“War tears
people apart, but it can also bring them together. In this unique joint memoir,
a decorated U.S. Marine and a combat photographer recount the unlikely
friendship that helped them both heal their war-wounded bodies and souls. Their
story, told in alternating first-person narratives, is testimony about the
nature of war today and the long shadow it casts over everyone involved It is
also a book of hope.
“When
Finbarr O’Reilly, an award-winning photojournalist, was assigned to Sergeant T.
J. Brennan’s squad in Afghanistan, skepticism was strong on both sides, but a
bond slowly grew as they patrolled together through the dusty alleyways of Helmand
Province and endured the trials of living in a Marine outpost in the desert. It
deepened after Brennan was injured during a Taliban ambush, and both returned
home. Brennan began to suffer from the effects of his brain injury and from the
fallout of his tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. O’Reilly began to realize that
war correspondents are as vulnerable as combat veterans to post-traumatic stress.
Brennan was haunted by the things he’d done to the enemy, or didn’t do for his
fellow Marines. O’Reilly had spent a lifetime photographing people at their
most vulnerable while being unable to help, and faced survivor guilt as
colleagues died on the job. Their friendship offered them both a shot at
redemption.
“While war
never really ends for those who have lived through it, this book charts the
path two survivors found to calm the ghosts and reclaim a measure of peace.
Fearless and honest, ‘Shooting Ghosts’ is a necessary book for our violent
world.”
And from the reviews:
“The
dueling-piano spirit of ‘Shooting Ghosts’ works because its authors are so
committed to transparency, admitting readers into the dark crevices of their
isolation. Both are sharp minds whose self-awareness keeps their stories from
slipping into banality and their lives devoted to something beyond war.”—Wall Street Journal
“A courageous
breaking of the code of silence to seek mental health for veterans and the
war-scarred.”—Kirkus
Reviews
“Brennan
and O’Reilly strip away any misplaced notions of glamour, bravery, and stoicism
to craft an affecting memoir of a deep friendship.”—Publisher's Weekly
The dustjacket is in
equally fine shape and is protected in a clear and removable archival
cover.
Please see the photos
for a fuller description and author profile.
BOX C4
PLEASE SEE MY OTHER
BOOKS NOW LISTED
PAYPAL PREFERRED
Will combine shipping.
All items are well packed
and are normally mailed within two days of payment being received.
My 100% feedback rating
is valuable to me. If you are satisfied with a transaction, please leave feedback
and I will do the same.
Questions welcome.
Additional photographs on request.
Note: Scrolling through my
listings will locate books in these 20 categories:
Animals; Art & Architecture;
Biography; Children’s; Collecting & Collectibles; Entertainment, Film &
Theater; Fiction; Food & Drink; Gardening; History; Military; Music;
Natural History; Nautical; Photography; Science & Technology; Travel; Space;
Transportation.