On November 11th, we celebrate the day in 1918 when World War I officially ended at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month with the signing of the armistice between the Allies and Germany. In the US, we also celebrate it as Veterans Day, in honor of the men and women who have served, who have answered the call of duty to their country, and displayed much heroism and valor in the process.
Here are some fiction and nonfiction titles available in the Livingston Library collection revolving around veterans; they remind us of the experiences and sacrifices of our veterans, and of the brutal psychological toll of warfare.
Against All Odds: A True Story of Ultimate Courage and Survival in World War II by Alex Kershaw
Kershaw tells the untold story of four of the most decorated soldiers of World War II-all Medal of Honor recipients-from the beaches of French Morocco to Hitler’s own mountaintop fortress. Tapping into personal interviews and a wealth of primary source material, Kershaw has delivered a gripping account of American courage, spanning more than six hundred days of increasingly merciless combat, from the deserts of North Africa to the dark heart of Nazi Germany.
All the Ruined Men : Stories by Bill Glose
Dramatic, powerful, authentic short stories of soldiers fighting a “forever war,” in combat and back home. Combat takes a different toll on each soldier; so does coming home. Here are linked stories that show veterans struggling for normalcy as they grapple with flashbacks, injuries (both physical and psychological), damaged relationships, loss of faith, and loss of memory.
American Heroes by James Patterson
U.S. soldiers who served in overseas conflicts–from World War II, Korea, and Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan–share true stories of the actions that earned them some of America’s most distinguished military medals, up to and including the Medal of Honor. They never acted alone, but always in the spirit of camaraderie, patriotism, and for the good of our beloved country.
The Ballad of Roy Benavidez : The Life and Times of America’s Most Famous Hispanic War Hero by William Sturkey
The life and times of a Mexican American Special Forces soldier from the 1950s to the end of the Vietnam War. Before enlisting in the military, Benavidez physically and figuratively fought his way through school, and he shined shoes and worked in cotton and beet fields to make money. With few options for employment, he signed up for the Army and was eventually sent to South Vietnam. In 1968, three years after he stepped on a landmine and recovered, Benavidez jumped again into the line of fire, saving multiple lives and bringing home the dead. He suffered 37 puncture wounds, lacerated arms, a broken jaw, and exposed intestines, and shrapnel littered his body. For his sacrifices, he received the Distinguished Service Cross, “the second-highest medal for combat valor available.” When further information became available about Benavidez’s extraordinary sacrifice and remarkable survival story, he was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1981.
Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko
Tayo, a young Native American, has been a prisoner of the Japanese during World War II, and the horrors of captivity have almost eroded his will to survive. His return to the Laguna Pueblo reservation only increases his feeling of estrangement and alienation. While other returning soldiers find easy refuge in alcohol and senseless violence, Tayo searches for another kind of comfort and resolution. Tayo’s quest leads him back to the Indian past and its traditions, to beliefs about witchcraft and evil, and to the ancient stories of his people. The search itself becomes a ritual, a curative ceremony that defeats the most virulent of afflictions – despair.
Compassionate Soldier : Remarkable True Stories of Mercy, Heroism, and Honor From the Battlefield by Jerry Borrowman
Arranged by war from the American Revolution to the Iraq War and global in perspective, this book features extraordinary stories of grace under fire from valiant soldiers and noncombatants who rose above the inhumanity of lethal conflict and chose compassion, even knowing their actions could put their lives and liberty at risk.
82 Days on Okinawa : One American’s Unforgettable Firsthand Account of the Pacific War’s Greatest Battle by Art Shaw
A riveting firsthand account of American heroism… Over eighty-two days, the Allies fought the Japanese army in a campaign that would claim more than 150,000 human lives. Filled with extraordinary new details, Shaw’s gripping account gives lasting testimony to the courage and bravery displayed by so many on the hill of Okinawa.
