Customer Reviews

Operation Homecoming: Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Home Front, in the Words of U.S. Troops and Their Families

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With the demise of the draft, and the decline in the size of the military, we now have about 1.5 million people in uniform and a population of 300 million. Military service has become something that someone else does. This is a book about those people - and how their service affects their wives, husbands, mothers and fathers.

This is not a political book. In it you can find something that supports your view of the war in Iraq - no matter what it is. And you can find something that rebukes that view.

It also is not a war book. Although some of the contributor's stories deal with combat, most deal with the ever-present danger of serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Although 99% of the people might be nonhostile, they look exactly like that other 1% who would be absolutely delighted to kill you.

The stories also deal with the troops experience in helping to rebuild the destruction from a starting place of overwhelming poverty. These stories tell of the culture shock - on both the Iraqi side and the American side.

There also is plenty on the ironies of having both men and women in the military. A Marine and helicopter pilot wrote about how difficult it was to say goodbye to his wife - when she deployed to Iraq and he stayed home.

To help the military contributors, teams of professional writers went to military bases and conducted classes on writing. They weren't trying to slant the contributors' content, but to show them how to write and to encourage them to contribute their journals, letters and e-mails. The result was a flood of over 12,000 pages of source material.

The book really is a tribute to Andy being able to persuade the military hierarchy to allow him to have access to the troops. Since the end of the heavy fighting, the media has gone out of its way to portray the military as a bunch of idiots who, when they aren't torturing prisoners, delight in killing civilians. Such coverage doesn't persuade military commanders that you are an exception to this rule. Andy's track record - two other books on this subject - opened doors that would have been welded shut had Andy been employed by, say, The New York Times.

Andy also had to persuade the troops to write about what they had done and seen. The military culture is one of "soldier on and shut up." Troops are not encouraged to talk about their feelings - or their experience. When Andrew asked one military group why they were participating, one person said that no one else had asked them to write about what was going on.

I was glad to see that the troops have retained a warped sense of humor that is uniquely American.

While in Iraq, one staff sergeant wrote in his journal, "I'm going to kill my travel agent!"

Another soldier commented about a friend, "I don't think Jeff could say a good word about [President] Bush with a gun to his head - and some of us have, trust me, entertained the thought."

Several stories were contributed by wives who described their suffering and anguish on the home front. One wife (whose husband flew a Kiowa helicopter) talked about the terror she suffered when the media reported that a Kiowa helicopter had been shot down in Iraq. The other wives called one another to see if anyone had heard more details. She described the relief she felt when it turned out that the crashed helicopter crash was not from her husband's unit. She also described the guilt she felt, because although her husband was safe, several other military wives were about to learn that their husbands were dead.

One mother described the nightmare that she had long dreamed about: the arrival of a casualty notification team that had come to tell her that her son was dead.

One man commented on how Afghanistan had disappeared from the media reporting, and wondered if civilians realized that the war still was going on. Several troops wondered what kind of reception they would receive when they got home, and made worried comparisons to Vietnam.

Most people don't realize that Vietnam started as a popular war. Only as the war dragged on did people start spitting on the returning troops.

I was lucky when I came back from Vietnam. No one spit on me. I hope these troops fare better.

This book can give you an idea of what it means to be in the armed forces - poor food, long hours, lousy working conditions, the off chance of violent death - all for minimal pay. It also can show you the terrors their families suffer - whether or not their loved ones come home.

Last year I had the privilege of serving on a distinguished editorial panel to select the entries in this unprecedented anthology. (I have no financial ties to this book.) Sifting through the submissions then deciding on the final slate was no easy task. Andy Carroll, Mr. "War Letters," did a fabulous job of sewing together the book, a much more difficult assignment.

The entries were moving and instantly gave me complete snapshots of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq through 2004, sans the Iraqi perspective. Short stories, poems, letters, emails encapsulate the mindset of the soldiers and the families they left behind.

No journalist can capture the feelings of the men and women serving in harm's way the way they can themselves. Politics aside, these writings deserve to be widely read based on their own literary merits. This is a must-have collection for Americans to better understand the wars of our time.

