Martha Raddatz, The Long Road Home

I found it to be a very thorough and accurate description of the unrelenting bravery of our military, the hell our soldiers go through during combat, and the emotional strain that the families back home endure. The book is very well written and should appeal to a variety of audiences, both male and female. It is important for the American public to fully understand what going to war means for our military and its families, and Martha Raddatz has captured this impeccably in her book.

The Long Road Home

Martha Raddatz

Putnam, Mar 2007, $24.95

ISBN: 0399153829

This is a terrific, true, bird's-eye view of life on the ground in Iraq, especially starting with April 2004 Sade City bloodbath that killed eight American troops. TV journalist Martha Raddatz interviews the soldiers caught in street fighting against the Mahdi militia in what was considered a babysitting mission until all hell broke out. The author also takes the audience back to the states to meet family members who lost loved ones. There are no political spins like recent claims the bombing of the mosque last year started the insurgency. Or even a worse lie that the American people are sacrificing to bring democracy to Iraq; Ms. Raddatz makes it clear from one small concise chapter to the next that in the United States only the soldiers and their family members are sacrificing. What have I given up - nothing; not even taxes to pay the war costs or the subsequent reequipping bill; while the military in some cases have lost their lives or limbs.

Harriet Klausner