Home of the Brave: Stories in Uniform [Paperback]

Jeffery Hess (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 16, 2009

Among these stories by writers, including Kurt Vonnegut, Tim O'Brien, Tobias Wolff, Chris Offutt, Benjamin Percy and many others, you'll find shipbuilders and sailors, pilots, wild dogs, battles-both physical and emotional, misunderstandings, fistfights, and the wounds of unrequited love. There are parades and hurricanes, people getting high and some merely getting by, as well as the human sacrifices made, the losses endured, the hardships faced because of or in spite of some connection to the military. If you've served, you might recognize a couple of these characters, or their situations. Maybe you will relate to some because you're just like them or because they served in the same place you did. If you've never served, but have had contact with someone who has, you may find similarities between a character here and a person you thought you knew. Each [story] is different in the way it approaches the lives of these individuals at certain points of the modern era, but each will entertain you, and challenge, and stay with you. - from the Introduction, by Jeffery Hess, editor

Product Details

• Paperback: 348 pages
• Publisher: Press 53 (April 16, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0982441606
• ISBN-13: 978-0982441602
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,408,089 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Humane and compelling, June 13, 2009

By 

Jessica Handler (Atlanta) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Home of the Brave: Stories in Uniform (Paperback)

"Home of the Brave" is a compelling array of new and established talented writers with stories of the military experience. The diversity in content and the scope make a wonderful, insightful read.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From literateyourself.blogspot.com, October 19, 2009

By 

Cat Bird (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Home of the Brave: Stories in Uniform (Paperback)

I am always reticent to comment on the military. I am humbled and more than a little intimidated by their sacrifice and commitment. All week I've fretted over the words I would employ to describe Jeffery Hess' anthology. Who am I to question the motives or character of anyone in service to our country? But I think that's the point of HOME OF THE BRAVE:STORIES IN UNIFORM. I may tear up over Marine commercials and catch my breath at the presentation of the flag before Sunday Night Football, but there's a truth behind the drama; there are real people behind the romantic generalization.

Jeffery Hess has assembled a diverse collection. The stories involve characters and conflicts as varied as the narrative voices. Their is the common theme of military service, but that's the only thing some of these characters have in common. For those civilian readers who think they cannot relate to the intentions and motivations of military characters, Hess proves them wrong. There is not a single story in HOME OF THE BRAVE:STORIES IN UNIFORM I did not enjoy and want to share.

I always get excited when I stumble upon a second person narrator--a brilliant perspective for a military subject. It makes the plot of Amber Dermont's "Assembling the Troops" seem inevitable. It shifts blame from the characters as in Robert O'Connor's heroin addicts in "Buffalo Soldiers--Chapter 1."

Maybe I'm wrong, but I like to think for most affiliated with the armed forces, dedication is at the forefront of their intention to serve our country. Jeffery Hess reveals there is a depth and humanity to sacrifice and duty. Hess recently received a well deserved Gold Medal for Best Anthology by the Military Writers Society of America.

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of HOME OF THE BRAVE: STORIES IN UNIFORM are donated to USA Cares, a nonprofit established to provide post-9/11 military families with financial and advocacy support in their time of need.

Read more of my reviews of Press 53 titles at [...]

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Home of the Brave: Stories in Uniform by Jeffery Hess, June 10, 2009

By 

J. C. Davis (Virginia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Home of the Brave: Stories in Uniform (Paperback)

A well balanced anthology full of characters so real, you'll think of them daily. I would title the book, "Stories in Human Uniform" and recommend it to anyone who yearns to spend time with excellent writing. Well done!