David Zimmerman, The Sandbox

The Sandbox

David Zimmerman

Soho, Apr 1 2010, $25.00

ISBN: 9781569476284

In the middle of the Iraqi Desert at Forward Operating Base Cornucopia, known by those unfortunate to be stationed there as Sandbox, U.S. Army Private Toby Durrant was worrying about his pregnant fianc e, but not for long. An ambush kills two soldiers while a shocked Toby pees in his pants.

Still stunned, Lieutenant Blankenship assigns Toby to quietly scrutinize the information provided by their translator and afterward question two prisoners suspected of belonging to the insurgents. Besides a lack of language skill, Toby is further confused why him as he has no interrogation experience or training. Nothing makes sense to him, but fearing something darker engulfing him, he almost pees again in his pants when the two Iraqi prisoners are found dead. Military Intel arrives to interrogate Toby; asking him questions about Blankenship.

There is lot more going on in the desert, but what makes this a great Iraqi war saga is Toby, an ordinary individual who has made several mistakes in his life, but now is caught up with something that could unfairly leave him holding the bag. He has learned the path sh*t travels in the military as corruption at the top means those at the bottom pay the price if exposure occurs. Pulling no punches, David Zimmerman paints a grim military thriller of a grunt just trying to survive the folly of war fought as a suits' capitalist endeavor.

Harriet Klausner