Veterans and their families write about their experiences with the military, especially in Iraq, in these books at the Library.

Recent military memoirs

Eyes on the Horizon: Serving on the Frontlines of National Security
By General Richard Myers with Malcolm McConnell
General Myers, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 2001-2005, sets the record straight about the planning and execution of the Iraq War, and offers new ideas for tightening America's national security.

American Soldier
By Tommy Franks with Malcom McConnell
General Franks retraces his journey from a boyhood in Oklahoma and Texas through his heroic tour of duty as Commander-in-Chief of the United States Central Command.

Baghdad at Sunrise: A Brigade Commander's War in Iraq
By Peter R. Mansoor
Baghdad at Sunrise provides a detailed, nuanced analysis of U.S. counterinsurgency operations in Iraq, and along with it critically important lessons for America's military and political leaders of the 21st century. Mansoor spoke at the Library in October 2008.

Warrior King: The Triumph and Betrayal of an American Commander in Iraq
By Nathan Sassaman; with Joe Layden
Warrior King, a startling and controversial memoir of combat and betrayal, chronicles the downfall of one of the most prominent members of the U.S. fighting forces in Iraq, and the subsequent effect on the American military.

The Heart of a Soldier: A True Love Story of War, Love, and Sacrifice
Kate Blaise with Dana Whiter
Delivering a candid take on life as a woman in the military as well as the grueling challenges facing all who serve, Blaise takes readers from the dreams of her idealistic youth to her final days with her high school sweetheart-husband-and-soldier in Iraq.

Soft Spots: A Marine's Memoir of Combat and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder 
By Clint Van Winkle
In this powerful, haunting memoir, a Marine who served in Iraq recounts his struggle with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and his experiences with a system trying to hide the damage done.

A Journal for Jordan: A Story of Love and Honor
By Dana Canedy
A searching, poignant memoir of love and loss, A Journal for Jordon is a father's letter to the son he will never see--wrenching accounts of losing men in battle mixed with advice on everything from how to withstand disappointment to how to behave on a date. Canedy spoke at the Library in February 2009.

The Deserter's Tale: The Story of an Ordinary Soldier Who Walked Away From the War in Iraq
By Joshua Key; as told to Lawrence Hill
In this memoir of a young soldier who deserted from the war in Iraq, Joshua Key offers a vivid and damning indictment of what America is doing there and how the war itself is being waged.

The Day After He Left for Iraq: A Story of Love, Family & Reunion
By Melissa Seligman
Military wife Seligman describes her feelings as she watches her husband walk away from her and her newborn, knowing full well that he might not return from the war in Iraq. Hers is a story of sadness and strength that anyone left behind can relate to.

Rule Number Two: Lessons I Learned In a Combat Hospital
By Heidi Squier Kraft
This powerful first-hand account relays a military psychologists poignant story of tending to hidden wounds in Iraq—her patients, her colleagues, and finally her own.

Book descriptions provided by BookLetters.