I want to thank Amazon for the opportunity to share my thoughts after finishing this book at 4 am this morning. I have been reading 5-10 entries in this book each night for the last week. I purchased it in an effort to draw closer to and to better understand the experience of my youngest brother, SGT Jason Boesen, Army combat medic currently deployed to Iraq until July 2007, and my brother-in-law, Major Chris Hanna, recently returned from his deployment to Iraq in May 2006. During the course of reading this book, I laughed, I cried, I clenched my fingers around the pages at intervals, afraid to turn the pages for fear of what I might read next. I was enveloped in waves of pride, fear, dismay, grief, love, longing, frustration, and at times, guilt.

The soldiers who shared their insights, as well as those family members who included entries from their perspectives on the homefront gave the America public a gift in sharing their thoughts and emotions, unfiltered by media exposure. They contributed germane information to the communal American experience as we have watched this war take on a life of its own. It is now embedded in our American psyche, and through their stories, I have been better able to understand the experience of the Iraqi national citizens through the eyes of the soldiers serving them, and our country.

It is evident that the included essays were carefully selected and ultimately chosen for their core, all of which were well crafted and forthright. I am honored to have been one of the first people to have read this anthology, and I am not the same having taken in the "real time" experiences of the American military as included in this book.

I would love to see the National Endowment for The Arts produce another anthology on this topic, and perhaps include submissions from the Peacekeeping troops from other countries serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, and each country's national citizens as well, in an effort to broaden our knowledge of the war from many fronts. Finally, I thank the NEA for bringing the soldiers' voices and those of their families to light.

Again, THANK YOU to Amazon for promptly shipping this item to me, it was like receiving a long letter from my brothers, allowing me to share a small window into their lives while in combat. I cannot recommend it highly enough to anyone interested in learning more about the human experience in times of war, political affiliations aside.

This book knocked my socks off. I tried to read it on a plane, and I could not, because it kept sneaking up on me and devastating me with the simple raw emotion so simply told that you never question its authenticity - it just made the tears start flowing. Then the next story made me laugh out loud. These are real people who have had experiences that few would believe - and it seems so intimate - so personal - yet there it is - like they were writing to me. I recommend reading it with tissues nearby. In the end, the feeling I got was of being greatly uplifted - it made me soar - maybe with pride, because these Americans - not of any party affiliation - Just American, were telling great stories. This is a remarkable collection of stories that I highly recommend. Oh, and if I were you, and this becomes a bestseller, buy kleenex stock. - Buck

There were moments when reading this book that I had to actually stop reading and collect myself. This is the real deal. There is no spin, no hidden agenda, no dressed up prose or censoring of subject. This is just the truth written by those who have, and are, living it. The writers are ordinary people living through extraordinary circumstances. Their stories and descriptions are compelling, the prose is often exquisite, and the emotions and experiences run the gamut from laugh out loud funny to knock the wind out of you affecting. This is not a political book. It's not pro-war or anti-war. It's just the truth. And the truth is often a scarce commondity. I promise you, after you've started reading it, you will not be able to stop. And after you've finished it, you'll have a whole new perspective on our times.

Although a biased author, having met, worked with the editor, Andrew Carroll (who accepted no compensation for his efforts), and after having met the Director and others from the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as with some of the accomplished authors who assisted in the project, and with fellow military and civilian authors, I can unequivically say this is a work of passion, not profit (all proceeds will go to programs for military families). If you are looking for a reason to buy this book, that should be enough, but the stories herein are a true taste of all aspects of war, from the beginnings, to the battles to the loneliness to the humor to the heartbreak to the comfort of coming home alive. It is a "you are there" book unequalled in it's raw courage and uncensored intimate approach to storytelling, which includes for the first time in this type of book stories from loved ones of those who fight. We don't tell our stories to just anyone. We don't share our emotional privacy freely. But here, for some reason, perhaps simply the catharsis of writing about our experiences, we have shared ourselves for public consumption. These are important stories for every American to read. It presents for the first time with an all volunteer Army in a major war, what we go through. We are you, and you are us. We fight and die freely for us all, and we want you to understand we are just like you in many ways, yet, for reasons as diverse as our personalities, we have chosen to participate directly in defending our nation. Know us; love us or hate us for our choices, but know us who would be your champions. Although I have only read a half dozen of the stories, as they are raw and perhaps too soon drag up dangerous memories, I have also attended a reading of some of the stories in Manhattan with the dramatic expertise of Stephen Lang, Joan Allen, and Matthew Modine, bringing to life the poetry, grace, humor and poigniancy between the covers of this amazing piece of literature. Don't miss it. Share it freely. Read it again and again. Ask questions. Seek true answers, and get to know your soldier/citizens.

