Walk In My Combat Boots

Discover “the stories America needs to hear” (Admiral William H. McRaven, US Navy (Ret.)) with these moving and powerful recollections of war, told by the men and women who lived them. Walk in my Combat Boots is a powerful collection crafted from hundreds of original interviews by James Patterson, the world’s #1 bestselling writer, and First Sergeant US Army (Ret.) Matt Eversmann, part of the Ranger unit portrayed in the movie Black Hawk Down. These are the brutally honest stories usually only shared amongst comrades in arms. Here, in the voices of the men and women who’ve fought overseas from Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan, is a rare eye-opening look into what wearing the uniform, fighting in combat, losing friends and coming home is really like. Readers who next thank a military member for their service will finally have a true understanding of what that thanks is for.

A Calculus two exam at 7:30 a.m. is insane was my thought as I sat down to breakfast in the LSU Union hall. I looked up at one of the TVs just in time to see the second plane crash into the World Trade Center. My heart sank to my toes. I thought, as a truck driver in the Louisiana National Guard, active duty consisted of dealing with hurricanes and floods, not war. That is what the Army is for. I'm still in school. Perhaps my contract will be up in time. National Guard truck drivers are not war heroes. Little did I know that a phone call in the middle of a blind date would prove me so wrong. Now that an active-duty deployment to Iraq is in my future, my concern is, Will I be the same person when I come back? From the Journals I kept daily, this is a "Walk in My Boots".

“No matter how skilled the writer of nonfiction, you are always getting the story secondhand. Here’s a chance to go right to the source. . . . These men were there.” –MARK BOWDEN (from the Foreword) It started as a mission to capture a Somali warlord. It turned into a disastrous urban firefight and death-defying rescue operation that shocked the world and rattled a great nation. Now the 1993 battle for Mogadishu, Somalia–the incident that was the basis of the book and film Black Hawk Down–is remembered by the men who fought and survived it. Six of the best in our military recall their brutal experiences and brave contributions in these never-before-published, firstperson accounts. “Operation Gothic Serpent,” by Matt Eversmann: As a “chalk” leader, Eversmann was part of the first group of Rangers to “fast rope” from the Black Hawk helicopters. It was his chalk that suffered the first casualty of the battle. “Sua Sponte: Of Their Own Accord,” by Raleigh Cash: Responsible for controlling and directing fire support for the platoon, Cash entered the raging battle in the ground convoy sent to rescue his besieged brothers in arms. “Through My Eyes,” by Mike Kurth: One of only two African Americans in the battle, Kurth confronted his buddies’ deaths, realizing that “the only people whom I had let get anywhere near me since I was a child were gone.” “What Was Left Behind,” by John Belman: He roped into the biggest firefight of the battle and considers some of the mistakes that were made, such as using Black Hawk helicopters to provide sniper cover. “Be Careful What You Wish For,” by Tim Wilkinson: He was one of the Air Force pararescuemen or PJs–the highly trained specialists for whom “That Others May Live” is no catchphrase but a credo–and sums up his incomprehensible courage as “just holding up my end of the deal on a bad day.” “On Friendship and Firefights,” by Dan Schilling: As a combat controller, he was one of the original planners for the deployment of SOF forces to Mogadishu in the spring of 1993. During the battle, he survived the initial assault and carnage of the vehicle convoys only to return to the city to rescue his two closest friends, becoming, literally, “Last Out.” With America’s withdrawal from Somalia an oft-cited incitement to Osama bin Laden, it is imperative to revisit this seminal military mission and learn its lessons from the men who were there and, amazingly, are still here.

In this searing and beautifully written memoir, Marine Lieutenant and CNN Op-Ed contributor Mike Scotti charts a course from the front lines of Iraq back home to New York, showing how sometimes the hardest battle is the one after the war. Sometimes the hardest battle is the one after the war. As one of the soldiers on the front line of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Lieutenant Scotti was taught that weakness is what gets you killed: no hesitation, focus your energies on your objective, and complete the mission. Upon returning from war, Scotti approached his new life the same way. He ignored the creeping depression and numbness he called "The Blue Cascade" and charged ahead toward his goal to get an MBA, secure a high-paying finance job, and retire young and rich. But he was being eaten away inside, and scenes of drunken emotion and raging violence were becoming more and more frequent. Years after returning from active combat, he eventually found himself contemplating suicide. Through a series of powerful events, Scotti was ultimately able to find a path to healing and begin his journey back to life, finally emerging with the following wisdom for fellow sufferers of post-traumatic stress:It's ok if you are not ok.

Follow the incredible journey and transformation of a 64 years old woman who walked nearly 2500 kilometres alone for 100 days through France and Spain along The Way of Saint James. You will discover the towns, the villages and countryside she went through and the unbelievable encounters she had with people. You will learn about her inner thoughts, her self-discovery, her internal growth and how she was empowered. This is a story of immense courage and resilience To find more about Claude's book go to: http: //www.facebook.com/BootsToBliss

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 In 2004, I was part of the US Army National Guard and was deployed to Iraq with my platoon. We drove a jerry-rigged Humvee in a convoy to Camp Anaconda, northwest of Baghdad. It took us two days to get there. #2 Camp Anaconda, where I am stationed, becomes the most dangerous place in Iraq. The hospital, one of the largest in Iraq, overflows with casualties, mostly young Marines. #3 I will spend half of my time in Iraq outside the wire. I will suffer permanent brain injury from having gotten blown up several times. I will never have a single regret. I will think of Armando Hernandez and Anthony Dixon and the young Marine screaming to cut his hand off so he can go back out and fight with his brothers and sisters. #4 I am a Ranger, and I have been deployed six times. My missions involve looking for and capturing high-value Iraqi targets. I have to be strong and focused so I can return home to my family.

How did a kid whose dad lived in the poorhouse become the most successful storyteller in the world? This "fizzing, funny, often deeply moving" (Daily Mail) #1 New York Times bestselling memoir is “damn near addictive. I loved it . . . that Patterson guy can write!” (Ron Howard) On the morning he was born, he nearly died. His dad grew up in the Pogey– the Newburgh, New York, poorhouse. He worked at a mental hospital in Massachusetts, where he met the singer James Taylor and the poet Robert Lowell. While he toiled in advertising hell, James wrote the ad jingle line “I’m a Toys ‘R’ Us Kid.” He once watched James Baldwin and Norman Mailer square off to trade punches at a party. He’s only been in love twice. Both times are amazing. Dolly Parton once sang “Happy Birthday” to James over the phone. She calls him J.J., for Jimmy James. How did a boy from small-town New York become the world’s most successful writer? How does he do it? He has always wanted to write the kind of novel that would be read and reread so many times that the binding breaks and the book literally falls apart. As he says, “I’m still working on that one.”