Contemporary Authors

• Shooting Ghosts: A U.S. Marine, a Combat Photographer, and Their Journey Back from War Viking (New York, NY), 2017

1. Shooting ghosts : a U.S. Marine, a combat photographer, and their journey back from war LCCN 2017019760 Type of material Book Personal name Brennan, Thomas J. (Thomas James), author. Main title Shooting ghosts : a U.S. Marine, a combat photographer, and their journey back from war / Thomas J. Brennan, USMC (Ret.), and Finbarr O'Reilly. Published/Produced New York : Viking, [2017] Description x , 340 pages, 16 unnumber pages of plates : illustrations ; 24 cm ISBN 9780399562549 (hardcover) CALL NUMBER DS371.413 .B74 2017 CABIN BRANCH Copy 1 Request in Jefferson or Adams Building Reading Rooms - STORED OFFSITE

• Reveal - https://www.revealnews.org/author/thomas-james-brennan/

  Thomas J. Brennan is the founder of The War Horse. Thomas' passion in writing is exploring war, trauma, and loss. Prior to studying at Columbia University, he was a sergeant in the Marine Corps and served in Iraq and Afghanistan as an infantryman. He was awarded a Purple Heart and is the recipient of the 2014 American Legion Fourth Estate Award and an Honorable Mention at the 2013 Dart Awards for his reporting with both the New York Times and The Daily News in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Thomas is also co-writing a book, "Shooting Ghosts," which will be published in 2017 through the Viking imprint of Penguin/Random House. Read his work with the New York Times.

• Dart Center Website - https://dartcenter.org/about/people/thomas-j-brennan

  Thomas J. Brennan
  2017 Ochberg Fellow

  Thomas James Brennan is a retired Marine Corps sergeant who served in Iraq during the Second Battle of Fallujah, and as a squad leader in Afghanistan’s Helmand province with the First Battalion, Eighth Marines. He was medically retired in December 2012 and is a member of the Military Order of the Purple Heart. Since 2012, he has turned to journalism and in 2016 founded The War Horse, a nonprofit investigative newsroom. In March 2017 he broke the nude photo sharing scandal in the military, forcing Pentagon and Congressional investigations that have changed legislation about sexual exploitation across the Department of Defense. Brennan profiled Medal of Honor recipient Kyle Carpenter for Vanity Fair and has been a regular contributor to The New York Times At War blog. His work for At War earned him a 2013 Honorable Mention from the Dart Center at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

  Brennan was the military affairs reporter at The Daily News from early 2013 through mid-2014, when he was accepted to the Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism at Columbia's Graduate School of Journalism. He earned his Masters in Journalism in May 2015. He won the 2014 American Legion Fourth Estate Award for exposing how government sequestration in 2013 hindered mental health care at Camp Lejeune, N.C. and at U.S. military bases worldwide, prompting then-secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel to restore staffing and treatment to full capacity across the Department of Defense. Brennan is based in Jacksonville, N.C.

• Publishers Weekly - https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/interviews/article/73883-a-veteran-s-odyssey-pw-talks-with-thomas-j-brennan.html

  A Veteran’s Odyssey: PW Talks with Thomas J. Brennan
  By Gabrielle Gurley | Jun 02, 2017
  Comments subscribe by the month

  Photo by Cindy Shepers
  Brennan, a retired USMC sergeant, suffered a traumatic brain injury while serving in Afghanistan. In Shooting Ghosts: A U.S. Marine, a Combat Photographer, and Their Journey Back from War (Viking, Aug.), he shares how his friendship with photojournalist Finbarr O’Reilly put them both on a path to recovery.

  There is deep stigma attached to seeking help for mental illnesses in the armed forces, and you got plenty of grief from your fellow Marines for your insistence on getting care. What does your experience mean for other veterans and their families?

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  It’s people seeing that you can come out right on the other side. In the book, I described how a high-ranking officer stood up [at an event] and said that we are the generation that is making it okay to ask for help. That officer is now out of the Marine Corps and he enrolled in therapy with his wife. His life is now so much better.

  What are multiple tours of duty doing to soldiers?

  I know midcareer officers that are leaving active duty, five to seven years away from retirement, because the operational tempo is just too much for them. It all just comes back to asking, “Are we adequately resourcing the programs that are meant to rest and refit soldiers before you send them back out?” The military is not doing that. Every 3,000 miles you change the oil on your car. If you are just blowing through oil changes and not giving the engine the break it deserves, it’s going to seize up and just break on you.

  How should the military handle issues of moral injury of war and related mental illnesses?

  I understand why the military struggles with the medical requirements that they have fallen short on. It is not the entire mission of the military to fix the broken gear; it is to get back in the fight. It falls on the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide the adequate medical treatment that disabilities warrant. That said, there need to be proper channels for evaluating people.

  What do you make of how the American media deals with wars and veterans issues?

  I started the The War Horse because there was a lack of accountability journalism within the field. There are plenty of “the Marines got new exercise shorts” or “the Army has new nine-millimeter pistols” stories. But only two or three places write about the hundreds of millions of dollars wasted by government contractors. We want in-depth, long-form reporting that holds people accountable.

  A version of this article appeared in the 06/05/2017 issue of Publishers Weekly under the headline: A Veteran’s Odyssey

• WUNC - http://wunc.org/post/writing-through-war-s-invisible-wounds-meet-thomas-j-brennan#stream/0

  Writing Through War’s Invisible Wounds: Meet Thomas J. Brennan
  By ANITA RAO & FRANK STASIO • SEP 25, 2017
  The State of Things
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  Thomas J. Brennan sits at the desk in Fallujah, Iraq, where he made his first kill shot. November, 2004. VIEW SLIDESHOW 1 of 7
  Thomas J. Brennan sits at the desk in Fallujah, Iraq, where he made his first kill shot. November, 2004.
  FINBARR O'REILLY
  Thomas J. Brennan first started writing about war through letters home to his wife when he was deployed in a remote village in Afghanistan’s Helmand province.

  Listen Listening...49:14 Meet retired Marine Sergeant and journalist Thomas J. Brennan.
  He was a Marine squad leader in charge of a team of 15 men. In November, 2010 they came under heavy fire from the Taliban, and Brennan was knocked unconscious by a rocket-propelled grenade. That day changed the course of his life. He suffered a debilitating traumatic brain injury and medically retired in 2012 with a Purple Heart.

  "Veterans carry something from military service that can be inherently traumatic. To understand the real impact of war [...] takes time."
  As he transitioned out of active service, Brennan turned back to writing to process what he now calls his 'invisible injuries.' His first-ever piece was published in The New York Times blog "At War," and Brennan went on to earn a master’s degree in journalism.

  Last year he founded The War Horse, an online newsroom focused on the Defense Department and Department of Veterans Affairs. That organization broke the story of Marines United, a Facebook group through which hundreds of Marines solicited and shared naked photographs of female service members and veterans. Brennan also co-authored the new book Shooting Ghosts: A U.S. Marine, a Combat Photographer, and Their Journey Back from War (Viking/2017) that tells the story of his friendship with photographer Finbarr O'Reilly.

  "The reaction that came from my reporting proved the hypothesis of my reporting. I was reporting there was pandemic sexual exploitation going on in the military, and I was met with threats of death and rape."
  Host Frank Stasio talks with Brennan about his quest to lay bare the invisible wounds of war and shine a spotlight on the lesser-known stories of the military. Brennan and O'Reilly will be joining the Daily Tar Heel Book Club for a discussion tonight at 7 p.m. at the UNC-Chapel Hill Student Store.

  Interview Highlights:

  TJ on serving in the Second Battle of Fallujah in 2004:
  One of the most vivid memories that I have from before the assault was sitting in a room on Camp Fallujah with my entire platoon … We’d be in Iraq for quite a while, but there was never the look in [my Lieutenant] eyes like ‘somebody’s going to die during this’ … The fear was palpable in the room, and that’s what made it so different. … One of the sayings we had over there was that ‘complacency kills,’ so you were always trying to fight the complacency and make sure that we had a realistic expectation of what we were getting into every time we left the base. But there was something about the way that we prepared for that operation ... We knew from the get-go that it was going to be different.

  One thing that you can’t do in combat is you can’t see through walls … You’re surrounded by unknowns, and regrettable things happen … I shot a rocket, and part of my job was doing battle damage assessment afterward … And there were two kids that had been inside the building. We’re talking about downtown Fallujah … You just don’t think about seeing little kids in a situation like that … I walked away from that event. I didn’t talk about it with anybody for a very long time … It was a defining moment of my life, and it’s painful to talk about now. It was painful to talk about then. I surely don’t think that every veteran shares my experience in this … Veterans carry something from military service that can be inherently traumatic, and it’s difficult for them to talk about. To understand the real impact of war, I think it takes time and building a relationship and building rapport to really hear these deep stories that come from the front lines.

  TJ on his traumatic brain injury and reluctance to admit what was happening:
  I think we’re still in the early phases of understanding what blast injury does to the brain … I was more concerned with getting back out to my guys … When I got back to my men and realized I was having those issues, I made my focus developing compensatory strategies rather than saying I was having an issue. I always clung to that ‘the headaches are going to get better,’ ‘the migraines are going to lessen’ … We had tons of Starbucks VIA instant coffee that got shipped to us by the case. When I would get my migraines I would use that [and] chewing tobacco. I would pack about 10 of them into a water bottle trying to get the caffeine to knock the migraine out … I would start staying behind and finding other things I could do instead of going out there with my guys … I wanted to be better. I wanted to stay in.

  TJ on being a veteran writing for The New York Times:
  One thing I’m always afraid of with things that I’ve written is I don’t want people to think that it’s ‘poor me,’ or ‘woe is me,’ because veterans don’t want pity. We want to have a conversation … The majority of war and the majority of a deployment aren’t negative and traumatic things. The majority of war are happy moments where you’re spending time with the men and women to your side, and you’re joking around with your team and your squad … There was a responsibility that I felt came with being given the privilege of writing for The New York Times about things like this, because the New York Times is a voice of authority … First I want to do right by my family. I want to do right by the Marines that I served with. And I want to do right by the veteran population as a whole. So while it was really, really cool to see my byline for the first time especially in The New York Times. It was scary being a voice for other people because journalism isn’t necessarily something that a lot of veterans pursue. And we don’t necessarily have the best opinions of journalism and journalists.