Best Regards,
Montgomery J. Granger
Captain, Medical Service, U.S. Army Reserve
Three-Time Mobilized Reservist

The personal feelings of those who are and have actually served in conflict is so much more motivating than any political pundit. This book is an opportunity to see the faces of those who have volunteered to protect this country and the rights many take for granted - and to understand why they do what they do. Take this as a chance to see things from their point of view, no agenda or opinion polls to influence, no election year coming up. Well worth the read and well worth the emotion.

I was biased before I even read the book, two Soldiers I know were selected to be part of this project, I was excited and had been counting the days for it to be released. Also, having great respect and admiration for Andrew Carroll I knew it would be a favorite regardless. I love his works. What I didn't know is that I would need my gold plated reading glasses to read it. I have 3 pairs and the gold ones are the only ones that will allow me to read so tears can flow freely down my cheeks w/out smudging the lens. I laughed as well as cried, I pondered, and evaluated. I felt nothing but compassion and love for each contributor as they shared their stories....even the poetry got to me and I am not a fan of poetry.

Some of the stories in this book will remain w/me for the rest of my life. I get cold chills just trying to write my thoughts now. It is raw and it is real. It covers a magnitude of information and emotions from all sides related in this war. The Troops and the families literally poured out their souls on paper...it is mind-boggling the heart that is in this book.

Other books by Andrew I read in one sitting, I can't put them down, this book due to my compassion, understanding, and personal ties to our Troops in Iraq and Afghanistan I could not read this book in one sitting. I could only get through a few stories at a time. I had to take a break before I could pick it up again. I love the tradition and history of the American Soldier and I never thought it possible to love them anymore than what I already do, Operation Homecoming has raised my respect, pride, and admiration for our military to a far deeper and more powerful level. God Bless you all and thank you for your service to our country.

If anyone reads this book and is not affected by it, then there is something wrong w/them. When I finished the book at 3 am all I could do was sit solemnly and gently hold it in my hands in a moment of silence. I can tell you no other book has ever left such a profound impression on me.

Many, many thanks to the Contributors, Mr. Carroll, NEA, Boeing, Southern Foundation, the DOD, and all the other folks that worked so hard to make this unique project happen. In my mind it is a national treasure and a blessing to our country. It is a work of art, a thing of beauty, a book that I will cherish and read again and again.

I am looking forward to Grace Under Fire, I will probably need the gold plated glasses again.

Reading this book is an emotional roller coaster which will leave you spent.

Collected in this anthology are the writings of veterans and families of the Iraq and Afghanistan war. These are not stories from embedded reporters or narratives written by historians. These stories are the real deal. The reader gets an intimate look inside the minds and lives of those on the front line. The prose and poetry is top-notch which amazes me since the authors are not professional writers. Perhaps credit goes to Andrew Carroll (the editor).

Although the book is a product of an NEA program, I did not detect any political agenda. In fact, it does not matter whether one supports or does not support the war. This book allows the reader to see what it is like to be in this war.

My impression is that the public is growing tired of the war: reading about it, watching it, hearing about it. If that is the case, don't let that stop you from reading this anthology. This is not the "same old news."

I am a military wife. My young daughter and I survived 12 months while my husband served in Iraq. This book was absolutely amazing. I cannot come up with the words to describe how much this book meant to me. I don't know about other spouses, but no matter how much my husband and I talk, it is not easy for him to communicate his thoughts or feelings on his service in Iraq. It was even difficult for him to describe his life over there when asked directly. I think a lot of it is him trying to protect me, but also, his brain does not work that way. He was there, he did what he had to do as a soldier, end of story. This book brought me insight into my husband. It made me laugh. It made me cry. It made me sick. It made me angry. It made me happy. It made me joyful. It made me all of these things at the same time. I am so thankful to the organization(whose name escapes me right now) that made this book possible. It is a book that touched my heart and soul. I will never be the same, and I am greatful for that. It is in know way a "light" read. I read it quickly, as I do everything, but because I was hungry to read more, to know more, to feel more. Do not read it without a box of tissues next to you.