A powerful and intimate look into torture and its effect on both the tortured and the torturer.In May of 2005; the U.S. government finally acknowledged that the invasion of Iraq had spawned an insurgency. With that admission; training the Iraqi Forces suddenly became a strategic priority. Lt. Col. Bill Edmonds; then a Special Forces captain; was in the first group of "official" military advisors. He arrived in Mosul in the wake of Abu Ghraib; at the height of the insurgency; and in the midst of America’s rapidly failing war strategy.Edmonds’ job was to advise an Iraqi intelligence officer―to assist and temper his interrogations―but not give orders. But he wanted to be more than a wallflower; so he immersed himself in the experience; even learning Arabic. In a makeshift basement prison; over countless nights and predawn hours; Edmonds came to empathize with Iraqi rules: do what’s necessary; do what works. After all; Americans and Iraqis were dying.Edmonds wanted to make a difference. Yet the longer he submerged himself in the worst of humanity; the more conflicted and disillusioned he became; slowly losing faith in everything and everyone. In the end; he lost himself. He returned home with no visible wounds; but on the inside he was different. He tried to forget―to soldier on―but memories from war never just fade away...In God Is Not Here; the weight of history is everywhere; but the focus is on a young man struggling to learn what is right when fighting wrong. Edmonds provides a disturbing and thought-provoking account of the morally ambiguous choices faced when living with and fighting within a foreign religion and culture; as well as the resulting psychological and spiritual impacts on a soldier.Transcending the genre of the traditional war memoir; Edmonds’ eloquent recounting makes for one of the most insightful and moving books to emerge from America’s long war against terrorism.
#390898 in Books Simon Mark 2016-06-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.50 x .90 x 5.50l; .0 #File Name: 1629371769368 pagesThe Yankees Index Every PDF Tells a Story
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Even Red Sox Fans Should Enjoy This BookBy David P. SteedI'm a die hard Phillies fan. As such; the Yankees don't hit my radar too often. But overall; I'm a baseball fan and as one; it's very easy to appreciate what this book brings to the table. If you've read any of Mark Simon's pieces on ESPN; you'd know he's got an encyclopedic knowledge of stats of all sorts stored in his brain and he loves using them to tell a story. And in this book; he tells dozens and dozens of those stories. There's a lot of things that stand out. Strangely enough; the first thing I noticed was quality glossy pages; color graphs and nice easy to read text. This isn't a cheap flimsy book. Cracking it open; you find very easy to read stories that are straight to the point; well-written and quick enough that if you don't care about the era you're reading; three pages later; you might find a different one. It ends up being a fascinating read for any baseball fan as it's really cool how Simon takes a number and turns it into historical tidbit. Would definitely recommend this to both Yankees and sports fans alike. Now let's get the other 31 teams a book too!1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A Great Addition to any Baseball BookshelfBy Christopher KamkaThis is a very thoroughly researched book connecting the dots of New York Yankees history with a series of numbers. Mark is a wizard at telling stories through these numbers. The book layout; and the collection of photos colorful charts are very compelling and attractive. I would recommend this to all baseball fans; not just fans of the Yankees. I very much appreciated the wide range of players moments featured within the pages; it isn't just the same Ruth Gehrig stories you've read over and over.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A great readBy DIrkI am admittedly a Mets fan; so perhaps I carry a bit of jealousy over some of the numbers in this book (27 championships in particular). But I found “The Yankees Index: Every Number Tells a Story†to be an incredibly enjoyable read packed with a ton of interesting facts and stories. The book goes far; far beyond the obvious numbers (Babe Ruth’s 714; Lou Gehrig’s 56) to reveal the 66 pitchers who help set up Mariano Rivera’s saves; pitcher Red Ruffing’s 31 home runs and Hank Bauer’s 17-game World Series hitting streak. The Bronx Bombers have a storied history; and Mark Simon does a terrific job revealing that history through the many numbers that grace baseball’s record books.