• The War Horse Website - https://www.thewarhorse.org/our-founder/

  Thomas is a father, husband, and the founder of The War Horse — his passion is writing about war, trauma, and loss.Prior to studying at Columbia University, he was a sergeant in the Marine Corps and served as an infantryman in Iraq and Afghanistan with the First Battalion, Eighth Marines. Thomas is the co-author of Shooting Ghosts — A U.S. Marine, a Combat Photographer, and Their Journey Back from War.

  Listen to Thomas discuss Shooting Ghosts on NPR's Fresh Air.
  AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
  Thomas has held fellowships with the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma, the Center for a New American Security, the Atlantic Council, the Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism, and the Carey Institute for Global Good. He has been recognized and awarded for Excellence in Features, Trauma Reporting, and Investigative Journalism by the Society for Features Journalism, the Dart Center, HillVets, and the American Legion.

  SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
  Thomas has participated in discussions about feature writing, investigating armies and spies, war and trauma, muckraking veterans affairs, adversarial journalism, and Post-Traumatic Growth at Amherst College, U.C. Berkeley, Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma, Carey Institute for Global Good, Investigative Reporters and Editors, Harvard, Yale, and Columbia University.
  Thomas has spoken about sexual exploitation and gender discrimination in the military, improving war coverage about veterans, and wrongdoing within the Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs. He has spoken to print, radio, and video teams with the Center for Investigative Reporting, Huffington Post, NPR, Washington Post, ABC, NBC, Esquire, Harvard, and The New York Times.

  EDUCATION
  2015 — MS Investigative Journalism, Columbia University | 2014 — BA Journalism, University of Massachusetts at Amherst
  2012 — AS Business Management, Park University | 2003 — MCRD Parris Island, South Carolina

  PUBLISHED WORK
  THE NEW YORK TIMES — THE OPINION PAGES:
  Make Cannabis Legal For Veterans - September 1, 2017

  CENTER FOR INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING:
  An Attack From Within: Male Marines Ambush Women in Uniform - March 4, 2017

  VANITY FAIR:
  The Painstaking Recovery of a Medal of Honor Marine - November 11, 2016

  THE NEW YORK TIMES:
  Unsettled at Home, Veterans Volunteer to Fight ISIS - March 11, 2015
  The Curious Draw of the Battlefield - March 11, 2015
  Marines Remember Falluja, 10 Years Later - November 10, 2014
  Coping With Retirement - February 20, 2014
  My Suicide Attempt and My Struggle To Get Help - November 5, 2013
  Should Gun Restrictions Be Placed on Veterans With PTSD? - April 26, 2013
  Remembering a Silent Success in Afghanistan - March 1, 2013
  Women In Combat? Some Marines React - January 29, 2013
  A Veteran's Plea to President Obama - January 22, 2013
  Ending a Life, and a Part of Yourself, for the First Time - December 14, 2012
  The Brotherhood of Combat - December 6, 2012
  From Battlefield Injury Into a Functioning Disability System - November 20, 2012
  Returning From War to a Checkup Full of Holes - October 9, 2012
  In the Military, The Drinking Can Start on Day 1 - October 1, 2012
  Going Back to War, Trading a Gun for a Pen - September 24, 2012
  Writing to Calm and Compose the Injured Brain - August 24, 2012
  A Year on, Marines Divided on Don't Ask, Don't Tell - August 6, 2012
  Living With P.T.S.D, and Allowing Myself to Get Help - June 22, 2012
  From a Marine's Side of the Lens - December 29, 2011

• Amazon -

  Thomas James Brennan, recipient of the Purple Heart, was a sergeant in the Marine Corps until medically retired in 2012. He served in Iraq during the battle of Fallujah and was a squad leader in Afghanistan’s Helmand province with the First Battalion, Eighth Marines. Since 2012, he has been a regular contributor to The New York Times At War blog. Brennan was the military affairs reporter at the Jacksonville Daily News from early 2013 through mid-2014. He has a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia, and is the founder of TheWarHorse.org, a nonprofit online newsroom dedicated to chronicling the effects of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

• Fresh Air, NPR - https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/08/24/545705213/a-retired-marine-and-a-photojournalist-confront-wars-invisible-injuries

  A Retired Marine And A Photojournalist Confront War's 'Invisible Injuries'
  38:27
  Download
  Transcript
  August 24, 20174:16 PM ET
  Heard on Fresh Air
  DAVE DAVIES

  Fresh Air

  A U.S. Marine from the 1st Battalion, 8th Marines, Alpha Company looks out as an evening storm gathers above an outpost near Kunjak, in southern Afghanistan's Helmand province.
  Finbarr O'Reilly/Reuters/Viking
  After Marine Sgt. Thomas ("TJ") Brennan was hit by the blast from a rocket-propelled grenade in Afghanistan in 2010, he suffered a traumatic brain injury that left him unable to recall much of his immediate past — including, at times, the name of his own daughter.

  "When I got blown up, it erased a lot of my memories," Brennan says.

  Brennan began therapies to address his TBI. He used the 200 letters he had exchanged with his wife to put together a broad narrative of his time at war. When it came to the grenade blast itself, Brennan pieced together the sequence of events surrounding his injury with the help of Finbarr O'Reilly, a photographer who had embedded with Brennan's unit in Afghanistan.

  "I have the whole sequence documented of him," O'Reilly says. "One of the things I ... [photographed] was this Afghan national policeman who fired the rocket that ultimately went astray and blew up very close to TJ, knocking him unconscious ... and the explosion afterwards, and the guys who went to recover TJ."

  Back in the U.S., both men struggled with the aftereffects of war. Brennan suffered from PTSD and debilitating depression, while O'Reilly grappled with the psychological toll of years spent documenting human brutality in conflict zones across the world. Together, they collaborated on a memoir, called Shooting Ghosts, about what Brennan refers to as the "invisible injuries" of war.

  Interview Highlights

  On why O'Reilly pursued photojournalism and how much of it is about the thrill of adventure

  Finbarr O'Reilly: I think, on some level, if we're entirely honest with ourselves as photographers, yes, we do want adventure. We do seek out that thrill. The fact that that impulse matches with something that is considered a noble calling — truth-telling, or photojournalism as a profession — these are all worthy things to do, but it does draw people, such as myself, who did go in search of things that would give us a sense of purpose and meaning that was matched by our desire for adventure or for thrills. Initially at least.

  When I started out I did want to have an interesting life. I did want to be in places where things were happening. I had traveled, after university, through east and Central Africa down to South Africa. And this is in 1994 — as the Rwandan genocide was beginning to happen — and then I was in South Africa when Mandela was elected. These were very intense experiences for me as a young individual, and I wanted to keep experiencing those kinds of things, and journalism seemed like the best way to do that.

  Photographer Finbarr O'Reilly says he was drawn to Afghanistan's "rugged, cinematic desert landscape."
  Finbarr O'Reilly/Reuters/Viking
  On photographing the explosion that left TJ with a traumatic brain injury

  O'Reilly: My job in these situations is first of all not to get in the way of what's happening, while also trying to remain safe myself. So I was very focused on my role while these guys were focused on theirs. So I would just photograph things unfolding.

  On what it is like to live with a traumatic brain injury

  A Daughter Explores Her Father's PTSD, From Vietnam Until Today
  PARALLELS
  A Daughter Explores Her Father's PTSD, From Vietnam Until Today
  TJ Brennan: I was trying to take off my boots to take my first shower in a few months, when I first arrived at Camp Bastion [now Shorabak]. And there's something really scary about being inside your own head and telling your hands to untie your laces — and they won't listen.

  You know what you're supposed to be doing. You're telling yourself what you're supposed to be doing. And your fingers are working, but something's not connecting. And the emotion and the fear that I felt in that moment and knowing that I had a difficult time recalling my own daughter's name just an hour ago at the hospital — like, that was really scary. There are times now where I have [what] I call ... "bad brain days," and that first day in the hospital was one of my first bad brain days that I had.

  On returning to his squad and suffering from residual symptoms of his TBI

  Now retired from the Marines, TJ Brennan is a regular contributor to The New York Times' At War blog. He is also the founder of The War Horse, a nonprofit online newsroom covering the effects of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
  Cindy Shepers/Viking
  Brennan: The majority of traumatic brain injuries, they leave residuals. But not everyone experiences residual symptoms of their traumatic brain injury, so I thought that I was going to be OK when I went back out to my guys. And then, when it came time to me doing [what] I call ... the basics of being a Marine infantryman — having my squad's identification numbers memorized, having their blood types memorized ... when I went back and I started doing my precombat checks and precombat inspections, I was having a hard time remembering those.

  That's a real, "Oh, crap" moment, when you're responsible for 15 lives. But I didn't want to be labeled as a malingerer for saying I was having issues. Because, for me — my TBI — the symptoms manifest in a very physical way for me. But they're very invisible to a lot of people, so it's easy for people to discount invisible injuries.

  After Combat Stress, Violence Can Show Up At Home
  SHOTS - HEALTH NEWS
  After Combat Stress, Violence Can Show Up At Home
  On not seeking help for his trauma initially

  Brennan: I ignored getting help for far too long. One of the main reasons why I wanted to write the book was because I understand how it feels to feel alone, like you're the only veteran or service member going through an issue. It feels like you're surrounded by extremely strong people who are wearing the same uniform that you are, and you don't want to let them down. And that's a lot of why I couldn't bring myself to get help.

