AN Angel From Hell [Hardcover]

Ryan A. Conklin (Author)

Book Description

Release date: April 6, 2010

An edgy, gripping report from the front lines by a young veteran and cast member of The Real World: Brooklyn

Ryan Conklin enlisted in the Army at age seventeen, following 9/11, and joined Angel Company. As a turret gunner with the famed 101st Airborne "Screaming Eagles," and a member of the famed "Rakkasans" regiment-the most decorated regiment in the U.S. Army-he endured hellish conditions in the war-torn city of Tikrit, Iraq.

When he returned to the States, he became a cast member on The Real World: Brooklyn in 2008. That came to an end when he received his notice recalling him to duty.

An Angel from Hell is a gritty, blunt, and laugh­out-loud funny war memoir from the grunt's perspective. Conklin reveals what the Iraq war is really like, day to day-the misery, the boredom, the absurdity, the horror, and even the moments of grace. With stunning candor and wisdom beyond his years, Ryan Conklin has documented a complex and unavoidably life-changing experience for his generation.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

For someone best known for his appearance on MTV’s Real World: Brooklyn, Conklin comes off as refreshingly clearheaded in this straightforward military memoir. Prior to his reality-show stardom, Conklin enlisted in the army at 17, eventually finding a place in the decorated Rakkasans regiment, patrolling the streets of Tikrit, Iraq. Ploddingly sequential in stretches, the book proves Conklin is no wordsmith and not especially good at conveying texture. But he’s disarmingly earnest and equipped with a razor-sharp memory—his depictions of trying to get a glimpse of Saddam Hussein, interacting with Iraqi youth, staving off crushing boredom, and despairing at the ineptitude of the “Keystone Cops” (aka the Iraqi army) are all extensively cataloged. Isolated moments of rage—as when Conklin sees an image of the 9/11 attacks on an Iraqi citizen’s cell phone—bring him into focus as a flawed hero, but this book will be of greatest use to readers seriously considering enlisting. As Conklin makes quite clear, it is a job equal parts heroic quest and “suckfest.” --Daniel Kraus

Review

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Hardcover (April 6, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425233944
• ISBN-13: 978-0425233948
• Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 1.4 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #191,332 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I was born in a small pocket town in Michigan, and at the age of eleven I moved with my family to the historic and equally tiny town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. I was constantly surrounded by marble reminders of America's most pivotal battle during the Civil War, it was impossible to not be exposed to patriotic tales and lessons of the American fighting spirit.

After the events of 9/11, I joined the US Army with my parent's permission at the age of seventeen. I wasn't ready for college, and I felt like Afghanistan was my calling. After I joined, Iraq kicked off and I knew that I would have a rendezvous with destiny somewhere. I spent over three years as an infantryman in the 187th Infantry Regiment (Rakkasans) part of the 101st Airborne Division and was deployed to Iraq from 2005 to 2006. I helped secure the courthouse for Saddam Hussein's trial in Baghdad before shifting to daily and nightly combat patrols throughout the Tikrit area (It's all in the book!). Some of my military awards include: the Army Commendation Medal, two Army Achievement Medals, two Good Conduct Medals, the Air Assault Badge, the Expert Infantryman's Badge, and the Combat Infantryman's Badge.

After my Honorable Discharge in 2006, I enrolled into college and pursued my interests in filmmaking. In 2009, I stumbled upon the rare opportunity to become one of the cast members of MTV's television show "The Real World: Brooklyn." I saw my time on the show as an opportunity to become a voice and face of the current generation of today's veterans and shed light on the struggles, joys, and misconceptions they face.

While an audience of millions looked on 'real' life caught up to me and I was involuntary recalled by the Army and forced to return to Iraq for another deployment. While the show was television to the nation, I had already returned to Iraq in April of 2009, and served in the southern Saydiyah section of Baghdad, again as an infantryman. I eventually was promoted to the rank of Sergeant.

Throughout it all, I have always found time to simultaneously pursue my random personal interests. At the age of twenty-four, I became a published author with my first book entitled "An Angel from Hell" which is a very intimate memoir that chronicled my first deployment in Iraq. I also co-produced, filmed, and starred in "Return to Duty," a documentary about my second deployment, and the strain it puts a family through when a soldier deploys. It aired on MTV on Veteran's Day 2009.

In January of 2010 I was Honorably Discharged from the Army and returned to Pennsylvania. The first thing I did was returned to school and eventually graduated in August 2012 with a B.A. in Film and Media Arts from Temple University. Upon graduation I worked as a producution assistant in London for NBC Olympics for the 2012 Summer Games. Over the past few years I have also traveled the country and spoke to several different colleges and universities about my service as a soldier.

In my off time, I enjoy writing and playing songs on my guitar, filming and editing personal projects, and I'm an avid Civil War reader. I'm a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and the Iraq Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA). In February 2010, I was able to take part in IAVA's annual "Storm the Hill" campaign and spent a week in the nation's capital speaking with senators and members of congress about their legislative agenda formulated to help and support all veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

I currently reside in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great military perspective April 8, 2010

By A. Gentry

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I received this book on the 7th and finished it the same night. I thought the book was well written from our perspective. I am an army medic and was attached to Ryan's unit when I was deployed. I thought the way Ryan covered the terror that we go through and how we react to all of these situations was spot on. Everyone goes through their own personal hell while deployed and this just showed how some of us deal with the stress. I congratulate Ryan on taking his love for the army and his brothers to the next step. I thought this book was very well written from a personal perspective. Ryan's passion for writing shows in his pages about how he feels for his new found family on good days and bad days. A definite read for anyone who served with him and a very good starter from people who are considering this line of work. It can be an eye opener for the average person.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Military Book. April 7, 2010

By Eric Lowman

Format:Hardcover

This is one of the most realistic, honest military books you will ever read. As I read this book I was struck with the idea that it seemed like Mr. Conklin was sitting next to me telling me his story. This is an honest, brutal memoir, that is extremely hard to put down. I loved every page of the book. For those of us who never served in the military, it gives us an authentic idea of what it is like to be on the front lines with America's finest.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A great, captivating honest read April 6, 2010

By Daniel J. Rich

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I began reading An Angel From Hell Tuesday afternoon and finished it Tuesday evening. The book was a page turner that pulled no punches and made no apologies for honestly and explicitly covering gritty subjects like the aftermaths of IED and suicide bomber attacks. Easily on par with Stephen Ambrose's works, but with an added degree of authority thanks to the author's having been there and done that. A great book for those who want a look at the post-invasion occupation of Iraq through the eyes of one self-proclaimed grunt. Hopefully there will be a sequel covering Ryan's second deployment to Iraq.