Street Fight in Iraq: What It's Really Like Over There (Valor in Combat Series) [Paperback]

Patrick Tracy (Author)

Book Description

Series: Valor in Combat Series | Publication Date: March 15, 2006

A day by day account of the battle for Ramadi, Iraq during the height of the Iraqi insurgency from August 2004 until March of 2005. The legendary Fox Company, Second Battalion, Fifth Marines battled insurgents on a daily basis and this book serves as a blow by blow account; told by Fox Company Gunnery Sergeant, Patrick M Tracy. The author brings you along for the ride through many battles and skirmishes and has an upfront, no-nonsense style of telling his story.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Leatherneck Publishing has rolled out a long anticipated book about the current war on terrorism called Street Fight In Iraq. The book is written from diary notes taken from August 2004 through April 2005 by then GySgt Patrick Tracy, USMC. It brings the action to the reader as if you were right on patrol with the Marines. There is lots of emotion and many personal observations as the book lays it out as viewed from a combat soldier's perspective. This is not some story of strategies and battle plans written by some general or some imbedded reporter - this is a first hand accounting of the day to day life in a real combat zone. Gunnery Sergeant Tracy captures the nuances as well as the harsh realities of life and death in his well crafted book. This book holds no punches back and could never be called politically correct in any sense. The author tells us without much emotional censorship what he went through, how he felt about the terrorists and about losing good men, and how much he missed his family. The author's words are not homogenized and fluffed over - the language is all Marine and very raw and salty at times. There have been many books already written about the war going on in Iraq but none have the force and the power that Patrick Tracy's book has - this is the best book of this genre! It is a must read book for all those interested in understanding the current war in Iraq; however, it is an absolute necessity for all those troops being deployed there in the future. This book is real history and is destined to become a classic war memoir for this generation of Marines. The book is neither recommended nor suitable for all family members, or for those who may be offended by some very raw "colorful" language at times throughout the book. This book is about today's Marine Corps and reflects well on the men and women who proudly wear that uniform. It is given the MWSA's Top Rating of Five Stars! --By W. H. McDonald Jr. ;The American Author Association / Author of: A Spiritual Warrior's Journey, Documentary film maker, veteran advocate, chaplain, poet, actor, artist,"

Like combat patrols in Iraq, 'Street Fight' shoots for effect with no concern about hurt feelings or diplomatic fallout, and it's authenticity makes it beautifully vulgar. Somewhere in this book I forgot I was reading a diary and felt like I was on patrol with Fox Company in Ramadi. Everyone who cares about America, Iraq, or the Marine Corps would benefit from sharing the Gunny's perspective,and we're lucky he wrote it down. --By John Hindinger, Author of Rogue Trident

First Sergeant Pat Tracy wrote this book in 2004, but it doesn't lessen the battles being fought in Iraq one bit. He is a warrior and this, for now, is the only war he has to fight. This is a personal account, almost day to day, of how he copes with the real world, the world of guns, bullets, and IEDs with deadly effect. Pat is earthy, a Marine with Marine language. If you hate war, this is not your book unless you would like to know more about how the individual soldier or Marine feels about life on the edge of extinction. Battles with murderers, others call them insurgents, is no game to be played; these people are clearly trying to stop solutions to events which will improve the lives of millions of Iraqi people. However, these murderers would live in the middle-ages except for heros and heroines about which Pat Tracy writes. Earthy language and violence, so beware. --Olin E. Thompson

About the Author

Patrick M Tracy was born in Pittston, Pennsylvania in 1967 and joined the Marine Corps in 1986. During his 23 years of service, Patrick M Tracy served as a Marine infantryman and has been stationed in Scotland, Japan, North Carolina, South Carolina, Hawaii, Colorado and Calfornia. Patrick M Tracy is married to Janet and has two children, Sonia and Danielle. He has a Bachelor's Degree in English and a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Creative Writing from National University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 396 pages
• Publisher: Leatherneck Publishing; 1 edition (March 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0977143112
• ISBN-13: 978-0977143115
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,035,957 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Real Deal in Iraq by a Marine Who Was There!, June 5, 2006

By 

W. H. McDonald Jr. "The American Author Assoc... (Elk Grove, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Street Fight in Iraq: What It's Really Like Over There (Valor in Combat Series) (Paperback)

Leatherneck Publishing has rolled out a long anticipated book about the current war on terrorism called "Street Fight In Iraq." The book is written from diary notes taken from August 2004 through April 2005 by then GySgt Patrick Tracy, USMC. It brings the action to the reader as if you were right on patrol with the Marines. There is lots of emotion and many personal observations as the book lays it out as viewed from a combat soldier's perspective. This is not some story of strategies and battle plans written by some general or some imbedded reporter - this is a first hand accounting of the day to day life in a real combat zone.

Gunnery Sergeant Tracy captures the nuances as well as the harsh realities of life and death in his well crafted book. This book holds no punches back and could never be called "politically correct" in any sense. The author tells us without much emotional censorship what he went through, how he felt about the terrorists and about losing good men, and how much he missed his family. The author's words are not homogenized and fluffed over - the language is all Marine and very raw and salty at times.

There have been many books already written about the war going on in Iraq but none have the force and the power that Patrick Tracy's book has - this is the best book of this genre! It is a must read book for all those interested in understanding the current war in Iraq; however, it is an absolute necessity for all those troops being deployed there in the future. This book is real history and is destined to become a classic war memoir for this generation of Marines.

The book is neither recommended nor suitable for all family members, or for those who may be offended by some very raw "colorful" language at times throughout the book.

This book is about today's Marine Corps and reflects well on the men and women who proudly wear that uniform. It is given the MWSA's Top Rating of Five Stars!

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars From a limited Point of View, August 3, 2007

By 

Krykie - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Street Fight in Iraq: What It's Really Like Over There (Valor in Combat Series) (Paperback)

This is an enjoyable, easy to read book. It is a journal of GySgt Tracy's time in Iraq, and it is definitely from a Gunny's point of view. It is real, and the reader should read it not for a view of the "war in Iraq" but for a view of one somewhat arrogant (but possibly justified) Gunny. He is judgemental of his senior officers, but doesn't realize his possible own limitations and ignorance. I state this just as a caveat to the book; it's full of a Gy's limited and very emotional view -- good because it shows how someone actually fighting the war thinks about the war, without thinking too much about it. It may, however, give a reader unfamiliar with the military the impression that most Marines are idiots. Entertaining, but definitely from a Gy who wasn't read-in to the bigger picture. It is more "enteraining" and "interesting" than educational or informative.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Diary from Iraq, November 15, 2006

By 

Aaron Simon "Rogue Submariner" (Dearborn, MI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Street Fight in Iraq: What It's Really Like Over There (Valor in Combat Series) (Paperback)

Like combat patrols in Iraq, 'Street Fight' shoots for effect with no concern about hurt feelings or diplomatic fallout, and it's authenticity makes it beautifully vulgar. Somewhere in this book I forgot I was reading a diary and felt like I was on patrol with Fox Company in Ramadi. Everyone who cares about America, Iraq, or the Marine Corps would benefit from sharing the Gunny's perspective,and we're lucky he wrote it down.