Drowning in the Desert: A JAG's Search for Justice in Iraq (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Deborah A. Gembara (Author)
Key Phrases: bad penny, tactical operations center, combat stress, Drowning In The Desert, Fort Carson, Highway One (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This is a disturbing collection of experiences of a judge advocate general officer, a lawyer for an army brigade fighting the insurgency from 2003 to 2004. Undergoing modest risks—the occasional mortar attack, ambush danger in traveling the roads—Capt. Vivian Gembara endured as much physical discomfort as the fighting men plus long working hours because of chronic understaffing. The pace never flags as Gembara describes struggling to solve soldiers' personal problems; dealing with the cliques, rivalries, and petty politics of rear area service; and trying (often in vain) to ensure troops observed the official Rules of Engagement and Geneva Conventions. When soldiers were accused of deserting, officers leaned over backward to see justice done. When other soldiers murdered several innocent Iraqis, she discovered that the soldiers, who said they were following orders, were terrified of a sadistic sergeant. The author succeeded only partially in prosecuting the murders, and the extensive coverup occupies the second half of the book. I will always be disappointed by my chain-of-command's cowardly handling of the murders, Gembara writes in this straightforward, honest account, and many readers will share her outrage. Maps. (Oct. 15)
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Product Description

Several people are waiting to greet Captain Vivian Gembara when she returns home after a year-long tour of duty in Iraq--her grateful fiancS and two officers dispatched from headquarters to retrieve "the file." Certainly not the homecoming she expected, but such is life when you are in the business of soldiers behaving badly.

As a lawyer for the U.S. Army, Vivian counsels them, investigates them, and when necessary, prosecutes them. When an Iraqi teenagers body is found floating in the Tigris River and U.S. soldiers are believed to have been involved, she knows she has a case on her hands. What she doesn't realize is just how much that case will reveal about the Armys conduct at war.

Drowning in the Desert: A JAG's Search for Justice in Iraq is both a legal thriller and a searing account of the savagery that occurs when commanders place "the fight" above all else.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Zenith Press; illustrated edition edition (October 17, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 076033448X
• ISBN-13: 978-0760334485
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #559,415 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing story that packs a punch, October 12, 2008

By	M. Williams (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I love this book. It's not political or preachy, just honest and compelling. There are several parts that are laugh-out-loud funny, which I almost never do when I read a book. There are other parts that made me choke up, and I rarely get emotional reading a book. Still other parts of this book made me hot with anger. This is a real emotional roller coaster, and you won't regret picking it up. I couldn't put it down.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars highly recommended, October 11, 2008

By	M. Cesarz (NY, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is so much more than a suspenseful page-turner (although it certainly is that!): it is the truly inspiring story of one soldier's quest to serve with integrity that will cause all readers to wonder what they would have done in her situation. Drowning in the Desert is as thought-provoking as it is timely, and my bookclub is going to love it! Non-fiction and fiction readers alike will enjoy this book, as my husband and I can attest; I think it's the only book my husband and I have ever both read and loved!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Note on Veteran's Day, November 11, 2008

By	NavyLaini "Laini" (Norfolk, VA) - See all my reviews

One woman's honest account of her experiences as a soldier in Iraq reveals more truth about the War on Terror than any "expert" commentary I have read so far. Her story contains no self-aggrandizing, no political commentary, no pontificating on the right or wrong way to wage a War on Terror. It is a window into her life and her personal battle to help her Army retain its honor, while facing a faceless enemy without any.
You can't help but feel strongly about the message contained within the pages of this book. I've promoted it to everyone I work with- soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and civilians. We hear it a lot, especially on Veteran's Day, but our nation's military is like no other. Our fighting men and women are noble, honorable individuals who face difficult decisions everyday. It's taken many years, but we're finally recognizing the true power of the "human factor" in this war- on both sides. Soldiers like CAPT Gembara recognized it from the beginning.
Vivian and Deborah have an engaging style that immerses you in the story and does not let you loose until the conclusion. I felt so involved in the narrative that I earned a few curious stares in Starbucks when I burst out laughing to myself, then choked up and sobbed only 30 minutes later. It's not only a refreshing, insightful account of the war, it's a well-written, riveting drama that anyone would enjoy.