Beyond Duty: Life on the Frontline in IraqISBN: 978-0-7456-4672-5
Hardcover
260 pages
October 2009, Polity
|
- 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