  On deciding to be open about his own PTSD after a leader in the battalion gathered the unit to criticize a fellow Marine for having PTSD

  Shooting Ghosts
  Shooting Ghosts
  A U.S. Marine, a Combat Photographer, and Their Journey Back from War

  by Thomas J. Brennan and Finbarr O'reilly

  Hardcover, 340 pages purchase

  Brennan: There was somebody in the battalion who was bitching [about] ... pulling the PTSD "punk card." And that was a symbolic moment to me, because it was [about] the stigma toward mental health treatment in action — whether it was 100 percent directed at me or not.

  I immediately [felt like I] had been labeled a piece of broken gear. ... That's probably the best thing that could have happened to me in hindsight, because I knew it was either I walk back inside and say, "I'm not getting help, and I'm going to deploy back to Afghanistan with these guys in seven months" or "I need to steel my resolve and go down the road of getting help, because I just need to accept that my career is over."

  I want to make one thing clear: The opinion that that "leader" showed that day, that's not representative of every Marine. That's not representative of every service member.

  On helping another retired Marine through his writing

  Brennan: What means the most to me was, after I wrote about my suicide attempt for The New York Times — I think it was 2013 — I had a Marine veteran reach out to me.

  He called me on my office line while I was working at The Daily News in North Carolina. He really didn't tell me too much other than the fact that he was an Iraqi immigrant that later joined up and served as a linguist during the wars. When he came home, his family disowned him. And it had probably been about seven or 10 days after the story had published, but he told me that he Googled "painless, quick suicide" or some sort of Google search about how to kill himself painlessly and not leave a big mess for his family. And the SEO — the search engine optimization — for The New York Times story made that the first thing that popped up [in his online search]. And he called me to tell me that my story renewed his commitment to stay alive.

  Veteran Teaches Therapists How To Talk About Gun Safety When Suicide's A Risk
  SHOTS - HEALTH NEWS
  Veteran Teaches Therapists How To Talk About Gun Safety When Suicide's A Risk
  Lauren Krenzel and Mooj Zadie produced and edited this interview for broadcast. Bridget Bentz, Molly Seavy-Nesper and Deborah Franklin adapted it for the Web.

• Library Journal - https://reviews.libraryjournal.com/2017/06/in-the-bookroom/authors/more-writing-less-war-lj-talks-to-thomas-j-brennan-and-finbarr-oreilly/

  More Writing, Less War: LJ Talks to Thomas J. Brennan and Finbarr O’Reilly
  BY STEPHANIE SENDAULA ON JUNE 30, 2017 1 COMMENT
  Marine veteran Thomas J. Brennan (below, l.) and war photojournalist Finbarr O’Reilly (r.) are coauthors of Shooting Ghosts: A U.S. Marine, a Combat Photographer, and Their Journey Back from War (see the starred review,
  LJ 6/15/17, p. 92).

  How did you decide to write a book together?
  FO: Writing about my life as a foreign correspondent and photographer had never appealed to me, but the idea of comparing and contrasting my war experiences with someone who actually fought in those wars seemed interesting and worthwhile. TJ and I discussed how to approach telling our combined stories, how the wars affected us, and how we found ways to cope in the aftermath of war. Originally, we planned on me writing chapters in the first person, with TJ writing in third person, for the book to read as though there was a single narrator. But our editor, Wendy Wolf, suggested we try dual first-person narratives, which created tension between our voices and made the story more textured and intimate.
  TB: Just as Fin trusted me to go on our first patrol together in Afghanistan, I trusted him as we set out on our mission to write Shooting Ghosts.

  Why do you think the Iraq and Afghan Wars receive little attention?
  TB: People don’t discuss U.S.–led wars because [civilians] are willfully omitted from the conversation. I was unable to see that while I was on active duty because I was too busy fighting those wars. The conflict in Afghanistan was nearing its tenth anniversary when my deployment began in 2010, and it seems now that perpetual war is an accepted staple of American life in a post–9/11 world. War impacts us all; war and trauma must become part of the larger conversation.

  What motivated you to tell your stories?
  FO: Lots of journalists struggle with the emotional fallout that stems from the work they do. This is a stressful job, especially when reporters are under threat from oppressive regimes. Media corporations go to great lengths to ensure the physical safety of their correspondents but rarely show as much concern for their long-term psychological and emotional well-being. I had a fairly decent level of mental health care available to me, but it took me a long time to step forward and take advantage of that. One of the reasons for telling my part of this story is to show others that seeking help is the right thing to do.

  How can civilians better understand military life?
  TB: The majority of military service is laughing with friends and being immature around explosives and ammunition—not killing or being shot at. Civilians understand life without the threat of exploding poppy fields and mortars. Veterans do not, and that’s okay. A divide between civilians and veterans will always exist; that doesn’t mean we can’t narrow that divide. I say we start with honest conversation. It’s the only way for people to connect with war and its aftermath. I’d rather war be a romantic idea to a minority than for it to be a reality for the majority.

  What does life look like in a war zone?
  FO: At first it’s exciting and compelling, but it can become draining if you don’t allow yourself occasional breaks from the stress. You become hyperaware of your environment and the threats it may hold; this stays with you long after you’ve left.

  How can we overcome the stigma surrounding PTSD and other mental health issues?
  TB: I believe that consistent storytelling about war and trauma is the key to moving forward the conversation about war’s impact on mental health.

  FO: In writing our book, we wanted to put our struggles out in the open so that others can relate to our experiences. For the most part, we don’t discuss this openly, and we often don’t understand what to do, or who to talk to, and how. The only way to challenge that stigma is to bring the issues forward so they can be discussed without shame and without fear that it will adversely effect a person’s career.

  How have your shared experiences helped shape your friendship?
  FO: We’ll always have that common thread of Afghanistan, but now we tend to talk more about journalism than war. Writing, instead of fighting, has become the reference point for our friendship.

  TB: During our time together in Afghanistan, my fellow marines and I called Fin, “old man.”
  He was nearly twice our age and full of grey hair. What makes our friendship so strong is knowing that I can trust him with my life. After being shot at together, asking for advice about journalism
  is easy.

  What will you be working on next?
  TB: Following graduate school in 2015, I began developing The War Horse, the only nonprofit newsroom dedicated to investigating the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs. During my time at the Jacksonville, NC, Daily News, I was fortunate to write short profiles of World War II veterans. I hated being the cliché military reporter chasing after veterans’ stories during their last years of life, yet I knew that military reporting was missing its gold standard. Within our first year of publishing, War Horse reporting has changed military law and sparked congressional and federal investigations into pandemic sexual exploitation throughout the DoD.

  FO: I’m still trying to determine the direction my career will take in the years ahead. I expect to write, photograph, and teach in ways that I find rewarding and fulfilling.

  Stephanie Sendaula is Associate Editor, LJ Reviews

• Shooting Ghosts Website - https://www.shootingghosts.com/#bio

  Thomas James Brennan is a retired Marine Corps sergeant who served in Iraq during the Second Battle of Fallujah, and as a squad leader in Afghanistan’s Helmand province with the First Battalion, Eighth Marines. He was medically retired in December 2012 and is a member of the Military Order of the Purple Heart. Since 2012, he has turned to journalism and in 2016 founded The War Horse, a nonprofit investigative newsroom. In March 2017 he broke the nude photo sharing scandal in the military, forcing Pentagon and Congressional investigations that have changed legislation about sexual exploitation across the Department of Defense. Brennan profiled Medal of Honor recipient Kyle Carpenter for Vanity Fair and has been a regular contributor to The New York Times At War blog. His work for At War earned him a 2013 Honorable Mention from the Dart Center at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Brennan was the military affairs reporter at The Daily News from early 2013 through mid-2014, when he was accepted to the Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism at Columbia's Graduate School of Journalism. He earned his Masters in Journalism in May 2015. He won the 2014 American Legion Fourth Estate Award for exposing how government sequestration in 2013 hindered mental health care at Camp Lejeune, N.C. and at U.S. military bases worldwide, prompting then-secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel to restore staffing and treatment to full capacity across the Department of Defense. Brennan is based in Jacksonville, N.C.

Brennan, Thomas J.: SHOOTING GHOSTS
Kirkus Reviews. (June 15, 2017):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Brennan, Thomas J. SHOOTING GHOSTS Viking (Adult Nonfiction) $27.00 8, 22 ISBN: 978-0-399-56254-9

The story of the friendship between an embedded photographer in Afghanistan and a Marine who was wounded in an ambush explosion in 2010.In this poignant memoir penned in alternating points of view by two very different participants in America's war in Afghanistan, the authors achieve a shared sense of emotional and physical trauma. O'Reilly, a photojournalist who has spent more than a decade in the most dangerous hot spots on the planet, from Africa to Helmand Province, and Brennan, a Marine squad leader on deployment in Afghanistan, met during that horrific Taliban attack in 2010. O'Reilly took pictures of a wounded Brennan and put them on a web link, to the alarm of his parents, who did not know what was going on. Ultimately, the two "misfits" would meet again in America over their shared suffering from long-running PTSD. After his many deployments and injuries, Brennan suffered from serious concussions, although he preferred to lie about the symptoms rather than reveal the extent of his injuries; O'Reilly, stationed in war zones in Africa and elsewhere, was in denial about his emotional instability. Both men ultimately sought professional help, though for Brennan, it was particularly arduous and painful; even asking for help as a Marine branded him as a "pussy" and lowered his stature with his squad. Nonetheless, the plethora of suicides among his acquaintances and his own bewilderment propelled him to change his career to being a journalist chronicling veterans' concerns. O'Reilly, on the other hand, had to fight feelings of being "predatory and repulsive" in shooting and publishing scenes of violence. Ultimately, the authors effectively reveal how they moved beyond the "fog of war" and forged a new life after the trauma. A courageous breaking of the code of silence to seek mental health for veterans and the war-scarred.

Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Brennan, Thomas J.: SHOOTING GHOSTS." Kirkus Reviews, 15 June 2017. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A495427369/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=bd29c12b. Accessed 21 Mar. 2018.

