casualties

Historian Robert MacIver creates a strange tale about men in the trenches of the First World War, forcing himself to relive his own experiences in the war and the impact they had on his life.

In the closing hours of the defense of Khe Sanh Combat Base, the longest and bloodiest battle of the Vietnam War, Tom Mahoney inexplicably walked away from his platoon, unarmed, and was shot to death by enemy soldiers hiding nearby. His fellow Marines made several desperate attempts to recover their well-liked comrade, but were finally forced to leave him behind--though never forgotten. Author Michael Archer (a high school friend who joined the Marines together with Tom) chronicles his exhaustive search for answers to his friend's mysterious stroll into oblivion. This quest eventually leads to an improbable series of connections: from Tom's childhood friends, to fellow Marines, past the frustration of numerous ineffective, often inept, attempts by the U.S. government to locate his remains and eventually back to that infamous battleground and the last remaining eyewitness to Tom Mahoney's death--one of those who killed him.

Brendan McDonough was on the verge of becoming a hopeless heroin addict when, for the sake of his young daughter, he decided to turn his life around. He enlisted in the Granite Mountain Hotshots, a team of elite firefighters based in Prescott, Arizona. Four hotshots had left the unit and its leader, Eric Marsh, was in desperate need of new recruits. With Marsh's firm, but loving encouragement, Brendan unlocked a latent drive and dedication and went on to successfully battle a number of blazes. On June 13, 2013, McDonough was serving as a lookout when the Hotshots confronted a 3,000 degree inferno in Yarnell, Arizona. The relentless firestorm trapped all 19 of McDonough's "brothers", killing them in minutes. After finding his way out of the dead-end of drugs, losing the men who had saved him was heartbreaking.

On December 7, 1941 the Japanese military launched a surprise attack on the American Naval base at Pearl Harbor. In this book, authors Nathan Anthony and Robert Gardner offer a clear description of the attack on Pearl Harbor, from early Japanese spying operations to a detailed account of the key events of that fateful day.

Maria Goodavage takes readers into the life of Lucca K458, a decorated and highly skilled military working dog. An extraordinary bond develops between Lucca and Marine Corps dog handlers Chris Willingham and Juan Rodriguez, in what would become a legendary 400-mission career. A Specialized Search Dog, Lucca belongs to an elite group trained to work off-leash at long distances from her handler. She served alongside both Special Forces and regular infantry, and became so sought-after that platoons frequently requested her by name. The book describes in gritty detail Lucca's adventures on and off the battlefields, including tense, lifesaving explosives finds and firefights, as well as the bravery of fellow handlers and dogs they served with. Ultimately we see how the bond between Lucca and her handlers overcame the endless brutalities of war and the traumas this violence ignites. Here is a portrait of modern warfare with a heartwarming and inspiring conclusion that will touch dog lovers and the toughest military readers.

Karen Spears reflects on how her father's death in Vietnam impacted her family and shares the story of how her mother worked to keep their family together.

Four weeks after Navy SEALs had killed Osama bin Laden, President Obama stood in Arlington National Cemetery to deliver his Memorial Day address. He extolled the heroism and sacrifice of the two men buried side by side in the graves before him: Travis Manion, a fallen US Marine, and Brendan Looney, a fallen US Navy SEAL. Although they were killed three years apart, one in Iraq and one in Afghanistan, these two former roommates and best friends were now buried together--"brothers forever." Award-winning journalist Tom Sileo and Travis's father, Colonel Tom Manion, USMCR (Ret.), tell the intimate and personal story of how these Naval Academy roommates defined a generation's sacrifice in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Contains seventeen essays that debate the human costs of war, discussing soldier and other casualties in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, media coverage of fallen soldiers, the care for veterans provided by the Veterans Administration and the Department of Defense, and other related topics.