred in Sadr City, on April 4th, 2004, is accurate and compelling. The courage, selflessness, and sacrifice of these young soldiers is exemplary. Martha Raddatz has risen above the generally biased and uninformed coverage seen in the "drive-by media" and done these soldiers proud.

I saw Martha Raddatz speak at the Pritzker Military Library last week (June 2008) and bought the book there on the spot. I have read it straight through in a couple of days and wish that every American would read this book or one with a similar story. It seems that Iraq has become background noise in light of the energy crisis and the country's economic woes.

It's easy to forget that we are at war and that American servicemen are losing their lives. This book brings that reality home. It's not a fun read - it's a distinctly uncomfortable and sometimes depressing one. But reading stories like this might go some ways towards breaking through this desensitization we seem to have as a country when it comes to the war in Iraq.

I think that the portions of the book written from the view of the soldiers are solid and really brought me into the action of that awful battle. I won't ever know what it is like to be a soldier who engages in battle and is wounded or sees friends wounded or, worse, killed in action. But this book at least makes me really think about it and gives a good description of how these soldiers felt.

On the other hand, I did not think that the parts of the book written from the perspective of the families was as strong. I am not sure if this is the result of Ms. Raddatz respecting the wives of the killed soldiers and not interviewing them directly or just because her passion lies with the stories that these men have to tell more than with the stories of their families. Either way, it made the book feel a little unbalanced to me.

All that being said, I think that this book is important. The story that it tells is important not only because the battle it details was a turning point in the war but because it reminds us that our fellow countrymen are going through unspeakable things. This war remains relevant and I applaud the efforts of Ms. Raddatz and others like her for fighting to keep it in the media.

This gives you a clearer understanding of what goes on behind the lines of War. I read this while my husband was in Iraq for 10 months, and as odd as it sounds, it never left my nightstand. It was as if it were my connection to him. Martha did a fantastic job bringing the battles into our homes. I would recommend this any day.

Regardless of your personal opinion of the war in Iraq,I think all Americans should read this book to familiarize themselves with what's actually going on over there - and it ain't pretty. I've read many books on many different wars, and this one is right up there with the best of them. Not only does Ms. Raddatz do an amazing job of recreating "the haze of battle," she also reports on the families back home and how they cope. Very well written, and as another reviewer said, a real page-turner that's hard to put down... regardless of your opinion of the war. Bravo Martha!

As a military veteran (who served in the First Gulf War), I was absolutely riveted by Martha's book. She has risked her own life in at least 13 trips to Iraq in the last four years. I applaud and honor her for such bravery.

But the real bravery is told in this page-turner that she has produced. With the help of many, many people Ms Raddatz has given us a bone-chilling, unnerving look at how horrible this "war" really is. She has completely debunked the lies the American public was told in early 2003 about being "greeted as liberators." Whether it was from the viewpoint of General Chiarelli, Colonel Abrams, Colonel Volesky, or anyone else, the accounts of the battle of Sadr City will bring tears to the reader. Our brave military personnel did their best, and continue to do so.

Martha's accounts of the spouses and other people left behind at Fort Hood, Texas are also heart-wrenching. She hasn't pulled any punches in telling it like it is. That alone took alot of courage on the parts of both Martha Raddatz, and the military families involved. It was tremendously easily to envision all of the activities that were taking place, as well as the anxiety and heartaches that wouldn't go away.

I simply could not put this book down. I had to stop a few times and cry a while, and do some vicarious grieving over the tremendously sad deaths of brave personnel who were simply doing as they were told. I had to cry for those families back in Texas whose lives would be forever changed by the military officers who rang their doorbells.

Every American should read this book. Starting with those who live at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Thank you, Martha.

If you are prepared to know firsthand what our troops and the people who love them are facing day in and day out while we go about our lives in the safety of our borders read this book. It'll break your heart and make you proud...yes, we have gotten ourselves in a mess but that does not minimize the sacrifice our soldiers are facing everyday...and their families...such courage in the face of overwhelming adversity. Thank you Martha for one of the most, if not THE most important book about the Iraq War/Civil War.

Martha Raddatz did a fantastic job of putting to paper the stories of our military families during a time of war. The book is very compelling and hard to read at times because of the content, but hard to put down at the same time. It makes you realize how much war affects entire families, not just the soldiers on the battlefield. I didn't know much about the ambush in Sadr City before I read this account, and now have an even better respect for our fighting forces. Martha Raddatz penned this story incredibly well, I'll read more of her works as they come out.

There were two battalions that shared Camp War Eagle, 2-5 CAV and 1-12 CAV. I was the senior scout in 1-12 CAV Scout Platoon. Ms. Raddatz did an outstanding job of telling a very important story in this conflict. There is not a day that goes by that I don't think of the time and experiences spent on the "Dirty Bird". The author was able to bring back the emotions and strong feelings that went along with that terrible day of April 4, 2004. She brought images to mind that I thought only those of us that were there would ever see. Bravo! Thank you for showcasing a small bit of the world that so shaped so many of us Black Knights and All Ways Ready Soldiers.

SFC Anthony Dexter Great

This book was absolutely amazing. I am not a cryer and I ended up crying the last two chapters of this book. I have many friends in the military and support the troops no matter what. This book is for anyone, especially those who do not have a military connection. They will learn from this book and what it is really like to serve in the military and what it is like to be the families of military men and women. Great book and although I cried it was more than worth it. I have recommended this book to over 4 people who enjoyed it as much as I did and have recommended to friends of their own.

After serving 28 years in the Army's armored calvary I was dumb stuck at how army leadership could react in such a risky manner. This large unit had competed high levels of pre training before deployment to a war zone, so why so dumb? Its understandable that everyone was unprepared to deal with this event seeing they were given bad Intelligence before deployment. That noted why push young solders into battle in what everyone knew we unarmored vehicles? Any good officer in at this level of leadership reacts from his training not his emotions, these seem to rush into danger with little regard of the troops safety. I would love to hear why the rush when they could have sent their Bradley fighting vehicles which carry one squad each to the lost platoon. They are quicker, safer and more powerful then anything they sent in flatbed trucks. Just seemed the wrong call to me.

Lloyd Ashland

US Army retired.