The Long Road Home: A Story of War and Family
by Martha Raddatz
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Book Summary Information
Author: Martha RaddatzEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-03-01
ISBN: 0399153829
Number of pages: 320
Publisher: Putnam Adult
Book Reviews of The Long Road Home: A Story of War and Family
Book Review: Mind Boggling
Summary: 5 Stars
mindboggling
Just not sure where to start...this book was an all night'er, a one sitting read. I guess what confuses me in reading all the other reviews is why instead of blaming the military for the lack of proper gear etc, why hasn't any one looked at this situation was a well pre-meditated game plan by Sadr? He knew what he was doing and was smart. No doubt it took some time to get the "hood" to come together and network, I would doubt over night an entire community was ready to go into the streets to block intersections, have an old man directing where to set off blasts, instructing young children to throw bombs at our GI's and all the rest in a split second. You have to give the man credit for the exact execution of his plan of attack, he formed his militias, he lead our Troops to a false sense of security in that sector, and he chose to instill the attacks at the time of the transition of BN's knowing the base would not be adequately prepared and set up to operate. A very calculated plan that would have happened on this particular Sunday or another day of the week knowing the new guys had arrived. Granted we should have been prepared for anything, but it was a lying in wait game w/the insurgents. And modern technology ain't what it is cracked up to be. Sometimes old fashioned ways still have a purpose and are useful. Very frustrating our guys rely on it so heavily.
What also disturbs me is some of the political commentary in the reviews. It's beyond me why these people are against our country and actions in Iraq, yet they just finished reading we are fighting an enemy that has no qualms about using children, women, houses of worship as part of their attack against us and their own nationals. I find that to be pure EVIL and tells me we are not dealing w/an enemy that is nothing less than barbaric and quite frankly insane, something we should all know by now. Sad thing is many Americans five years later still don't know what an IED is. We are not the bad guys here.
I remember tracking the internet, watching the news closely during this time, reading the KIA lists, and until I read the book I had absolutely no clue of the horrors of that day in such depth...very different from the usual media coverage of "we lost 8 Soldiers, our Troops are under attack". The book did an excellent job of covering the homefront as well. It's the first book I have read that truly conveys what the wives feel, go through, and the different personalities of how one copes being married to a Soldier. The confusion of what to do and how to handle the situation at home was disturbing at best, I can't imagine being in their shoes. The failure of the military making sure every Soldier's info is updated before deployment was not good. The entire book I couldn't help but wonder how they must feel as they read this story knowing what their loved ones went through.
I was not aware that Casey Sheehan had died on Black Sunday, also was not aware he re-enlisted. As hard as I try I can't help but feel sorry for this brave young man to know that his mother has tarnished his memory and death. He deserves so much better especially now that I have read a bit of his story and his passing.
One compelling thing for me as I read this book was remembering it was written by a female. Kudos to Martha Raddatz! Fantastic job! It reads as if she was a boot on the ground. She was able to bring you "live" to the story feeling as it you were there. It was also frustrating to read about the pinned down platoon and what the other guys were doing to save them, neither had no idea of what the others were going through, they just knew they had to fight for their guys and their lives. The nay-sayers do not have that ability and never will. Once again, the American Soldier spirit prevails, their dedication to each other always leaves me in awe. Their courage, will, ingenuity, and strength is phenomenal, they are the elite of our country and anyone that wears the uniform deserves our respect.
For every Slogger, i.e. someone that follows the war as opposed to the antics of Hollywood this is a MUST READ.
Just so much to contemplate and comprehend. I could not put it down and it has stayed w/me for several days now.
The one draw back to the book was the constant mis-spellings of the Soldiers names, it was irritating. It is important to get people's name right and spelled properly, it's who they are...their identity. I am surprised such errors made it to publication. And I want to know the epilogue on SGT Fisk. I definitely agree some edits need to be made in the next addition. I did like the fact that photos were placed in the book, faces to names always makes a huge difference.
The book was mind boggling for me, I sent many care packages to "Dirty Bird", I knew it was a dismal camp, but until the book did I fully grasp what our Soldiers experienced there. Heart wrenching for me. At the same time it made me proud to be an American to have served this group in such a small way by sending comforts of home as best I could. It was so scary to read about the open trucks, the light humvees, and yet, knowing this they went out to save their guys anyway. True Heroes. I am grateful this battle will be documented and remembered in the history books.
Summary of The Long Road Home: A Story of War and Family
From ABC White House correspondent Martha Raddatz, the story of a brutal forty-eight-hour firefight that conveys in harrowing detail the effects of war not just on the soldiers but also on the families waiting back at home.In April 2004, soldiers from the 1st Cavalry Division were on a routine patrol in Sadr City, Iraq, when they came under surprise attack. Over the course of the next forty-eight hours, 8 Americans would be killed and more than 70 wounded. Back home, as news of the attack began filtering in, the families of these same men, neighbors in Fort Hood, Texas, feared the worst. In time, some of the women in their circle would receive "the call"-the notification that a husband or brother had been killed in action. So the families banded together in anticipation of the heartbreak that was certain to come.
The firefight in Sadr City marked the beginning of the Iraqi insurgency, and Martha Raddatz has written perhaps the most riveting account of hand-to-hand combat to emerge from the war in Iraq. This intimate portrait of the close-knit community of families Stateside-the unsung heroes of the military -distinguishes The Long Road Home from other stories of modern warfare, showing the horror, terror, bravery, and fortitude not just of the soldiers who were wounded and killed but also of the wives and children whose lives now are forever changed.
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