Synopses & Reviews
From ABC White House correspondent Martha Raddatz, the story of a brutal forty-eight-hour firefight that conveys in harrowing detail the effects of war not just on the soldiers but also on the families waiting back at home.
In April 2004, soldiers from the 1st Cavalry Division were on a routine patrol in Sadr City, Iraq, when they came under surprise attack. Over the course of the next forty-eight hours, 8 Americans would be killed and more than 70 wounded. Back home, as news of the attack began filtering in, the families of these same men, neighbors in Fort Hood, Texas, feared the worst. In time, some of the women in their circle would receive the call-the notification that a husband or brother had been killed in action. So the families banded together in anticipation of the heartbreak that was certain to come.
The firefight in Sadr City marked the beginning of the Iraqi insurgency, and Martha Raddatz has written perhaps the most riveting account of hand-to-hand combat to emerge from the war in Iraq. This intimate portrait of the close-knit community of families Stateside the unsung heroes of the military distinguishes The Long Road Home from other stories of modern warfare, showing the horror, terror, bravery, and fortitude not just of the soldiers who were wounded and killed but also of the wives and children whose lives now are forever changed.
Review
"The word 'sacrifice' is used a lot...Martha Raddatz shows what the word really means." Thomas E. Ricks, author of Fiasco
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"A truly great book about men, women, and raw courage." Diane Sawyer, ABC News
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"A thoroughly gripping read." General David Petraeus, commander of Multinational Force Iraq
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"Grit and high drama...searingly vivid evidence of the toll U.S. soldiers pay." Janet Maslin, New York Times
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"Might well be the Black Hawk Down of the Iraq war." The Washington Post
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"A picture of American valor and unflagging commitment." Rocky Mountain News
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"A poignant piece of work that will grab and hold you." St. Louis Post-Dispatch
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"[An] important and profoundly moving story, one that hasn't been told enough, about the war in Iraq from the vantage of people who are fighting it." Seattle Times
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"[Raddatz] takes pains to maintain the right tone, seamlessly weaving the bloody reality of the war front with the stories and worries of those left behind at home." Los Angeles Times
Synopsis
SOON TO BE A NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MINISERIES ABC News' Chief Global Affairs Correspondent Martha Raddatz shares remarkable tales of heroism, hope, and heartbreak in her account of "Black Sunday"--a battle during one of the deadliest periods of the Iraq War.
The First Cavalry Division came under surprise attack in Sadr City on Sunday April 4, 2004. Over 7,000 miles away, their families awaited the news for forty-eight hellish hours-expecting the worst. In this powerful, unflinching account, Martha Raddatz takes readers from the streets of Baghdad to the homefront and tells the story of that horrific day through the eyes of the courageous American men and women who lived it.
"A masterpiece of literary nonfiction that rivals any war-related classic that has preceded it."--The Washington Post
Synopsis
The First Cavalry Division came under surprise attack in Sadr City on April 4, 2004, now known as "Black Sunday." On the homefront, over 7,000 miles away, their families awaited the news for forty-eight hellish hours-expecting the worst. ABC News' chief correspondent Martha Raddatz shares remarkable tales of heroism, hope, and heartbreak.
About the Author
Martha Raddatz is one of our most respected news journalists. As ABC's Senior National Security Correspondent, she reported extensively from Iraq. A two-time Emmy Award winner, she was recently named Chief White House Correspondent for ABC News, and has appeared on Nightline, Larry King Live, The Charlie Rose Show, Washington Week, and many other news programs. The Long Road Home is her first book.