Eleventh Month, Eleventh Day, Eleventh Hour : Armistice Day, 1918, World War I and Its Violent Climax by Joseph E. Persico
Persico sets the last day of the war in historic context with a gripping reprise of all that led up to it, from the 1914 assassination of the Austrian archduke, Franz Ferdinand, which ignited the war, to the raw racism black doughboys endured except when ordered to advance and die in the war’s last hour. The final hours pulsate with tension as every man in the trenches hopes to escape the melancholy distinction of being the last to die in World War I. The Allied generals knew the fighting would end precisely at 11:00 A.M, yet in the final hours they flung men against an already beaten Germany. The result? Eleven thousand casualties suffered–more than during the D-Day invasion of Normandy. Why? Allied commanders wanted to punish the enemy to the very last moment and career officers saw a fast-fading chance for glory and promotion.
End of Active Service by Matt Young
Dean Pusey is having a tough time adjusting to life back in Indiana after having served four years as a Marine in Iraq. He’s living with his (adoptive) mother and stepfather, working at UPS, and hanging out with his childhood best friend. None of it, however, is going well, and Dean is still at war—if only with himself and PTSD. Floundering on his way to becoming “someone” rather than “anyone,” Dean struggles to discern whether he is the problem in all his relationships, including the one he never had with his birth mother. Unfortunately, the discernment process involves a lot of alcohol, some drugs, bar fights, a rifle, and pretend battle exercises. Flashbacks to brutal episodes Dean witnessed and participated in during his tours of duty come fast and furious, but Dean is not ready, willing, or able to reveal what he’s still carrying around in his head.
The Heart that Fed : A Father, a Son, and the Long Shadow of War by Carl Sciacchitano
A writer and illustrator explores his veteran father’s life and the bond the Vietnam War created between them. From an early age, stories from the war formed a significant part of the relationship between Sciacchitano and his father, David. Hungry for context to understand those stories, the author immersed himself in Vietnam books and war documentaries throughout his youth. Eventually, all that material, along with his father’s letters, photographs, and written remembrances, became Sciacchitano’s inspiration for this graphic memoir and biography.
I Have Your Back : How an American Soldier Became an International Hero by Tom Sileo
The story of U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Michael Ollis, who became an international hero for his courage and selflessness. Ever since he was a young boy growing up on the streets of Staten Island, New York, Michael Ollis wanted to be a soldier. Inspired by his father, who fought in Vietnam, Mike’s deep desire to serve was cemented on the day his beloved city was attacked. From 9/11 onward, Mike’s one and only mission was to save lives. After two tense combat deployments, Staff Sergeant Michael Ollis earned the US Army’s coveted Ranger tab and set his sights on the perilous mountains of eastern Afghanistan. On August 28, 2013, Mike was suddenly caught in the middle of a massive and unprecedented Taliban assault on a coalition military base. Rather than retreat to his bunker, Mike decided to fight. He then encountered a Polish army officer who needed his help. Despite being surrounded by enemy fighters while running low on ammunition, Mike promised the foreign soldier that no matter what, he would have his back. For his final act of bravery, Staff Sergeant Michael Ollis would not only receive the Distinguished Service Cross from his own country, but the highest honor that Poland can bestow upon an allied soldier.
Walk in My Combat Boots : True Stories from America’s Bravest Warriors by James Kitfield
Features in-depth narrative profiles of the twenty-two post-9/11 Medal of Honor recipients who served in Afghanistan and Iraq. This book focuses on the stories of these extraordinary individuals, expressed in their own voices through one-on-one interviews, and in the case of posthumous awards through interviews with their brothers in arms and families.
Joe Hustle : A Novel by Richard Lange
Joe Hustle is a survivor. A Gulf War vet and ex-con always one stumble away from catastrophe, he manages to scrape together enough money from various jobs to eke out a precarious existence on the darker fringes of Los Angeles. When he meets Emily, the black-sheep daughter of a wealthy family, the two spark an instant connection–she seems like the best thing to happen to him in a while. But their whirlwind romance is put to the test when what starts out as a simple favor for a friend leaves Joe homeless, unemployed, and on the wrong side of a vengeful drug dealer. An impulsive offer to go on a road trip with Emily promises to take them out of harm’s way–but may only lead to more chaos.