Gale Document Number: GALE|A495427369

Shooting Ghosts: A U.S. Marine, a Combat Photographer, and Their Journey Back from War
Publishers Weekly. 264.22 (May 29, 2017): p55.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
* Shooting Ghosts: A U.S. Marine, a Combat Photographer, and Their Journey Back from War

Thomas J. Brennan and Finbarr O'Reilly. Viking, $27 (336p) ISBN 978-0-399-56254-9

In this well-written account of dealing with war trauma, a still-taboo subject for many in the military, Brennan and O'Reilly, a retired Marine Corps sergeant and a battle-hardened photojournalist, respectively, confront the manner in which they were consumed by the hell of warfare and saved by the power of words and pictures. In Afghanistan's Helmand province, Brennan methodically goes about his work, killing Taliban insurgents and children who get in the way. O'Reilly was driven in his own way in covering African wars and civil strife in Congo, Libya, and elsewhere. While embedded in Brennan's squad, O'Reilly photographs the wounds the sergeant suffers after an explosion. Their lives now linked, when the shooting stops and the blasts end for them, neither man can survive his respective trauma without treatment. O'Reilly seeks help and receives it without much ado. But Brennan must navigate the Corps's byzantine bureaucracy and the perverse machismo of fellow soldiers and commanders who disparage post-traumatic stress disorder as a weakness. Brennan and O'Reilly strip away any misplaced notions of glamour, bravery, and stoicism to craft an affecting memoir of a deep friendship--one that nourishes their will to survive the memories of horrors that most noncombatants will never fully understand. Agent: Stuart Krichevsky, Stuart Krichevsky Literary. (Aug.)

Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Shooting Ghosts: A U.S. Marine, a Combat Photographer, and Their Journey Back from War." Publishers Weekly, 29 May 2017, p. 55. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A494500745/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=1c6c19ff. Accessed 21 Mar. 2018.

Gale Document Number: GALE|A494500745

Social sciences
Library Journal. 142.11 (June 15, 2017): p92+.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.libraryjournal.com/
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BIOGRAPHY

* Brennan, Thomas J. & Finbarr O'Reilly. Shooting Ghosts: A U.S. Marine, a Combat Photographer, and Their Journey Back from War. Viking. Aug. 2017.352p. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780399562549. $27; ebk. ISBN 9780399562563. BIOG

Marine veteran Brennan and war photographer O'Reilly offer fresh insight into the mental devastation they endured throughout their careers on the battlefield. Brennan witnessed overwhelming combat situations in Iraq and Afghanistan, while O'Reilly spent his days capturing images of both life and loss. The authors narrate in alternating chapters, describing events such as their first awkward meeting in an outpost in Afghanistan to their postwar years, as they struggled to make sense of their experiences. Brennan's writing is visceral and honest; he shares personal experiences of battle, and back at home, falling apart in front of his wife and young daughter. O'Reilly, meanwhile, lived in Africa for ten years and saw the aftermath of several major conflicts on that continent. After Brennan suffers a life-altering injury, O'Reilly begins to have dark thoughts about his place in the world. The book concludes with each man's attempts to find new purpose and to learn how to live with old memories. VERDICT A fresh take on post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury from two unique viewpoints. Highly recommended for a wide audience. [See Prepub Alert, 2/27/17; author Q&A, p. 97.]--Jason L. Steagall, Gateway Technical Coll. Lib., Elkhorn, Wl

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Hansen, Suzy. Notes on a Foreign Country: An American Abroad in a Post-American World. Farrar. Aug. 2017. 288p. notes. index. ISBN 9780374280048. $26; ebk. ISBN 9780374712440. BIOG

Why do we as a nation, or any imperial nation, perceive ourselves as superior and therefore justified in altering the social and political course of another sovereign nation? These are the questions Hansen (contributor, New York Times Magazine) asked after relocating on fellowship to Turkey in 2007, finding the experience "a shattering and a shame." As an American, Hansen fights cultural bias and delves into Turkey's history to analyze U.S. interference in nations such as Greece and Afghanistan. The author then compares how our role in Turkey informed the present political result--a return to conservatism with the rule of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Hansen argues that even if we are not directly responsible, our undue influence did help to destabilize the region. Following the 2016 attempted military coup in Turkey, this timely account stands on its own. However, a staggering number of travel, scholarly, political, and literary writers are referenced to the detriment of the casual reader. Despite these issues, it remains a unique work that will find its place among a dedicated audience. VERDICT This personal memoir of cultural exploration teaches us how to see the world in greater context.--Jessica Bushore, Xenia, OH

Luthman, Johanna. Love, Madness, and Scandal: The Life of Frances Coke Villiers, Viscountess Purbeck. Oxford Univ. Aug. 2017.224p. Mas. notes. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780198754657. $27.95. HIST

Frances Coke Villiers (1601-45) inhabited the upper echelons of 17th-century English society. As the daughter of jurist and politician Edward Coke, her family was well-known during the reign of King James I, and her parent's highly dysfunctional marriage was infamous. At 15, Frances married John Villiers, Viscount Purbeck, brother of the prominent George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham. Unfortunately, Purbeck suffered from an unknown mental illness and was often sent away for treatment to a place where Frances was not allowed to visit. Taking a lover, Frances became pregnant, and after giving birth, attempted unsuccessfully to hide the baby. Luthman (Love, Lust and License in Early Modem England) describes how Frances spent the rest of her life on trial, having been accused of adultery and witchcraft and confined to house arrest. High-profile escape attempts simultaneously humiliated her accusers and brought her popularity and sympathy. While the overall impact of Frances's life was small, her renown during her time provided society entertainment owing to her shocking behavior. VERDICT Luthman brings to light a lesser-known historical figure and provides a fascinating snapshot of Jacobian society. For all fans of British history.--Stacy Shaw, Orange, CA

Market, Howard. The Kelloggs: The Battling Brothers of Battle Creek. Pantheon. Aug. 2017.528p. illus. notes. index. ISBN 9780307907271. $35; ebk. ISBN 9780307907288. BIOG

Markel (history of medicine, Univ. of Michigan) contends that John Kellogg (1852-1943) is often unjustly remembered as a flamboyant quack, racist, and eugenicist, while his younger brother Will (1860-1951) is immortalized for his innovative development, production, and marketing of cold breakfast cereals. Markel demonstrates that John deserves more recognition for his contributions to modern medicine, having radically promoted the benefits of antiseptic surgery, probiotics, fiber, portion control, hydration, ergonomics, exercise, and adequate sleep. An internationally celebrated physician, writer, and lecturer, John founded the renowned Battle Creek Sanitarium in 1876 in his crusade to improve physical and spiritual wellness with "biologic living." Will dutifully supervised almost every aspect of the "San's" operation--even collaborating in the revolutionary creation of flaked cereal products--until he could no longer tolerate John's domineering and belittling. In 1906, Will used his enterprising managerial skills and relentless perfectionism to create what became the Kellogg Company. Markel focuses on the brothers' development, characters, and demons, revealing how their mutual brilliance and drive, along with their competitiveness and resentfulness, bred remarkable achievements but destroyed their relationships. VERDICT General readers will value exploring the motivation and legacies of these accomplished yet flawed figures. [See Prepub Alert, 2/27/17.]--Margaret Kappanadze, Elmira Coll. Lib., NY

* Sancton, Tom. The Bettencourt Affair: The World's Richest Woman and the Scandal That Rocked Paris. Dutton. Aug. 2017.416p. maps. notes. ISBN 9781101984475. $28; ebk. ISBN 9781101984482. BIOG

Expanding upon a 2010 Vanity Fair article introducing the Bettencourt scandal to an American audience, journalist and author Sancton (Song For My Fathers) accords France's epic family drama the book-length expose it thoroughly deserves. As "The French Company of Inoffensive Hair Dyes," Eugene Schueller founded what would become French beauty giant L'Oreal in 1909. A century later his daughter Liliane Bettencourt was one of the world's wealthiest. Her friendship with eccentric younger artist Francois-Marie Banier, whom she showered with expensive gifts, led her daughter Francoise to open a lawsuit alleging elder abuse. What started as a family affair quickly turned into an "affair of state" that reached then President Nicolas Sarkozy with allegations of campaign finance fraud regarding donations received from the Bettencourts. With impeccable research, Sancton takes readers through Bettencourt family history, from L'Oreal's humble beginnings and continuing to document political upheaval in France during the last century. The years of legal proceedings are presented with their subsequent unexpected impact on the French presidency. VERDICT There is no comparable work on the Bettencourt scandal, only interviews and articles, making this highly recommended and pleasurable read a mix of luring tabloid fare and professionally researched courtroom and political drama.--Jessica Bushore, Xenia, OH

* Taubman, William. Gorbachev: His Life and Times. Norton. Sept. 2017. 928p. illus. notes. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780393647013. $39.95; ebk. ISBN 9780393245684. BIOG

The son of peasants, Mikhail Gorbachev (b. 1931), attended university in Moscow during the age of Nikita Khrushchev's "Secret Speech" and rose through the Communist Party ranks to become general secretary. By 1985, he would lead the Soviet Union, transforming the country and the world. Taubman (political science, Amherst Coll., Krushchev: The Man and His Era) examines Gorbachev's life and innovative perspective in this comprehensive biography. Dismal economic and agricultural conditions made it obvious that broad systemic changes were needed in the region. Gorbachev instituted unprecedented openness in governance and economy, trying to strike a balance between those who fought his strategy and others who wanted it to be accelerated. Revered abroad for ending the Cold War and reuniting Europe, Gorbachev was vilified at home as the economy continued to deteriorate. After the Soviet Union disintegrated in 1991, many of his reforms were cast aside. This definitive volume illuminates the leader's personal and political sides with insights from family, friends, enemies, aides, politicians, and Gorbachev himself. VERDICT Readers interested in Cold War history, Russian and Soviet history, political biographies, and how the fall of communism led to current world politics will appreciate this book. [See Prepub Alert, 3/13/17.]--Laurie Unger Skinner, Coll. of Lake Cty.. Waukegan, IL

COMMUNICATIONS

McPhee, John. Draft No. 4: On the Writing Process. Farrar. Sept. 2017. 208p. ISBN 9780374142742. $26; ebk. ISBN 9780374712396. COMM

