Beyond Duty: Life on the Frontline in Iraq

ISBN: 978-0-7456-4672-5

Hardcover

260 pages

September 2009, Polity

Other Available Formats: Paperback

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Compelling first-handaccount of life as a soldier on the frontline in Iraq, written by Lt. Shannon Meehan, a former tank commander in Iraq
The book is written as an engaging memoir in the first person. Shannon's position as a commander of an armored company provides him with a unique perspective on the war
This is the story of a soldier trying to cope amidst the chaos, confusion and collateral damage of war.
It avoids any attempt to cull pedantic lessons from war experiences in favor of openly discussing the most private feelings of a young officer in Iraq who is trying to do his best and lead his men under horrendously difficult circumstances
His story revolves around the profound limitations he experiences in reconciling his actions as a soldier with his beliefs as a civilian, and it poignantly illustrates a person trying to cope with how his life has changed