The Long Road Home (Paperback)

by G. B. Trudeau (Author) "HEY!..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Thousands of U.S. soldiers have suffered grievous wounds in Iraq, but only one of them is a Doonesbury character. This special collection chronicles seven months of cutting-edge cartooning, during which B.D.-and readers of the strip-got an up-close schooling in a kind of personal transformation no one seeks.

Deprived not only of leg but also his ubiquitous trademark helmet, B.D. survives first-response Baghdad triage, evacuation to Landstuhl's surgeon-rich environment, and visits by innumerable morale-boosting celebs, both red and blue in hue. He's awed in turn by morphine, take-no-guff nurses, his fellow amps, and his family, including the daughter who hand-delivers succor, one aspirin at a time.

Transferred stateside to Walter Reed's Ward 57, B.D. is inspired by the wisdom of physiatrists, warmed by the dedicated ministrations of real-life fellow-amp heroes like Jim the Milkshake Man, and dazzled by high-tech prostheses that cost more than luxury cars. He's annoyed by his own bouts with self-pity, by the bedside awkwardness of friends more comfortable regarding his stump from e-mail distance, and by Zonk's unwavering commitment to supplementing his care with organic meds.

As their journey continues, B.D. and Boopsie are cared for by Fisher House, a home-next-door-to-the-hospital for families whose lives revolve around therapy. B.D. finds himself painfully engaged in building his future, one sadistically difficult physical therapy session at a time. "To Lash, Helga, and the Marquis!" toast the band of differently limbed brethren, raising their glasses to their PT masters as they prepare for reentry into the ambulatory world.

From rebuilding tissue to rebuilding social skills to rebuilding lives, B.D's inspiring, insightful, and darkly humorous story confirms that it can take a village, or at least a ward, to raise a soldier when he's gone down. "Thank you for getting blown up," offers one of B.D.'s visiting players. Replies the coach, "Just doing my job."

About the Author
The Pulitzer Prize-winning Doonesbury is currently in its 34th year, tracking its eighth presidential administration in more than 1,400 newspapers throughout the global village. G. B. Trudeau maintains his home in Manhattan and his Web presence, refreshed daily, at www.doonesbury.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing; 1 edition (June 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0740753851
• ISBN-13: 978-0740753855
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #377,965 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellant collection, June 30, 2005

By	Brian Stuart (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Growing up, I read Doonesbury every day. I even went back and read all the strips right from the begining. I loved that he took these characters and allowed them to grow and change. With time, I kinf of faded out of the strip, prefering the mix of political satire and traditional comic strip structure of Boondocks, but when he did the storyline with B.D. losing his leg I found it so very gripping and well-written. I never miss Doonesbury now. His strips tell a continuing story of American life and while he clearly has a political perspective, he presents his views in an effective and respectful manner. His storytelling with B.D. has been done with compassion and honor. I had my doubts when it began. I didn't want to see it and I didn't think it could be done right, although I did commend the effort to tell the story of war amputees. He has done it just so well. If you look for a political agenda, you may find one, but it is a compliment to his writing that the text is so unadorned with political preaching. It gets its message across and knows that it never needs to beat you over the head with it.

If you're looking for an anthology, obviously pass this by. That's not what this collection is for. It collects a moving and well told story that has a lot of relevance in today's world. I highly recommend it.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Been There, Seen This, July 17, 2005

By	Master Ubiquitous (Everywhere) - See all my reviews

Unlike a previous reviewer, who claimed he had been in Iraq for a year, and hated Trudeau (he obviously never read the book), I can say that not only was I a participant in OIF (2003), but I also had the pleasure (?) of using the Fisher House at Landstuhl RMC (Oct 2003-Feb 2004). If you buy this wonderful book for no other reason, buy it because you support us, the men and women of the Armed Forces.

This is not whether the War is right or wrong. My personal opinion does not count. I have sworn to uphold and defend The Constitution, defend you, the American People, and obey the orders of the President (elected, and re-elected by the American People). This is about the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, Coast Guardsmen, Reservists, Guardsmen and Civilian Contractors who pass through Landstuhl every day.

We either stay until recovery and return to our Commands (as I did), or we get sent to either Walter Reed or Bethesda. While I was there, some spent weeks recovering. Too well to go stateside, too wounded to return to the AOR. The Fisher House cost us anywhere from $0.00-$10.00 per night, and included meals and maids. If for no other reason, THAT is what is right about this book.

And if you don't think this was a real book review, you wouldn't understand, anyway.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A disabled veteran's journey of healing, January 14, 2006

By	Michael J. Mazza (Pittsburgh, PA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

One could consider "The Long Road Home: One Step at a Time," by G.B. Trudeau, to be a novella in cartoon form. The short book focuses on B.D., a soldier who, as we see in the opening pages, has lost a leg to an attack while serving in Iraq. The book charts his journey of recovery and readjustment. Trudeau depicts B.D.'s relationships with the medical personnel who both care for and challenge him, with his fellow amputees, with his family, and with his goofy, goateed friend Zonker (the source of much of the book's humor).

Despite the serious subject matter, the story is presented as a comedy, and Trudeau skillfully creates jokes that I found appropriate to both the characters and storyline. Don't expect political sermonizing or an ideological slant from this book; the focus is on B.D.'s personal struggle and its impact on his family. There is a particular emphasis on B.D.'s relationship with his young daughter, and on her methods for dealing with her father's situation. Trudeau covers a lot of the practical issues that a disabled veteran faces as he adjusts to a radically changed life. There is some gentle but affectionate satirizing of both the military and the medical professions. The overall tone of the book is hopeful and positive. Trudeau avoids syrupy sentimentality and ultimately tells a solid, down-to-earth story. This is an important contribution to the growing literature of the Iraq War.