In the tradition of William Strunk Jr. and E. B. White, who enlivened modern writing with The Elements of Style, McPhee (Encounters with the Archdruid) has set the standard for the genre of creative nonfiction. In this collection of essays, previously published in The New Yorker, McPhee reflects on his experience writing long-form nonfiction books and magazine articles. The Pulitzer Prize--winning author, who started at Time magazine, draws insights into the writing process from his career at The New Yorker and teaching writing at Princeton University. With humor and aplomb, he recalls anecdotes about how he approached a story: from interviewing and reporting to drafting and revising, to working with editors and publishers. These essays reveal how his personal experiences and observations informed and shaped his groundbreaking prose. VERDICT Aspiring authors expecting a step-by-step manual on how to write and publish nonfiction will have to look elsewhere. Here they will find a well-wrought road map to navigating the twists and turns, thrills and pitfalls, and joys and sorrows of the writer's journey. [See Prepub Alert, 3/20/17.]--Donna Marie Smith, Palm Beach Cty. Lib. Syst., FL

Schuster, Lynda. Dirty Wars and Polished Silver: The Life and Times of a War Correspondent Turned Ambassatrix. Melville House. Jul. 2017.352p. illus. notes. ISBN 9781612196343. $26.99; ebk. ISBN 9781612196350. BIOG

In her early years, Schuster longed to be at the heart of the action, even if it involved civil uprisings or war. Her debut memoir highlights the hot spots she covered as a journalist for the Wall Street Journal and the Christian Science Monitor, including Central America, Mexico, Lebanon, Argentina, and South Africa. Her first husband, Los Angeles Times journalist Dial Torgerson, was killed in Honduras early on in their marriage. When she later arrived in Beirut, the hotel manager asked whether she preferred a room on the car bomb side or the rocket side. After meeting her second husband, career diplomat Dennis Jett, she left reporting but continued to reside in a variety of countries, including Malawi, Liberia, Mozambique, and Peru. When Jett was appointed an ambassador, she was thrown into being, as she calls it, the "ambassatrix" or, senior spouse. Her humorous recounting of the training for spouses includes an explanation of the complex protocol of calling cards. VERDICT This engaging, personal story of self-discovery will appeal to readers who enjoy memoirs of adventuresome and rebellious women.--Judy Solberg, Sacramento, CA

HISTORY

Bramen, Carrie Tirado. American Niceness: A Cultural History. Harvard Univ. Aug. 2017.384p. photos, notes, index. ISBN 9780674976498. $45. HIST

Bramen (English, Univ. of Buffalo) identifies niceness as a piece of America's cultural identity and traces its history from the Pilgrims' first encounter with the Native population through the U.S. occupation of the Philippines. The book is structured around the niceness of minorities, including Native Americans, slaves, and women. Each iteration of niceness interacted with and influenced the perception of Americans at home and abroad. Niceness is not always a positive trait. Often, it's a tool used to oppress and further extend America's imperial reach, while maintaining a friendly facade. Cordially, America positioned itself as a friend or in some cases a victim, allowing participation in unfriendly activities such as the occupation of the Philippines. Bramen posits that niceness works similarly on a smaller scale. For example, the stereotype of the slave's smile (an indication of friendliness) paired with the stereotype of the hospitable slave owner, could imply that an amiable if not consensual relationship between slave and slave owner was perpetuated--when in fact, the opposite was true. Using primary sources, this well-researched book demonstrates how national identity is formed, transformed over time, and functions personally and politically. VERDICT An important resource for readers of history and literary criticism.--Timothy Berge, SUNY Oswego Lib.

Chistyakov, Ivan. The Day Will Pass Away: The Diary of a Gulag Prison Guard: 1935-1936. Pegasus. Aug. 2017.288p. tr. from Russian by Arch Tait. illus. ISBN 9781681774602. $25.95; ebk. ISBN 9781681774978. HIST

Chistyakov lived in Moscow during the 1920s and 1930s when he was removed from the Communist Party and conscripted as a guard in the Gulag for the Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM) railway. The majority of this book consists of Chistyakov's diary as he guards prisoners building the railway in Siberia. He describes horrendous conditions as prisoners worked 18 hours a day with little clothing, slept in the open with no shelter, and were beaten and starved if they refused to work; escape attempts were met with death. To Chistyakov, who died in 1941, these prisoners did not deserve inhuman treatment. However, his own conditions are not much better, and he eventually loses his sympathy for the Zeks (prisoners). An earlier journal, which describes a few days of hunting with hand-drawn images, is added in the appendix. A useful introduction helps readers grasp the content they are about to view. Black-and-white photographs support the author's desperate situation. VERDICT Owing to its relative scarcity, a diary from a guard at a Gulag during Joseph Stalin's Soviet reign will attract readers and researchers seeking primary documents from that era.--Jason L. Steagall, Gateway Technical Coll. Lib., Elkhorn, WI

Hillsbery, Kief. Empire Made: My Search for an Outlaw Uncle Who Vanished in British India. Houghton Harcourt. Jul. 2017.288p. maps. notes. bibliog. ISBN 9780547443317. $25; ebk. ISBN 9780544416895. HIST

Hillsbery (War Boy) offers a compelling microhistory, personal memoir, and incredibly vivid account of the British Raj and the tumultuous events of the Indian Mutiny of 1857 in this enlightening book. Tracking the life of Nigel Halleck, the author's distant ancestor and a Victorian gentleman from Coventry, England, who "goes out to India," never to return, Hillsbery sets out on a journey in search of his relative's grave, marking the known towns and cities that Nigel inhabited. The narrative moves back and forth between the author's own experiences and a beautifully rich account of Nigel's quest, reconstructed through letters and extensive historical research. In discovering India through Nigel's eyes and later his own, Hillsbery provides readers with a glimpse of his own journey of self-discovery. VERDICT A compelling narrative of the social and spiritual life of 19th-century India. This book can also serve as a resource for anyone researching the themes of homosexuality, the East India Company, the Victorian era, and the Rana dynasty of Nepal.--Priyanka Sharma, Li ka Shing Lib., Singapore

Korda, Michael. Alone: Britain, Churchill, and Dunkirk: Defeat Into Victory. Liveright: Norton. Sept. 2017.564p. illus. maps. notes. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781631491320. $29.95; ebk. ISBN 9781631491337. HIST

Prolific editor and author Korda (Clouds of GIor) pens a historical memoir that touches close to home, an in-depth look at his native England's pivotal escape at the Battle of Dunkirk during World War II. Korda states in his prolog that this is both a personal story and an intimate history of how the British Army came to the precipice of defeat. Though some intimate accounts are contributed, this book weighs heavily on the war and the political and strategic views on both the Allied and German sides. Korda returns to the decisive period of 1939-40, when Germany's aggression is felt in eastern and western Europe leading up to the decisive retreat at Dunkirk, which the author believes to have saved roughly 300,000 British soldiers to fight another day. Korda writes vividly, and World War II enthusiasts, particularly British supporters, will enjoy his retelling of England's seemingly solitary battle as the last European power willing and able to stand up to Germany. VERDICT This lengthy, at times dense, history might disappoint those interested in a more personal account, finding its home among fans of descriptive World War II military history. [See Prepub Alert, 3/13/17.]--Keith Klang, Port Washington P.L., NY

Lee, Jeffrey. God's Wolf: The Life of the Most Notorious of all Crusaders, Scourge of Saladin. Norton. Aug. 2017.320p. illus. notes, bibliog. ISBN 9780393609691. $27.95; ebk. ISBN 9780393609707. HIST

Lee (Dog Days and Butterfly Man) explores the life of Reynald de Chatillon (1120-87), a notorious fighter during the Second Crusade. Chatillon has a reputation for brutality and violence, which Lee believes is exaggerated and misplaced. After a brief background on French society and the First Crusade, Lee argues that Chatillon's ferocity was typical of a warrior at that time and that his notoriety is the result of a smear campaign by his enemies. Lee investigates his subject's most notorious exploits, such as his stint as Prince of Antioch, lengthy imprisonment in Aleppo, raids against the Hajj pilgrim routes, and eventual execution. Chatillon is portrayed as a daring and bold warrior who was respected by his king and entrusted with diplomatic and regency roles. The author also emphasizes his subject's administration and matchmaking accomplishments to prove he was more than a terrifying warlord. Lee's arguments concerning the diversity of Chatillon's roles are more effective than the contextualization of his cruelty, as he never fully demonstrates how other warriors during that time compared. VERDICT A highly readable yet general overview of Chatillon's life and the Second Crusade. Readers desiring an in-depth analysis should look elsewhere. [See Prepub Alert, 3/20/17.]--Rebekah Kati, Durham, NC

Spinney, Laura. Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the World. PublicAffairs. Sept. 2017.352p. illus. maps. notes. index. ISBN 9781610397674. $28; ebk. ISBN 9781610397681. HIST

Beginning in 1918, what became known as the Spanish Flu, which killed millions of people, would eventually encircle the globe in two more waves until it petered out in mid-1919. While the first and third waves are mere footnotes in cultural memory, the highly lethal second wave in fall 1918 is remembered most yet still overshadowed by World War I. Journalist Spinney brings the pandemic to the forefront of historical events to illustrate that, of the two important contemporary dramas, the Spanish Flu affected more people, had greater reach, and a significant influence on subsequent events. Spinney does not present her book as narrative, instead seeking to synthesize existing research and present it in a loose thematic arch. This format reveals that the understanding of the pandemic is changing owing to a recent surge in popularity across multiple disciplines. Once viewed exclusively through the lens of World War I and former colonial powers, the catastrophe is now investigated via new studies from such countries as Brazil and China and such disciplines as economics and sociology, are informing present research and reshaping what is known about the event. VERDICT An insightful and valuable account for all history collections.--Laura Hiatt, Fort Collins, CO

