stackednpainted's review
4.0
In Mass Casualties: A Young Medic's True Story of Death, Deception, and Dishonor in Iraq, Michael Anthony tells his experiences from one year in Iraq as an OR medic. Summarizing this memoir simply is not possible without giving away too many details or leaving question marks hanging in the open, so I won't even attempt to do this.
While I read Mass Casualties, a childhood friend of mine, who is a lot like a big brother to me, was in Afganisthan, so it was both an emotional as well as a though-provoking read for me. Without whitewashing the events or taking a side in the ever-present question of righteousness of the war, Anthony tells it the way he remembers it (with confirmation from his fellow soldiers).
Anthony's experiences in Iraq and with his fellow soldiers are in part shocking, to put it mildly. While I expected some of what I read, I would never have expected it to be just so deceptive, so many orders that don't make much sense from a non-military point of view, and so many events and behaviors non of us would call honorable. But that is what makes this book so good, the honesty with which everything is portrayed.
With Mass Casualties, Michael Anthony wrote a wonderful diary-style memoir about his experiences during his time in Iraq, which I enjoyed reading.
While I read Mass Casualties, a childhood friend of mine, who is a lot like a big brother to me, was in Afganisthan, so it was both an emotional as well as a though-provoking read for me. Without whitewashing the events or taking a side in the ever-present question of righteousness of the war, Anthony tells it the way he remembers it (with confirmation from his fellow soldiers).
Anthony's experiences in Iraq and with his fellow soldiers are in part shocking, to put it mildly. While I expected some of what I read, I would never have expected it to be just so deceptive, so many orders that don't make much sense from a non-military point of view, and so many events and behaviors non of us would call honorable. But that is what makes this book so good, the honesty with which everything is portrayed.
With Mass Casualties, Michael Anthony wrote a wonderful diary-style memoir about his experiences during his time in Iraq, which I enjoyed reading.
jasonsensation's review
3.0
It was okay, it was an easy read. I kept reading to expect something more, but in the end i never found it.
bookishdea's review
4.0
I picked up this book because I am seriously looking into enlisting in the USAR as a medic, and have been researching the subject to death. While I would want to enlist as a Healthcare specialist/combat medic and SPC Anthony is a OR tech, it was still a very interesting read. I really liked the inside look. I also enjoyed the writing style. It is a different point of view, and it does an excellent job of showing that. Nothing is sugar coated. Great book, an enjoyable read.
More...