This a conservative who has actually been in combat!!!

books:


	• House to House: An Epic Memoir of War David Bellavia Pocket Star, 2008 - 416 pages average customer review:based on 105 reviews
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highly recommended

One of the Best Military Books I've Read

This is the first review I've written on any book since elementary school, but I had to write one.

I have read so many books on military history that I cannot even count them. I've read about everything from Agincourt to Iraq, but have mainly focussed on US military history. Mostly first person accounts. I'm also very close to MANY OIF vets. My twin brother as well as some of my best friends were there in the invasion on '03. Many other relatives and very, very dear friends either were there or are currently there right now. I'm the one that picks them up from the airport and also hears a lot of the stories they don't tell others. This book is their stories in print.

In fact, my cousin who was with 3/7 Kilo over in Husayba and Karibala about the same time as the book takes place recommended this book to me. If you know about those places then you'll know that it was pretty hot. He was in the same company as Cpl. Jason Dunham who received the Medal of Honor. For a Marine combat vet to recommend a book about soldiers says something I suppose.

It doesn't pull punches. It tells about the lives of grunts with all the filth, disease, camaraderie, terror, devotion, disdain for certain officers and POGs, macabre humor, sorrow and profanity that my friends and relatives tell me about. It also delves into living with survivors guilt, which I have seen many times now with my buddies. It's dark, desperate and sometimes bleak, but like the author mentions there are shining examples of bravery, devotion and brotherly sacrifice.

It is well written and very detailed. I feel it will stand the test of time, and that it stands on it's own. I also think at some point it should be made into a movie. I don't know who I'd trust to do it right though.

If you liked this book then you should read "Suddenly We Didn't Want to Die" by Elton Mackin, "With the Old Breed" by E.B. Sledge, and "Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien. At certain points House to House sounds like all of those books. Funny how the lives of Grunts sound similar from the trenches in the Great War, to the islands of the Pacific, to the rice paddies of the I Corps area of Vietnam.

As someone who has never been there I would say that this book is very relevant. Some people might whine that this books doesn't try to make a political point or something like that, but I don't think it was meant to. I think it was meant for something totally different. It is a glimpse into the lives of the guys that do the dirty work day in and day out while I sit in my office working on bids or walk job sites.

David Bellavia has done a great job here, and I'd like to thank him. He give us that glimpse.

I appreciate all you guys that have done and are still doing the dirty work. God bless and protect all you guys.

C

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This a conservative who has actually been in combat!!!

When I first came across this book I was not expecting to become immersed as deeply as I did. Bellavia does an incredible job of fully describing the fighting that took place in fallujah. His ability to tell his story is solid. There were moments that I honestly wondered what was around the next corner. I must also give him credit by showing that liberals fight as strongly as conservatives (even if Sean Hannity wouldn't call one a great american!) Where he went wrong I believe is that he never honestly asked himself should we even be in the mess. to simply fall back on the good/bad guy stuff as much as he does is really pretty sad. If he saw things like he did when he noticed the eery similarity between his boys and two that he saw in combat this book would have easily gone down as a classic, a must read, but don't let this simple mistake deter you. This man can write and anyone who considers him/herself knowledgable about Iraq should most definately read this.

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Intense and Instructive

I was stunned at the intensity of the combat examined in this book, but also uplifted that we still have Americans willing to but their "all" on the line in the name of duty to Country and their fellows. It was also instructive in terms of just what combat is and means, and it should be required reading for those who advocate military missions-- as it shows just what they are asking of our troops, and those opposed to our troops and/or their mission(s) as it will show them that men of honor are willing to give everything to protect others right to dissent. A stirring tale and one that I have and will continue to recommend and share.

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Ignore reviews from people who don't know.

After reading this book I decided to give it a rave review on SSG Bellavia for telling the TRUE Infantryman's story. When I searched the reviews I saw a 2-star & a 3-star review coming from what seems to be people that are not in the know. IGNORE THESE REVIEWS! SSG BELLAVIA IS SPOT ON!! One review talked about "overkill" because SSG B and his men call for fire on a sniper position blasting the building he was hiding in to peices. You say that this is a waste of resources...you choose...20 or so mortar rounds or the life of your comrade on your right or left. I choose mortar rounds!

If you read this book, know that it is definately the most accurate description of what an infantryman does in today's Army. It may not be Normandy, but there is also more technology in todays war (which we AND the enemy control) that can kill you or your buddy. Trust me, I too go House to House.

I commend SSG Bell for bringing our story to print!!! Fabulous book!

HOOAH!!!!

"Why is the sky blue?"
"BECAUSE GOD LOVES THE INFANTRY!"

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Gritty and real

Very well written memoir. The book just got more intense as the pages went on. The author was capable of putting the reader in the face of battle right next to him. Very gripping and heartbreaking but the reality of what our brave soldiers are facing everyday in Iraq and Afghanistan. These is the grit you don't hear on the news. I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to see the true face of the war in Iraq.

reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

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