Sutton, Robert K. Stark Mad Abolitionists: Lawrence, Kansas, and the Battle over Slavery in the Civil War Era. Skyhorse. Aug. 2017. 288p. illus. notes, bibliog. ISBN 9781510716490. $24.99; ebk. ISBN 9781510716513. HIST

In his first major book, Sutton (former chief historian, National Park Service) shows how the high passions and ineffective politics that contributed to the American Civil War were at work in Kansas's struggle for statehood prior to the national conflict. With the policy of popular sovereignty making citizens of the new territory responsible for deciding whether Kansas would enter the Union as a free or slave state, the stage was set for what would become a bloody clash between "Free-Soilers" and proslavery advocates. Sutton concentrates on the role of Eastern antislavery activists in encouraging and financing the establishment of Free Soil settlers in Kansas, as well as efforts to arm such settlers against incursions by proslavery Missourians including William Clarke Quantrill. Border skirmishes between proslavery Bushwhackers and antislavery Jayhawkers, as well as the biased governing of politicians allied with one side or the other, threatened the survival of the fledgling territory. A highlight is the description of Quantrill's vicious 1863 raid on the Union town of Lawrence, KS, a tragedy too often overshadowed by the larger upheaval. VERDICT Recommended for Civil War enthusiasts and readers interested in antebellum history.--Sara Shreve, Newton, KS

* Westad, Odd Arne. The Cold War: A World History. Basic. Sept. 2017.720p. notes, index. ISBN 9780465054930. $35; ebk. ISBN 9780465093137. HIST

Despite the plethora of current studies on the Cold War (1947-91), this hefty work by historian Westad (ST. Lee Professor of U.S.-Asia Relations, Harvard Univ.) is worth the effort, explaining the background of the war and its continuing effects. Westad sets the U.S.-Soviet conflict within a global and longitudinal context, dating back to the 19th century. He provides insight into how the tensions impacted America's relationships with India, China, Cuba, and Vietnam, and others. Additional background is offered on the role of Russian politician Leonid Brezhnev as well as the detente, or brief period of improved relations between the U.S. and the Soviet Union in the 1970s. This significant history is told with verve and spirit. Although much of what Westad discusses is well known, such as how the Cold War affected Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, the author's thorough analysis is essential for gaining a complete understanding of this multidecade and multination conflict. VERDICT An essential book for all collections and one of the best written so far on the Cold War. Westad's valuable work should spur more investigation on the subject.--Ed Goedeken, Iowa State Univ. Lib., Ames

* White, Richard. The Republic for Which It Stands: The United States During Reconstruction and the Gilded Age, 1865-1896. Oxford Univ. (History of the United States). Sept. 2017. 968p. illus. maps, bibliog. index. ISBN 9780199735815. $35. HIST

Preeminent scholar White (Margaret Byrne Professor of American History, Stanford Univ.; Tlie Middle Ground) authors the latest volume m the "History of the United States" series. He begins by examining the idyllic vision of the United States promulgated by the Radical Republicans at the onset of Reconstruction in which the civil rights of all individuals were respected. That dream was supplanted as the populace raced to seize economic opportunity in the West. Vast fortunes were made, often aided by corrupt politicians. As the nation's wealth became concentrated in the hands of the elite, the impoverished saw their opportunities decline and oppression increase. Prosperity proved fleeting for the middle class, as the nation was roiled economically by boom and bust cycles. American Indians fought desperately to cling to their homelands as interlopers abounded, supported by the might of the U.S. military. Immigrants provided essential labor for the expansion westward yet experienced extreme discrimination. In the midst of this chaos, Americans came to forge an optimistic worldview that saw the United States as a unified and diverse country that should share its values beyond its continental borders. VERDICT This seminal work is essential reading on the history of the United States.--John R. Burch, Univ. of Tennessee at Martin

LAW & CRIME

Caribe, Roman with Robert Cea. Confidential Source Ninety-Six: The Making of America's Preeminent Confidential Informant. Hachette. Aug. 2017.304p. ISBN 9780316315371. $27; ebk. ISBN 9780316315388. CRIME

This book offers the true story of Caribe (a pseudonym), a confidential informant who spent more than two decades gathering and providing information to authorities while working his way inside some of the largest drug operations in the world. Coauthored with Cea (No Lights, No Sirens) but written from Caribe's perspective, it promises intrigue like the films Donnie Brasco or Rush. Instead, the writing removes the reader from the gritty reality that would benefit Caribe's singular experience. Rather than getting into the psyche of a person who would be killed if the facade ever slipped, the reader is confronted with cliches and language that one would expect to find in a text written by someone pretending to have lived an exciting life as an informant. VERDICT This true crime account might be enjoyed by those who are looking for a television-or movie-style version of these real-life events, instead of a more psychological study of a life on the line and based on lies. For fans of Christopher Mark Kudela's They Call Me Krud and the film Firewdker.--Ryan Claringbole, Wisconsin Dept. of Pub. Instruction, Madison

* Elva, Thordis & Tom Stranger. South of Forgiveness: A True Story of Rape and Responsibility. Skyhorse. May 2017. 320p. ISBN 9781510730014. $24.99; ebk. ISBN 9781510730021. CRIME

When she was 16 years old, Elva was raped by her first boyfriend, Australian exchange student Stranger. The experience sent her into a spiral of shame, rage, and self-harm, and also drove her later career as a playwright, journalist, and speaker on the subject of sexual violence. Eleven years later, she contacted Stranger and they began a correspondence. They finally met in 2(115, in Cape Town, South Africa, where they worked toward an understanding of the experience and how it had shaped both of their lives. Through this challenging and emotional period, they managed to find a place of forgiveness. Elva and Stranger recognize that "forgiveness" isn't a passive action, but one that requires strength and discipline and that allows a person to move forward. The authors' TED Talk was controversial, and this book will be as well. While the painful and difficult route the authors took to reach closure may not be for everyone, the insights gained from letting go of the anger are inspiring. VERDICT An essential purchase for women's studies as well as true crime collections.--Deirdre Bray Root, MidPointe Lib. Syst., OH

Friedman, Ralph with Patrick Picciarelli. Street Warrior: The True Story of the NYPD's Most Decorated Detective and the Era That Created Him. St. Martin's. Jul. 2017. 272p. ISBN 9781250106902. $26.99; ebk. ISBN 9781250106919. CRIME

Friedman, a retired and highly decorated NYPD officer, tells the story of his work in the 1970s and early 1980s. After graduating from the police academy in 1970, Friedman was assigned to the 41st Precinct, located in the Bronx, NY. He quickly showed his drive and use of instinct to arrest violent criminals; over his career, he would apprehend more than 2,000 suspected lawbreakers and assist in the capture of thousands more. With coauthor Picciarelli (coauthor, Undercover Cop), Friedman here describes many violent situations, some of which would not be tolerated today. The brutality was overlooked because he made the department look good. Friedman was promoted to detective, but his career was cut short when his car was T-boned by another police car, nearly killing him. This book reads like a fast-paced novel that readers will find hard to put down. However, it lacks many dates of crimes and names of criminals, making it difficult to decipher the time line that Friedman relates. Nevertheless, the narrative provides insight into what is was like to be a cop at that time. VERDICT Readers fascinated by police work will definitely want to read this book.--Michael Sawyer, Daytona Beach, FL

POLITICAL SCIENCE

Jeffreys-Jones, Rhodri. We Know All About You: The Story of Surveillance in Britain and America. Oxford Univ. Jun. 2017.304p. photos, maps, notes, bibliog. index. ISBN 9780198749660. $29.95; ebk. ISBN 9780191066559. POL SCI

Jeffreys-Jones's (emeritus history, Univ. of Edinburgh, Scotland; In Spies We Trust: The Story of Western Intelligence) authoritative survey of mass surveillance in Britain and America is an antidote to conspiracy-speak and its toxic effect on our perceptions of government and private-sector intelligence. The complicated history--worsened by the Cold War and 9/11--of abuse and justice behind official policies, claims the author, calls for universal regulation and oversight, instead of scattering energies and budgets addressing individual concerns over cybermanipulation and even mind control. Most surprising is evidence that more lives are harmed daily by aggressive corporate misuse of credit data, employment histories (used for labor-market blacklisting), vacuuming of Internet searches, and social media snoops than an Orwellian Big Brother. Government agencies on both sides of the pond are burning through experts racing to defeat data-encryption keys more advanced than those in the hands of the FBI, NSA, and Britain's equivalents GCHQ and MI5. The resultant anxieties and tensions afflict whole populations and--as ever--big money controls big data. VERDICT A valuable book for anyone seeking a sober, if densely written, overview of the gap between defenders of privacy and defenders of national security, and how both are threatened by private-sector exploitation. --William Grabowski, McMechen, WV

Marshall, Tim. A Flag Worth Dying For: The Power and Politics of National Symbols. Scribner. Jul. 2017. 304p. photos, bibliog. index. ISBN 9781501168338. $26; ebk. ISBN 9781501168352. POL SCI

Journalist Marshall (Prisoners of Geography) has written an entertaining whistle-stop tour of world flags. This book is roughly divided by geography and flag symbol: flags featuring crosses, flags of the Middle East, and so forth. There is, of course, an argument to be had with Marshall's choice of geographic divisions, but it makes as much sense as any other arrangement. Marshall has done (some of) his homework and relays a few interesting heraldic details about the construction of flags as visual symbols. However, students of diplomacy or nationalism will find little new here. Marshall's choice of groups, as mentioned above, is problematic, and his text does not even approach the analytical. He excels at the personal and anecdotal, and the strongest sections relate his own encounters with various flags and individuals connected with them. VERDICT A quick read best suited for general audiences. Those in search of a more scholarly treatment should look elsewhere.--Hanna Clutterbuck-Cook, Harvard Univ. Lib., Cambridge, MA

Olsen, Henry. The Working Class Republican: Ronald Reagan and the Return of Blue-Collar Conservatism. Broadside: HarperCollins. Jun. 2017.368p. notes, index. ISBN 9780062475268. $27.99; ebk. ISBN 9780062475282. POL SCI

