The Why of War: An Unorthodox Soldier's Memoirs
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Narrated by:
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Tweet Productions
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By:
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T.S. Lewis
About this listen
For me, Iraq didn't have many gunfights or arm bars. No pillage or rape. No elation for freed Iraqis or empathy when its dictator swung from a hangman's noose. I was angered by having had to go and wanted to crack the world open and pour out her rotten core.
The Why of War chronicles 15 years of my US cavalry scout career. From introduction to conclusion, from stroke to mass shootings, this story is guaranteed to be seared into your memory. Now that the story has been written and has flowed to its truth, I realize it encompasses so much more than a question or a collection of memories. It serves as a bullhorn for other veterans to use to tell their stories. I am confident, I wasn't the only one asking why we invaded Iraq while I was there. Civilian listeners may gain a better understanding when thanking a veteran for their service.
In many ways, the story serves as a reminder that no matter where we find ourselves, what condition to which we have fallen, we can be better. We owe that to our fallen soldiers. Welcome to my why of war.
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- Surviving Combat and the Scars It Left Behind
- By: Jeff Morris, LC Mickler
- Narrated by: Jack Ares, Audra Buras
- Length: 7 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Not everyone has pulled shards of another man's skull from the palm of their hand. Not everyone has stood over the bodies of friends whose lives were lost in an instant. Not everyone has struggled to face their own reflection for years on end. But anyone who has experienced trauma or adversity will resonate with Legion Rising, the unflinchingly honest account of an army officer's journey through combat in the Iraq War and rising beyond the scars that trauma leaves behind.
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The vivid memories
- By Chris Wright on 01-21-24
By: Jeff Morris, and others
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War Story
- Sometimes the Real Fight Starts after the Battle
- By: Steven Elliott
- Narrated by: Chris Abell
- Length: 9 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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A must-listen for veterans and their loved ones, War Story is an explosive look at the chaos of war - and the battle for life in its aftermath. It confronts some of life’s biggest questions: Why do we choose to fight for a country or a cause? What happens when the cost of that fight overwhelms and destroys? Can we forgive and be forgiven? How do we find hope? At its core, War Story is a dramatic personal encounter with war and faith, love and tragedy, and ultimate renewal.
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Amazing
- By Anonymous User on 08-24-21
By: Steven Elliott
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Un-American
- A Soldier's Reckoning of Our Longest War
- By: Erik Edstrom
- Narrated by: Christopher Ragland
- Length: 10 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Un-American is a hybrid of social commentary and memoir that exposes how blind support for war exacerbates the problems it’s intended to resolve, devastates the people allegedly being helped and diverts assets from far larger threats like climate change. Un-American is a revolutionary act, offering a blueprint for redressing America’s relationship with patriotism, the military and military spending.
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This Veteran supports many of the points in this book!
- By Kevin H. on 06-26-22
By: Erik Edstrom
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The Long Gray Line
- The American Journey of West Point's Class of 1966
- By: Rick Atkinson
- Narrated by: Adam Barr, Rick Atkinson
- Length: 28 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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A classic of its kind, The Long Gray Line is the 25-year saga of the West Point class of 1966. With a novelist's eye for detail, Rick Atkinson illuminates this powerful story through the lives of three classmates and the women they loved - from the boisterous cadet years, to the fires of Vietnam, to the hard peace and internal struggles that followed the war.
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His First Book-It Stands With All the Others
- By Richard Bretzing on 07-22-21
By: Rick Atkinson
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Blaze of Light
- The Inspiring True Story of Green Beret Medic Gary Beikirch, Medal of Honor Recipient
- By: Marcus Brotherton
- Narrated by: Ray Porter
- Length: 8 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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After dawn the siege began. It was April 1, 1970, and Army Green Beret medic Gary Beikirch knew the odds were stacked against their survival. Some 10,000 enemy soldiers sought to obliterate the 12 American Special Forces troops and 400 indigenous fighters who stood fast to defend 2,300 women and children inside the village of Dak Seang. For his valor and selflessness during the ruthless siege, Beikirch would be awarded a Medal of Honor, the nation's highest and most prestigious military decoration.
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Hope for the future
- By Michael L. Jernigan on 04-09-20
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Tip of the Spear
- The Incredible Story of an Injured Green Beret's Return to Battle
- By: Ryan Hendrickson
- Narrated by: Brock Vickers
- Length: 8 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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The inspiring true story of a US Special Forces soldier who was medically retired after stepping on an IED and his incredible return to active duty. An engaging and harrowing account, Tip of the Spear tells the amazing story of one Green Beret's indomitable spirit.
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Amazing story
- By Laura Gonzales on 08-09-20
By: Ryan Hendrickson
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The Brave Ones
- A Memoir of Hope, Pride, and Military Service
- By: Michael J. MacLeod
- Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor
- Length: 14 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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From the trials of basic training on the home front to the ranks of the legendary 82nd Airborne Division to taking fire in the hot zones of Iraq and Afghanistan, MacLeod chronicles the soldier's evolution as only one who's been in those boots can. Candid, wise, and powerful, his memoir takes listeners on an unforgettable journey through war and allows them to witness bravery firsthand.
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A real story of war.
