"The Last True Story I'll Ever Tell" by John Crawford

[casing]

Recently picked up and put down The Last True Story I'll Ever Tell by John Crawford. 

I was a bit leery of purchasing this book at first, thinking it might be another Jarhead, but I was pleased to find my worries set aside early on.  The book essentially consists of several stories (each story is a chapter) of Crawford's time in Iraq as a member of the Florida National Guard.  He was on his honeymoon and a couple of credits shy of graduating from university when he got the word his unit was being mobilized for Iraq.  He was there on the first day of the invasion, crossing over the berm with his unit.  Along with his buddies he figured he would spend 3 months at the most over there, but then his unit was shunted from one regular force attachment to another.  In the end they spent a full year in Iraq.

The content of the book originated as a journal that Crawford started keeping while in Iraq in an effort not to teeter over the edge into insanity.  You won't find much in the way of "action" in his stories.  Just an honest look into a grunt's life in Baghdad (for the most part) from his own eyes.  You won't find a running commentary of daily activities, just a collection of things Crawford experienced and put to paper as a bunch of stories.

Easy to read (this relates to the "put down" part of my first sentence) and engaging.  I was pleased to have come across this book.

 

[theoldyoungguy]

I actually just picked it up. Im half way through it after one day, its a quick easy read. Good book so far, really gives insight into what the National Guard had to put up with initially in iraq. I defenitely reccomend it.

 

[theoldyoungguy]

just finished it, awesome book. gets an A+++ from me.

 

[toughenough]

Thank you, I'm going to pick this up this week...As a reservist/new grad/about to propose, I'll definitely be keeping this one out of my GF's hands.

 

[Duzty]

I read that a while back.  I also thought it was a pretty good read.  Pretty insightful and humorous at times.  I recommend it as well.

edit.  forgot to mention... its cheer-tastic! haha

 

[rmacqueen]

Just finished it last week (ordered at the library 6 months ago and just arrived, I love living in the country)  Thought it was a very interesting look at the situation in Iraq

 

[Thorvald]

Agreed, it was a good book (I purchased the audio version unabridged from audible.com).

The other one that was really good is "Roughneck 9-1". and of course, "The Sharp End - A Canadian Soldier's Story".