Shadow of the Sword
A Marine's Journey of War, Heroism, and Redemption
Published on 1. April 2012
Book
Paperback/Softback
280 pages
978-0-8032-4096-4 (ISBN)
Description
Staff Sergeant Jeremiah Workman is one of the Marine Corps's best-known contemporary combat veterans. In this searing and inspiring memoir, he tells an unforgettable story of his service overseas-and of the emotional wars that continue long after fighting soldiers come home.
In the Iraqi city of Fallujah in December 2004, Workman faced the challenge that would change his life. He and his platoon came upon a building in which insurgents had trapped their fellow Marines. Leading repeated assaults on that building, Workman killed more than twenty of the enemy in a firefight that left three of his own men dead.
But Workman's most difficult fight lay ahead, in the battlefield of his mind. He returned stateside, was awarded the Navy Cross for gallantry under fire, and was then assigned to the Marine base at Parris Island as a drill instructor. Haunted by the thought that he had failed his men overseas, Workman suffered a psychological breakdown in front of the soldiers he was charged with preparing for war.
In Shadow of the Sword, a memoir that brilliantly captures both wartime courage and its lifelong consequences, Workman candidly reveals the ordeal of post-traumatic stress.
In the Iraqi city of Fallujah in December 2004, Workman faced the challenge that would change his life. He and his platoon came upon a building in which insurgents had trapped their fellow Marines. Leading repeated assaults on that building, Workman killed more than twenty of the enemy in a firefight that left three of his own men dead.
But Workman's most difficult fight lay ahead, in the battlefield of his mind. He returned stateside, was awarded the Navy Cross for gallantry under fire, and was then assigned to the Marine base at Parris Island as a drill instructor. Haunted by the thought that he had failed his men overseas, Workman suffered a psychological breakdown in front of the soldiers he was charged with preparing for war.
In Shadow of the Sword, a memoir that brilliantly captures both wartime courage and its lifelong consequences, Workman candidly reveals the ordeal of post-traumatic stress.
Reviews / Votes
"A raw, heartfelt account of how a man of valor lost his bearings and eventually found the courage to share his story."-Bing West "Searing. . . . In its depiction of combat, Shadow of the Sword ranks with Marcus Luttrell's Lone Survivor."-Wall Street Journal "This superior addition to the literature on the Iraq War is an exceptionally vivid account of combat and its aftermath. . . . Workman's testimony gives hope that those suffering the nightmare of PTSD can free themselves sufficiently to avoid becoming additional casualties of the current war."-Booklist "An important book about a debilitating injury that thousands of warriors struggle with each day. It is only fair that Americans understand the true costs of war. Be informed. Be inspired. Read this book."-Wesley R. Gray, U.S. Naval Institute's Proceedings magazine "A brutally honest account of Workman's daily struggle..., which, as the author reveals, has destroyed or crippled the lives of hundreds of thousands of combat veterans of America's wars."-James C. Roberts, Washington Times "In writing this moving and incredibly honest book, Jeremiah Workman shows as much courage as he did in Fallujah. His story gives hope to everyone who struggles that they, too, can overcome if they just keep fighting-one day at a time, one battle at a time, one victory at a time."-Donovan Campbell, author of the New York Times bestseller Joker OneMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
Lincoln
United States
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
22 illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 228 mm
Width: 154 mm
Thickness: 17 mm
Weight
390 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-8032-4096-4 (9780803240964)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Jeremiah Workman is a military service coordinator with the Department of Veteran Affairs. John R. Bruning is the author or coauthor of ten books, including How to Break a Terrorist and Bombs Away!: The World War II Bombing Campaigns over Europe. Carlton W. Kent served as the sixteenth Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps.
Content
Foreword by Sergeant Major Carlton W. KentPrologue: Stairwell to NowherePART IChapter 1 - Reflection of the DamnedChapter 2 - The Man without a FaceChapter 3 - Mop-Up CrewChapter 4 - DiagnosisChapter 5 - A Mind at WarChapter 6 - BeaufortChapter 7 - Drug TripChapter 8 - The Last MedalChapter 9 - Ten-Step Kill ZoneChapter 10 - Break ContactPART IIChapter 11 - Link by LinkChapter 12 - DisconnectChapter 13 - Eight-Thousand-Mile Sniper ShotChapter 14 - The Ghost of Ira HayesChapter 15 - A Moment in the TroughChapter 16 - Lost MomentPART IIIChapter 17 - Return to the IslandChapter 18 - BrothersChapter 19 - Bleeding LoveChapter 20 - The Dark Side of the BrotherhoodPART IVChapter 21 - The Wrong FightChapter 22 - BootstrapsChapter 23 - Scorched EarthChapter 24 - Human BombChapter 25 - Field-Grade HeroChapter 26 - ObliterationChapter 27 - CraterscapeChapter 28 - Battlefield RequiemChapter 29 - October DawnChapter 30 - ReconstructionChapter 31 - GenerationsChapter 32 - SetbacksChapter 33 - No Higher HonorChapter 34 - February 21, 2007Epilogue: The Shadow WarFinal Notes: Fall 2008Acknowledgments