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. In THE LONG ROAD HOME, Martha Raddatz shows what the word really means. She takes the reader into the Humvees and the streets of Baghdad and shows how American troops sweat, bleed and fight in the Iraq war. Read it."
--Thomas E. Ricks, author of FIASCO: THE AMERICAN MILITARY ADVENTURE IN IRAQ
Review
"The word 'sacrifice' is used a lot...Martha Raddatz shows what the word really means." -- Thomas E. Ricks, author of
Fiasco "Grit and high drama... searingly vivid evidence of the toll U.S. soldiers pay." --
New York Times "A picture of American valor and unflagging commitment." --
Rocky Mountain News "A poignant piece of work that will grab and hold you." --
St. Louis Post-Dispatch "A truly great book about men, women, and raw courage." -- Diane Sawyer, ABC News "Might well be the
Black Hawk Down of the Iraq war." --
The Washington Post "A thoroughly gripping read." -- General David Petraeus, commander of Multinational Force Iraq
Synopsis
An Emmy Award-winning ABC White House correspondent documents a brutal two-day firefight in Sadr City, Iraq, during which eight 1st Cavalry Division soldiers were killed and numerous others were wounded, an engagement that was vigilantly monitored by their loved ones back home. 100,000 first printing.
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 Correspon-dent, 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.