The Blog of War

THE BLOG OF WAR
Front-line Dispatches from Soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan
(and one girlfriend, one wife and one mom)

Back in 2004, when my son, Noah, was preparing to deploy, I searched the internet high and low for information about what it would be like; what he would need; what I could expect. I did find a few soldier blogs and a few by wives, but no blogs by moms.

I found Blackfive (and The Mudville Gazette, Doc in the Box...) and began reading these and other military blogs regularly. The stories that I read moved me -- some scared me, some made me laugh, many made me cry.

Then I decided that it was important to share the experience of being a soldier's mom -- not so much to tell the story of MY soldier, but every soldier ('cause every soldier has a mom) and I began this blog.

I am honored to be a contributor to The Blog of War. I have read it cover to cover and, while I had read many of the essays and stories before, to be able to read them all again in one collection was wonderful. Some of the stories still horrify me, some make me laugh and some make me cry. And if you have never taken the time to fully explore the emotion that the writers of milblogs can convey, The Blog of War will surprise and move you.

Matt has collected the best of the milblogs all in a single collection, including stories from:

· The Warriors. Each day they must go “to fight the dragons.”

· The Leaders. Combat leadership can be the toughest and loneliest job in the world.

· The Healers. The medics who staunch the blood and patch the wounds of their fellow soldiers on the wretched expanses of the battlefield, working feverishly between the next bullet and the nearest hospital to keep their buddies alive.

· Heroes from the Homefront. Having a loved one in harm’s way is a very stressful and trying experience.

· The Fallen. Not everyone makes it back home: bloggers pay tribute to those who have fallen in defense of their country – spouses mourn their husbands, soldiers mourn not only their comrades but their Iraqi friends as well, and heartbreaking last letters home are shared.

· Homecomings. Soldiers share their poignant accounts of homecoming. Some soldiers have been injured and others have wounds that can’t be seen.

All of these stories come straight from the front lines of Iraq, Afghanistan and the Homefront. And you won't find these points of view in the regular media. Not like this. Not with this honesty or the raw emotion.

THE BLOG OF WAR are the accounts of men and women as they actually experience the trials and tribulations of war on the battlefield, where our soldiers daily test their humanity against the hell that is war... and all that it entails. You'll certainly have a better understanding and a greater respect for those who risk their lives for their country.

And as I said on Andrea Shea King's show last evening, it doesn't make any difference what your politics on the War are: these stories are about the people who put it on the line every single day for all people regardless of anyone's politics. It's about duty, honor and courage... not politics. If you want honest and compelling views of what that's like, then read this book.

So go and get this book -- go online and order THE BLOG OF WAR: Front-line Dispatches from Soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan (it will be shipped now) or go to your favorite bookstore and get it -- you won't regret it. It's published by Simon and Schuster; there's a link to the Amazon page on the right).

Now here's all the official stuff:

Matthew Currier Burden enlisted in the military when he was seventeen. He left the military as a major in the U.S. Army Reserve in July 2001. He has a Master of Science degree in computer science from the University of Chicago and works as an IT executive in Chicago.

About the Book
THE BLOG OF WAR
By Matthew Currier Burden
Published by Simon & Schuster
List Price: $15.00
ISBN: 0-7432-9418-1