Few figures in modern American political history are as revered and lionized on the Right and as demonized on the Left as former U.S. president Ronald Reagan. In his first book, political analyst Olsen (senior fellow, Ethics and Public Policy Ctr.) makes a detailed pilgrimage through Reagan's history to illustrate and defend the primary principles of conservativism that he argues Reagan grew to believe in and embodied. Olsen's work intercuts Reagan's achievements with his overarching views and beliefs that represent the leader's legacy. Moreover, Olsen uses these principles to extrapolate the ways the former president would have voted or fallen on current issues, and how he should be interpreted by a modern audience, Republicans and conservatives in particular. He concludes with reviewing prominent members of the current Republican Party and identifying where they fall short in creating a Reagan coalition. VERDICT A solid contribution to the Reagan literature, this book is an appeal to a conservative audience to return to the policies and principles that made Reagan a successful figurehead.--Laurel Tacoma, Fairfax Cty. P.L., VA

PSYCHOLOGY

Fagan, Kate. What Made Maddy Run: The Secret Struggles and Tragic Death

of an All-American Teen. Little, Brown. Aug. 2017.320p. ISBN 9780316356541. $27; ebk. ISBN 9780316356534. PSYCH

Colleges and universities have put greater focus on student mental health in recent years than ever before; however, there continue to be many students who don't get the help they need and end up taking their own lives. ESPN writer Fagan's (The Reappearing Act) book is the story of one of those students. Maddy Holleran was a talented scholar-athlete recruited by multiple universities for soccer and track. She attended the University of Pennsylvania and, to any casual observer, had the perfect life: beautiful, popular, Ivy League student, and playing varsity sports. In reality, Holleran was crumbling under the pressure of maintaining the high standards she had always set for herself, causing her to dread the things she worked so hard to achieve and to contemplate giving up. Fagan writes with personal insight into Holleran's struggles, as she was also a college athlete who found herself hating the life she had dreamed for herself. VERDICT Though the writing is a bit over the top at times, it is impossible not to be affected by Holleran's heart-wrenching story. An appropriate (if difficult) read for current and future college athletes, their coaches, and parents. [See Prepub Alert, 2/27/17.]--Sara Holder, Univ. of Illinois Libs., Champaign

Frazzetto, Giovanni. Together, Closer: The Art and Science of Intimacy in Friendship, Love, and Family. Penguin. Jul. 2017.208p. notes, index. ISBN 9780143109440. pap. $16; ebk. ISBN 9781101992227. PSYCH

Frazzetto (research fellow, Trinity Coll. Dublin; Joy, Guilt, Anger, Love) describes the sometimes complex intimate relationships people have with others. Eight relationships are highlighted in the chapters. Each story includes psychological, biological, and neuroscience research studies to explain the opinions and emotions that make human behavior complicated and mysterious. The stories include a single woman who has an imaginary boyfriend to cope with her failed relationships; a straight couple in a long-term love affair; a family that copes with the loss of a loved one; and a gay couple who is inseparable even though they appear to be unsuited for each other. Intimacy is about revealing worries and hopes to those people cherish. Frazzetto reminds readers that people can be intimate with not only romantic partners but also with family and friends. He helps readers consider their close relationships, whether they flourish, strengthen, or dissolve. Although this book is thoroughly researched with a wealth of scholarly sources cited, Frazzetto reaches a broad audience by exploring a topic that everyone can understand. VERDICT Recommended for anyone interested in psychology, biology, and neuroscience.--Tina Chan, MIT Libs., Cambridge

Livio, Mario. Why? What Makes Us Curious. S.& S.Jul. 2017. 272p. notes, bibliog. index. ISBN 9781476792095. $26; ebk. ISBN 9781476792125. PSYCH

In his latest book, astrophysicist Livio (Brilliant Blunders) investigates the human spirit of inquiry. This work is an examination of famously inquisitive people from the past and present, including artists, musicians, mathematicians, and scientists, with a presentation of the newest psychological and neuroscientific research on what makes people curious. Livio discusses whether nature or nurture is responsible for individual levels of curiosity, and what brain structures are involved. In addition, he explains what makes the human brain different from that of any other creature, and why a desire to know the unknown is specific only to humans. The information presented is accessible to all readers and the tone is engaging, sometimes even playful. Livio describes himself as a curious individual and explains how his own passion to learn about the world helped him in the field of astrophysics and exploration. VERDICT Recommended for anyone involved in the arts or sciences as well as readers interested in human cognitive science and behavioral development. [See Prepub Alert, 1/23/17.]--Terry Lamperski, Carnegie Lib. of Pittsburgh, PA

SOCIAL SCIENCE

Allen, Danielle. Cuz: The Life and Times of Michael A. Liveright: Norton. Jul. 2017. 256p. photos, notes. ISBN 9781631493119. $24.95; ebk. ISBN 9781631493126. MEMOIR

Allen (director, Edmond J. Safra Ctr. for Ethics, Harvard, Univ.) relays the story of her cousin Michael, arrested at 15 for an attempted carjacking. Tried as an adult, he was sentenced to 13 years in prison. Allen, who was raised in a university town, contrasts the opportunities afforded her in childhood that were lacking in Michael's. His own upbringing, characterized by abuse and instability, disadvantaged him at an early age. When Michael was released from prison in 2006, Allen helped him find a job and a place to live. His prospects quickly dissolved as he resumed a volatile relationship with a woman named Bree, whom he met in prison. His affair with Bree, who is transgender, is insufficiently explored, and other developments, such as his conversion to Islam, remain unplumbed. The circumstances of his death are also hazy and lack details. VERDICT Although Allen's efforts to reconstruct and understand Michael's life sometimes feel disjointed, this book aptly demonstrates the ways in which young black men in America slip through the cracks, and how our collective institutions fail to safeguard at-risk youth.--Barrie Olmstead, Sacramento P.L.

Lee, Choi Soo. Freedom Without Justice: The Prison Memoirs of Choi Soo Lee. Univ. of Hawaii. Jun. 2017. 344p. ed. by Richard S. Kim. ISBN 9780824857912. $68; pap. ISBN 9780824872885. $19.99. SOC SCI

Editor Kim (Asian American studies, Univ. of California, Davis; The Quest for Statehood) presents the writings of Lee (1952-2014), a Korean immigrant who served ten years on death row in San Quentin State Prison before his conviction was overturned in 1983. This book "follows the trajectory from false accusation through incarceration and eventual release from prison." Lee's case marked an important moment in the Asian American civil rights movement, as it united people from a cross-section of society. This thought-provoking memoir compels readers to grapple with the reality that falsely convicted individuals are forced into a "prison system that is designed to dehumanize and break men of their will," and where racially motivated gang warfare thrives. The contrast between Lee's treatment in prison and the dedicated support from strangers to seek a retrial and overturn his conviction represent both the worst and best of humanity. After his release, Lee spent the rest of his life in San Francisco. VERDICT This personal telling will appeal to a wide audience, including those interested in issues of race and society, criminal justice, and the treatment of immigrants.--Casey Watters, Singapore Management Univ.

O'Mahony, Seamus. The Way We Die Now: The View from Medicine's Front Line. Thomas Dunne: St. Martin's. Jul. 2017. 304p. bibliog. ISBN 9781250112798. $26.99; ebk. ISBN 9781250112804. SOC SCI

Gastroenterologist O'Mahony (Univ. of Cork Hospital, Ireland) examines the purpose and limitations of modern medicine, especially as it tends to dominate the end of human life. Drawing on his 30 years of experience, he considers the role of medical technology and intervention in an array of scenarios: resuscitation, intubation, and terminal care for patients with chronic illness, as well as the experiences of accidental, sudden, or premature death. The author clearly evaluates the fallibility of some procedures when death is inevitable, showing how familial attitudes influence medical decisions while also bringing a social and historical dimension to his reflections. This analysis summarizes Western perspectives of death and dying from cultural anthropologists Geoffrey Gorer and Ernest Becker, historian Philippe Aries, and social philosopher Ivan Illich. Their disparate works shed light on the communal manner in which death has been "tamed," denied, diminished and medicalized. The book concludes that religion and spirituality must complete what medicine cannot adequately accomplish. VERDICT A valuable and thoughtful treatment that effectively draws on O'Mahony's professional insights as well as his Irish Catholic upbringing to provide cglimpses into Western society's relationship with mortality.--Bernadette McGrath, Vancouver P.L.

Quinn, Zoe. Crash Override: How Gamergate (Nearly) Destroyed My Life, and How We Can Win the Fight Against Online Hate. PublicAffairs. Sept. 2017. 256p. ISBN 9781610398084. $26; ebk. ISBN 9781610398091. SOC SCI

Part memoir, part social movement manifesto, this engrossingjourney by game designer Quinn takes readers into the darkest realms of social media and the Internet. First, Quinn recounts her personal experience as the original target of the online harassment campaign known as Gamergate. She then provides practical advice for both preventing and responding to online attacks, an insider's view gained from her lived experiences and from assisting others via Crash Override, her online abuse crisis resource network. This book is a shocking account of the extent of online hate in some corners of the Internet, and the disastrous effects that online harassment can have on the target's personal and professional life. It also provides a distressing overview of how quickly the negativity can spread via social media to supporters, colleagues, family and friends. Quinn's story provides useful lessons for all social media users and offers a window into broader sociological issues related to gender, inclusion, and regulation of online communication. VERDICT An important purchase that will interest social media users and enlighten them about the extent of online hate in some social platforms and the limits on personal and social protections available in society today.--William Varick, Plain City, OH

professional media

Curating Research Data. 2 vols. ACRL. Jan. 2017. 632p. ed. by Lisa R. Johnston, illus. notes, bibliog. ISBN 9780838989180. pap. $110. PRO MEDIA

