crocketraccoon's review against another edition
4.0
Tough read...but really good. The book is definitely better than the movie and gives a better picture of what vets are going thru trying to get services for PTSD.
lynnedf's review against another edition
3.0
This is a 3.5 star read.
Heartbreaking. The affects of PTSD are truly heartbreaking - and not only for the brace soldiers who return from War but also for their families - who without having been deployed to a war torn place, are still being forced to deal with the horrors.
This read very much like a multi- week special in a newspaper or magazine which might be the reason I haven't given it 4 stars - at times each chapter felt a little disjointed with the previous one, even though we are following the same individuals throughout.
I believe this should be required reading in civics classes - it would provide a more rounded look at what vets are dealing with, hopefully encouraging empathy and better support for our returning troops.
An important read and I'm thankful I read it.
Heartbreaking. The affects of PTSD are truly heartbreaking - and not only for the brace soldiers who return from War but also for their families - who without having been deployed to a war torn place, are still being forced to deal with the horrors.
This read very much like a multi- week special in a newspaper or magazine which might be the reason I haven't given it 4 stars - at times each chapter felt a little disjointed with the previous one, even though we are following the same individuals throughout.
I believe this should be required reading in civics classes - it would provide a more rounded look at what vets are dealing with, hopefully encouraging empathy and better support for our returning troops.
An important read and I'm thankful I read it.
caseyrose88's review against another edition
4.0
Working at a VA hospital, I am able to read about veterans and their health and mental issues from their medical charts. That is comparable to reading this book.
We can only imagine the terror and horrific things these guys went through while serving us and their country. This was a somber but somewhat hopeful read.
We can only imagine the terror and horrific things these guys went through while serving us and their country. This was a somber but somewhat hopeful read.
booksandchicks's review against another edition
3.0
Sigh. I am so grateful to all of our countries service men and women! For the freedoms they fight for. What they do for me and my family. This book addresses the aftermath of battle. What our service men and women battle at home. PTSD being a huge battle. It is quite devastating these amazing men go through so much and are so strong to then have such huge scars to battle their whole lives. This book gives a very raw glimpse into what their lives and their family life becomes once they come home. Honestly, I think it's tragic!
jenlowe's review against another edition
5.0
Having grown up with a veteran of WWII, Vietnam, & Korea, I felt grateful for the accuracy of the nearly relentless hopelessness of this book. The author does a stunning job of representing institutional complexity.
bobbo49's review against another edition
5.0
A book that should be required reading for every American - or at least every politician in DC (and the voters who put them there) responsible for the decisions to send our military into endless combat, and for the failure to provide highest level care for our veterans when they return. Finkel focuses on the post-combat lives of a few veterans of the never-ending wars in Iraq/Afghanistan, all with severe PTSD, telling their stories in both first and third person accounts, in their own voices and those of their partners at home and at war. Incredibly powerful, compassionate, disturbing, enlightening, emotionally challenging. Instead of saying "thank you for your service" and continuing your privileged life without another thought about them, these veterans remind us, how about actually providing real and concrete evidence of your appreciation and concern. Read it and weep.
kobowden's review against another edition
5.0
This book is more cohesive than I could even fathom expecting and it's a masterpiece.
“‘The brave individuals who wear the cloth of this great Nation in combat deserve our deepest gratitude. It is remarkable all they have accomplished. I am incredibly proud of them and of their families. That said, they are tired. The persistent high operational tempo of this war, the terrible things some have seen or experienced in combat, have undoubtedly taken a toll on them. Many are struggling with the “invisible wounds” of this war, including traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress, depression and anxiety.’” (157)
“‘The brave individuals who wear the cloth of this great Nation in combat deserve our deepest gratitude. It is remarkable all they have accomplished. I am incredibly proud of them and of their families. That said, they are tired. The persistent high operational tempo of this war, the terrible things some have seen or experienced in combat, have undoubtedly taken a toll on them. Many are struggling with the “invisible wounds” of this war, including traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress, depression and anxiety.’” (157)
ceagled's review against another edition
4.0
I read David's book The Good Soldiers and really enjoyed it so I picked up this book. This book goes into the lives of a couple of soldiers who had traumatic experiences in Iraq after they arrive back in the US. One can see how ill prepared the armed services and members themselves were initially.
Even after the armed services instituted programs to help these soldiers you could still see the gaps. A lot of the gaps occurred, in my opinion, by human error. Whether that was being too rushed, lazy, or incompetent is not known. For instance one of the soldiers was deemed high risk and was only supposed to have one week's worth of his medications (he was prescribed around 20 different rx's in total). He was told to bring all his pills in and they would go thru them and dispose of any excess. The staff member doing the review didn't note he was high risk and didn't dispose of any of his medications. Only by happen chance when this high risk soldier bumped into a sergeant with his bag full of pills was the error noticed. The sergeant had interviewed this soldier the day prior and knew he was not supposed to have a bag full of pills. So much of this is random just like being in the wrong place at the wrong time for a lot of these soldiers when they were injured.
Then throwing into the equation the family situation, which is often not great, makes it very difficult for these soldiers to recover.
I enjoyed this book and have a much deeper appreciation of what these soldiers who were injured in battle come back to
Even after the armed services instituted programs to help these soldiers you could still see the gaps. A lot of the gaps occurred, in my opinion, by human error. Whether that was being too rushed, lazy, or incompetent is not known. For instance one of the soldiers was deemed high risk and was only supposed to have one week's worth of his medications (he was prescribed around 20 different rx's in total). He was told to bring all his pills in and they would go thru them and dispose of any excess. The staff member doing the review didn't note he was high risk and didn't dispose of any of his medications. Only by happen chance when this high risk soldier bumped into a sergeant with his bag full of pills was the error noticed. The sergeant had interviewed this soldier the day prior and knew he was not supposed to have a bag full of pills. So much of this is random just like being in the wrong place at the wrong time for a lot of these soldiers when they were injured.
Then throwing into the equation the family situation, which is often not great, makes it very difficult for these soldiers to recover.
I enjoyed this book and have a much deeper appreciation of what these soldiers who were injured in battle come back to
pkadams's review against another edition
5.0
Describes the cost of war paid by the surviving veterans, their families, and the widows. It is a well written deeply compassionate book on a sobering topic.