Beyond Duty: Life on the Frontline in Iraq [Hardcover]

Shannon Meehan (Author), Roger Thompson (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 2009 | ISBN-10: 0745646727 | ISBN-13: 978-0745646725 | Edition: 1

Under the blazing Iraqi sun in the summer of 2007, Shannon Meehan, a lieutenant in the U.S. Army, ordered a strike that would take the lives of innocent Iraqi civilians. He thought he was doing the right thing. He thought he was protecting his men. He thought that he would only kill the enemy, but in the ruins of the strike, he discovers his mistake and uncovers a tragedy.

For most of his deployment in Iraq, Lt. Meehan felt that he had been made for a life in the military. A tank commander, he worked in the violent Diyala Province, successfully fighting the insurgency by various Sunni and Shia factions. He was celebrated by his senior officers and decorated with medals. But when the U.S. surge to retake Iraq in 2006 and 2007 finally pushed into Baqubah, a town virtually entirely controlled by al Qaida, Meehan would make the decision that would change his life.

This is the true story of one soldier's attempt to reconcile what he has done with what he felt he had to do. Stark and devastating, it recounts first-hand the reality of a new type of warfare that remains largely unspoken and forgotten on the frontlines of Iraq.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An articulate and devastating memoir."
Military Writers Society of America

"The book resonates because Meehan speaks not for sympathy but for understanding, and because - sadly - his personal story is one the other service members know well."
Army Times

"Highly recommended ... This work serves as a reminder of some of the costs of war in modern times and leaves readers 'dazed and confused' over how to respond and what to think about the situation in Iraq."
Central European Journal of International and Security Studies

"An exceptional book. It takes the reader to Iraq, to feel all sides of a deployed soldiers life, from the boredom, the bullshit to the battles and the searing heat inside the tank. This is a book that every American should read in order to get a full accounting of what it means to send men and women off to war. You may finish, but you won't forget Beyond Duty. I can't recommend this one highly enough."
Pundit Review

"A straightforward, succint and insightful report of one man's experience at war ... The book resonates because Meehan speaks not for sympathy, but for understanding, and because - sadly - his personal story is one that other service members know well."
Air Force Times

"Beyond Duty is a powerful and heartbreaking account of Lieutenant Shannon Meehan's tour of duty in Iraq, and of his decision in 2007 to call in a missile strike that claimed the lives of innocent civilians. Remorse, shame, self-doubt, depression - these were among the war's emotional aftershocks for Lieutenant Meehan. This honest and painfully intense narrative is a reminder of the terrible costs of warfare, not just as measured by blood or treasure, but also in terms of damage to the human psyche. I will return to this book often."
Tim O'Brien, author of The Things They Carried and winner of the National Book Award

"This memoir is a descent into war's difficult terrain, a landscape which continues on within the veteran as he or she returns home. The archetype of the classic hero is nearly completely destroyed through the personal narrative which chronicles a series of harrowing events in order to reveal a deeper sense of the heroic. Meehan's voice reminds us that the bleeding continues on after the guns have gone silent, even if we don't realize it."
Brian Turner, award-winning author of Here, Bullet, and veteran of the Iraq War

"Meehan explores the complicated anxieties of battle and command with precision and intelligence. He treats colossally horrific situations with admirable emotional restraint, and his strong, taut narrative has a visceral impact. This is a book that ranks among the very best writing that is being done today about events on the frontline in Iraq."
James Hutchisson, The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina

"For better or for worse, this memoir documents what the war in Iraq has been: young soldiers doing their heartbreaking best to do the right thing amid confusion, chaos and collateral damage."
Mary Russell, award-winning author of A Thread of Grace and The Sparrow

From the Back Cover

Under the blazing Iraqi sun in the summer of 2007, Shannon Meehan, a lieutenant in the U.S. Army, ordered a strike that would take the lives of innocent Iraqi civilians. He thought he was doing the right thing. He thought he was protecting his men. He thought that he would only kill the enemy, but in the ruins of the strike, he discovers his mistake and uncovers a tragedy.

For most of his deployment in Iraq, Lt. Meehan felt that he had been made for a life in the military. A tank commander, he worked in the violent Diyala Province, successfully fighting the insurgency by various Sunni and Shia factions. He was celebrated by his senior officers and decorated with medals. But when the U.S. surge to retake Iraq in 2006 and 2007 finally pushed into Baqubah, a town virtually entirely controlled by al Qaida, Meehan would make the decision that would change his life.

This is the true story of one soldier's attempt to reconcile what he has done with what he felt he had to do. Stark and devastating, it recounts first-hand the reality of a new type of warfare that remains largely unspoken and forgotten on the frontlines of Iraq.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 260 pages
• Publisher: Polity; 1 edition (September 15, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0745646727
• ISBN-13: 978-0745646725
• Product Dimensions: 5.7 x 1 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,141,019 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A n intimate look at a soldier's consciences September 16, 2009

By Jayne Henry

Format:Hardcover

I was unable to put this book down. It gave an inside look into a soldier's struggles to be his best and to lead his men in the most trying of times, and the decisions that had to be made. Putting his emotions aside, only to have to deal with them later and possibly forever. My heart bled for his struggles.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful Book October 15, 2009

By Derek Haas

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is well-paced, well-written, provocative and powerful. The first half is an informative and voyeuristic look at ground troops in pre- and post-surge Iraq, told first-hand by a tank officer. The second half has an emotional and narrative thrust that is uncompromising, haunting and above all else, honest. I couldn't put this book down. Read it. There are no easy answers, no tidy resolutions... this is life.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Story, Extremely Well Written September 20, 2009

By Matthew Hiller

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Beyond Duty is an impressively written account of an officer's experiences during the War in Iraq. Capt. Meehan provides great detail about his journey and gives the reader an in-depth look into what life is really like for the soldiers of the war. The decisions he faced and the situations he and his men were involved in were incredible. His story is captivating and inspiring, and I would recommend this book to everyone.