A Patriot’s Promise : Protecting my Brothers, Fighting for My Life, and Keeping My Word by Jr. Israel Del Toro
An inspiring memoir of promises kept, overcoming obstacles, and what it means to sacrifice for others, written by a Special Warfare Operator with the Air Force. When Israel “DT” Del Toro, Jr.’s Humvee rolled over a roadside IED in Afghanistan, he had one thought as he lost consciousness: I have to keep the promise I made to my dad. DT was orphaned at the age of fourteen, and on the night before his father died, he repeated the promise his dad required: “Take care of your brothers and sisters.” . When DT was injured in action, he lay in a coma for three months with third-degree burns on 80% of his body. He nearly died three times, and doctors predicted – if he survived – he would forever breathe with a respirator and never walk again. DT pushed through every limit to his full recovery, and he became the first 100% disabled veteran to re-enlist in the Air Force. DT’s promise to his dad extends now to his fellow wounded warriors throughout the world, as he advocates for awareness and affecting change in public policy for wounded, injured, and ill soldiers.
Sons of Freedom : The Forgotten American Soldiers Who Defeated Germany in World War I by Geoffrey Wawro
The heroic American contribution to World War I is one of the great stories of the twentieth century, and yet is largely overlooked by history. Historian Wawro presents the dramatic narrative of the courageous American troops who took up arms in a conflict 4,000 miles across the Atlantic, and in doing so ensured the Allies’ victory. Drawing on extensive research in US, British, French, German, and Austrian archives, Wawro contends that the Allies simply would not have won the war without the help of the Americans. The Doughboys reversed the German advantage in troop numbers after Russia’s exit from the war and, despite early missteps, prepared a series of excellent offensives. The French, by 1918, had lost their edge and needed American aggressiveness, and willingness to take casualties, to move the lines forward.
Three Wise Men : A Navy Seal, a Green Beret, and How Their Marine Brother Became a War’s Sole Survivor by Beau Wise, and Tom Sileo
An incredible memoir of family, service and sacrifice by a Marine who lost both his brothers in combat–becoming the only “Sole Survivor” during the war in Afghanistan.
Unbroken Bonds of Battle: A Modern Warrior’s Book of Heroism, Patriotism, and Friendship by Johnny Joey Jones
In over a decade of working with veterans, Jones has discovered the power of battle-forged friendships. Suffering a life-changing injury while deployed in Afghanistan, he faced a daunting recovery. But coming home would have been much harder without the support of his brothers and sisters in arms. Joey tells the stories of those very warriors who have supported and inspired him on the battlefield and off. Through unfiltered and authentic conversations with American heroes in every branch of service, Joey tackles the big questions about life, loss, and, of course, hunting.
Walk in My Combat Boots : True Stories from America’s Bravest Warriors by James Patterson & Matt Eversmann
Shares firsthand wartime accounts describing the courageous battlefield sacrifices of men and women from every branch and operational specialty of the U.S. military, from the Vietnam War through the present.
War and American life : Reflections on Those Who Serve and Sacrifice by James Wright
This is a book of essays and reflections of a veteran and a historian who has been an advocate and a teacher/scholar. It considers American veterans and how our society needs to understand who they are and what they have done-and the responsibilities that follow this recognition.
The York Patrol : The Real Story of Alvin York and the Unsung Heroes Who Made Him World War I’s Most Famous Soldier by James Carl Nelson
Documents the stories of a legendary World War I soldier and his fellow Medal of Honor-decorated patrol members, heralding their courageous capture of dozens of German adversaries in the Argonne Forest.
–Archana, Adult Services & Acquisitions Librarian