The amount of digital research data being created and stored in repositories has burgeoned over time, increasing opportunities for its scholarship, collaboration, sharing, and reuse. Along with the volume, scope, and complexity of data, these trends call for action on the part of those managing data repositories to ensure it remain accessible. In Volume 1, editor Johnston (librarian, Univ. of Minnesota, Twin Cities; Data Information Literacy) presents a collection of entries by librarians, data managers, research scientists, and others that discuss motivations, current practices, challenges, and other topics surrounding the curation of research data. These writings provide an excellent introduction to data curation while encouraging data managers and those offering research data services to consider ideas and techniques in strategic planning, current and emerging issues, and practical opportunities for policy development and execution. For example, readers will find a discussion of survey results and interview responses from academic institutions on outreach and promotion of their data repositories and curation services. This chapter also features insight on current practices, successful (and less so) outreach, lessons learned, and more.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Volume 2 contains detailed, practical steps to guide readers through the development of curation services and approaches to curating research data. Such ideas include the recruitment of data (e.g., creating communication plans), risk mitigation (data deidentification), processing of data (software recommendations for curators), access considerations (terms of use and licenses), data reuse (altmetrics to measure data impact), and more. These sections are interspersed with 30 case studies from a wide variety of sources. For example, a case study on the implementation of an appraisal process by the U.S. Geological Survey's Earth Resources Observation and Science Center follows in supplement to a brief discussion of data appraisal. Timely, practical, and readable, this two-volume set provides beneficial information for individuals and organizations tasked with managing and curating data. VERDICT Recommended for data librarians, scientists, information professionals, and others looking for techniques and guidance on curating research data.--Jennifer Harris, Southern New Hampshire Univ. Lib., Manchester

*Rice, Robin & John Southall. The Data Librarian's Handbook. Facet. Jan. 2017.192p. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781783300471. pap. $95. PRO MEDIA

Rice (data librarian, Univ. of Edinburgh) and Southall (data librarian, Oxford Univ.) offer an international take on the world of data librarianship and management. Geared toward those starting out in the field or those taking on more responsibilities related to data, this book covers several relevant issues such as managing and curating data to ensure effective use and longevity, proper data citation and reference interviews, data literacy and management plans, and data repositories. Included are examples and case studies along with takeaways and reflective questions at the end of each chapter. Because of these features, this work would make for a helpful teaching tool for lecturers at information schools. The only downside is the inclusion of URLs throughout, which may become outdated or change over time. Kristi Thompson and Lynda Kellam's Databrarianship also focuses on this emerging field, but Rice and Southall offer a more step-by-step guide. VERDICT Highly recommended for anyone just getting started in working with data.--Nathalie Reid, Univ. of California, Los Angeles

Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Social sciences." Library Journal, 15 June 2017, p. 92+. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A495668322/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=5eb37407. Accessed 21 Mar. 2018.

Gale Document Number: GALE|A495668322

"Brennan, Thomas J.: SHOOTING GHOSTS." Kirkus Reviews, 15 June 2017. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A495427369/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=bd29c12b. Accessed 21 Mar. 2018. "Shooting Ghosts: A U.S. Marine, a Combat Photographer, and Their Journey Back from War." Publishers Weekly, 29 May 2017, p. 55. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A494500745/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=1c6c19ff. Accessed 21 Mar. 2018. "Social sciences." Library Journal, 15 June 2017, p. 92+. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A495668322/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=5eb37407. Accessed 21 Mar. 2018.

• The National
  https://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/books/shooting-ghosts-a-parable-of-a-us-marine-and-a-combat-photographer-1.628743
  Word count: 1334

  Shooting Ghosts: a parable of a US marine and a combat photographer
  Much like the British war poets of 100 years ago, authors Finbarr O’Reilly and Thomas Brennan hold a mirror up to warfare, explains Kapil Komireddi

  Kapil Komireddi
  Kapil Komireddi
  September 15, 2017

  Updated: September 17, 2017 10:40 AM
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  The war in Afghanistan has lasted longer than the First and Second World Wars combined, and the chaos and carnage inaugurated by the 2003 invasion of Iraq have only intensified over the years. Chris Hondros / Getty Images
  The war in Afghanistan has lasted longer than the First and Second World Wars combined, and the chaos and carnage inaugurated by the 2003 invasion of Iraq have only intensified over the years. Chris Hondros / Getty Images
  Shooting Ghosts: A U.S. Marine, a Combat Photographer, and Their Journey Back from War by Thomas J. Brennan and Finbarr O’Reilly

  Almost exactly a century ago, Wilfred Owen met Siegfried Sassoon at the Craiglockhart military hospital in Edinburgh. Owen, a second lieutenant in the Manchester Regiment, was sent there to recover from shell shock and captain Sassoon to evade a possible court martial for his protest against the war.

  The two men were divided by their origins. Sassoon, descended from a great Baghdadi-Jewish family from India, attended Marlborough College and read history at Cambridge. Owen, whose “grammar school accent” Sassoon thought “embarrassing”, couldn’t afford to go to university after leaving Shrewsbury Technical College.

  Yet, thrown together by war, the two men forged a profound friendship in the short time they spent together. Owen was killed a year later, precisely a week before armistice, at the age of 25. His poetry, edited and published posthumously by Sassoon, would probably never have come about had the two men not met.

  The war in Afghanistan has lasted longer than the First and Second World Wars combined, and the chaos and carnage inaugurated by the 2003 invasion of Iraq have only intensified over the years.

  Alex Wong / Getty Images
  Alex Wong / Getty Images
  The unlikely friendship between the authors of Shooting Ghosts, moulded on the battlefields of Afghanistan, is not unlike the relationship between Sassoon and Owen.

  Finbarr O’Reilly is the pedigreed half of the pair. A Canadian photojournalist who spent years reporting from conflicts in Africa and Asia, he is a man of metropolitan sensibilities. He has travelled widely, socialised with all sorts and developed a taste for international cuisine.

  Thomas Brennan is the provincial, a white working-class American who struggled at school, didn’t quite know how he’d pay for college, enlisted in the US Marine Corps in 2003 and was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. When the two first ran into each other at a spartan base in Afghanistan in October 2010, O’Reilly – “embedded” in a unit commanded by Brennan – quickly fabricated a back story for the American in his mind: “a bit of a redneck – the kind of guy who could spend hours picking off birds or rodents with an air rifle just out of boredom”.

  Shooting Ghosts: A U.S. Marine, a Combat Photographer, and Their Journey Back from War by Thomas J. Brennan and Finbarr O’Reilly
  Shooting Ghosts: A U.S. Marine, a Combat Photographer, and Their Journey Back from War by Thomas J. Brennan and Finbarr O’Reilly
  Brennan, for his part, viewed O’Reilly at first as a liability. But the mutual wariness quickly dissolved in the rush and anomie of war. A bond began to form. Then, on November 1, they were ambushed. Their bodies were outwardly intact. But they were shattered from within, broken and disfigured. Brennan’s memory was wiped out. O’Reilly, moving from assignment to assignment, turned cold and irascible.

  According to a study published by the Rand Corporation in 2008, at least 20 per cent of American veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars suffer from some form of post-traumatic stress disorder. Brennan is one of them. After returning home from Afghanistan, he struggled to reconnect with his wife. He could not remember their most important shared memories – their wedding day, the birth of their daughter – so he lied about them. To admit the truth, he feared, was to exhibit weakness.

  His mind, having erased his happiest memories, exhumed and amplified harrowing particulars from his past. Brennan recounts the moment in Iraq when he walked up to an insurgent who was “barely alive”: “I picked up a cinder block from the rubble, dropped to my knee, stared into the dull blackness of his eyes. I watched as his brain matter continued to ooze from his shattered skull. My knuckles turned white as I clenched the brick in my fists … Someone pulled me away and I stood, looking at what I’d done. It didn’t feel real. The insurgent was dead, finally. And I watched him die. Face to face. Staring into his eyes as they turned opaque. I was elated. I even smiled … In my rage I felt raw power”.

  That power disappeared in America, and Brennan made an abortive suicide attempt by overdosing on pills. When he sought help, he was detained and put through the bureaucratic wringer. Brennan admits he is not against war. But don’t Iraqis and Afghans, he wonders in an entry dated December 2012, “just want the same thing I want now: to be left alone, to be happy?”

  Having obtained a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia in 2015, Brennan went on to found The War Horse, an online publication devoted to journalism about veterans’ affairs. He is a writer of tremendous promise.

  It is impossible not to be moved by O’Reilly’s story. He dedicated his career to documenting conflicts in places neglected by the world, only to find himself abruptly laid-off by a faceless executive at Reuters, a casualty of corporate restructuring. But he ought to know that the extraordinary body of work he produced, at great personal risk, will endure. And the part he played in Brennan’s recovery – it is O’Reilly’s work that helped the marine piece his past together – and subsequent journey is its own achievement.

  O’Reilly’s commentary and analysis clarify the seemingly gratuitous acts of violence by combatants on the battlefield. But his decision to overlook America’s missionary foreign policy is puzzling. What we get is a reflection on the effects of war prised from the ideological certitudes that engender war. O’Reilly writes about the reasons that draw young men to the military and to war – the prospect of self-validation, the possibility of impressing women, and the glamour and the sheer thrill of combat – then absolves them of individual responsibility by saying they are merely carrying out their “nation’s order to fight”.

  Brennan’s sacrifice, suffering and remorse cannot take away from the fact that America’s wars placed a surfeit of defenceless Arabs and Afghans at the mercy of frenzied young men who were itching to kill. O’Reilly, in one uncharacteristically self-mythologising passage, quotes Elena Ferrante to explain why he and Brennan were drawn to war: “We went to expose ourselves to fear and interrogate it”. Millions of people do this by going rock-climbing.

  Shooting Ghosts is a cathartic endeavour, a graphically detailed memoir written in alternating first-person narratives. It is distressing and affecting, and there is much here that Americans who have returned from their country’s calamitous wars in other people’s countries may find therapeutic.

  Yet for all its power, this is a book about the torment of the American soul, not the torture inflicted on the victims of America’s interminable wars. It ends up affirming, despite the authors’ best efforts, the long tradition of self-pitying self-evaluations that Americans produce after plunging distant societies into homicidal chaos.

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