- By Devin Ronk on 03-07-16
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Echo in Ramadi
- The Firsthand Story of U.S. Marines in Iraq's Deadliest City
- By: Scott A. Huesing
- Narrated by: David Marantz
- Length: 9 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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From the winter of 2006 through the spring of 2007, 250 marines from Echo Company, Second Battalion, Fourth Marine Regiment, fought daily in the dangerous, dense city streets of Ramadi, Iraq, during the Multi-National Forces Surge ordered by President George W. Bush. The marines' mission: to kill or capture anti-Iraqi forces. Their experience: like being in hell. Now Major Scott A. Huesing, the commander who led Echo Company through Ramadi, takes listeners back to the streets of Ramadi in a visceral, gripping portrayal of modern urban combat.
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Combat is Combat
- By Calvin Guthrie on 05-21-18
By: Scott A. Huesing
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Leave No Man Behind
- The Untold Story of the Rangers’ Unrelenting Search for Marcus Luttrell, the Navy SEAL Lone Survivor in Afghanistan
- By: Dr. Tony Brooks
- Narrated by: Chris Abell
- Length: 5 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Leave No Man Behind is a story of courage, perseverance, and patriotism behind the 75th Army Rangers’ rescue mission following one of the deadliest Special Operations incidents in Afghanistan - a grueling search for 12 Navy SEAL casualties and eight downed Night Stalkers.
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Not What The Title Says It Is
- By ,John on 12-08-21
By: Dr. Tony Brooks
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Cowboys Over Iraq
- Leadership from the Saddle
- By: Jimmy Blackmon, General David H. Petraeus US Army - Ret. - foreword
- Narrated by: Shawn Compton
- Length: 13 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Cowboys Over Iraq tells the amazing story of leadership, innovation, initiative, and a brotherhood that was forged in the crucible of combat during the invasion of Iraq.
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New perspective
- By N.M. on 04-08-24
By: Jimmy Blackmon, and others
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Two Wars
- One Hero's Fight on Two Fronts: Abroad and Within
- By: Nate Self
- Narrated by: Nate Self
- Length: 8 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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For the first time, Army Ranger hero Nate Self tells his story. Self recounts the Roberts Ridge Rescue mission, the ferocious battles in Afghanistan, and the lone war of attrition that Nate Self has waged against post-traumatic stress disorder. This audio will become a go-to work for understanding the long-term effects of the war on terror. Thousands of families are fighting this battle, and Nate Self opens up his whole life - tragedies, successes, failures, and a struggle with suicidal thoughts - to share the facts.
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Story of a Young Warrior
- By Becky Lea on 09-15-24
By: Nate Self
What listeners say about The Why of War: An Unorthodox Soldier's Memoirs
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Janalyn
- 08-07-19
The right amount of manly!
This is an autobiography about a soldier named Ted. After fighting a war in Iraq, his wife being in a very bad accident and him having a stroke he started suffering from PTSD. This book has some of his journal from being on Iraq in 2007 and some current things. He is honest and brutal and it’s beautiful he loves his children his wife and wrote this book to help others. He also talks about living in Fort Hood as a staff instructor and the trouble he had with his son Duece. Frenzy loss and two of the mass shootings on Fort Hood he leaves nothing out this book is well written and well narrated the narrator was just the right amount of manly and it almost seemed like it was actually Ted reading his own book. The narrator had that vibe he sounded kind of hot. Anyway this was a really good book and anyone who likes biographies and honest and true stories this is the book for you!
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- Melissa H.
- 10-01-19
Incredible insight
An amazing listen. I read the book, but also listened it. Whether a veteran or not, I think most people, at one point or another, have pondered the "why of war".
As the author states, "In many ways, the story serves as a reminder that no matter where we find ourselves, or what condition to which we have fallen, we can be better".
Do yourself a favor and download this title. You won't be disappointed!
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- Logan
- 08-08-19
great look from the inside looking out
I really enjoyed listening to the different stories and hearing his point of view. While I don't agree with everything said, I do respect his opinion. The small problem I have is when he starts talking about people in his platoon. There are just so many people and I found myself unable to keep them all straight. It didn't distract from the story to much but did make it hard at times to follow.
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- Chocola
- 09-07-19
Personal experience of war
While I didn’t agree with the author on a number of perspectives, it in no way undermined the importance of an experience. I couldn’t tell if it was the writing or the narration, but it felt so disjointed I didn't get the sense of an overarching narrative. I feel like the narrator and the author have two different voices while made the story seem disconnected.
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- Darrell Wong
- 08-08-19
Perspective on what it means to serve
Full disclosure: I received this audiobook for free and was not requested to leave a review, only that I enjoy the book. I am going to leave a review anyway :D. And I did enjoy the book.
This book is an autobiography as the title suggests and gives a perspective of a soldiers point of view during his service. I have worked many different jobs and have had to deal with a lot of stupid and have come to believe that stupid is inherent in most jobs; whether from managers, coworkers, policies, etc. But I never expected people in the military to have to deal with stupid. This books explains some of the stupid soldiers have to deal with and is made all the worse as it costs people their limbs or their lives. An example of this, is when the author talks about the poor protection the vehicles they traveled in offered against Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) which was a constant threat or when a superior's policy was to prevent a native Iraqi child from being sent to a better medical facility to receive treatment. It is unknown if the child survived, but this situation would foster feelings of resentment and wouldn't generate more allies.
Listening to this book, I have gained a perspective into the lives of serving soldiers and sacrifices and pains they have to endure. From missing loved ones last moments in this world to missing moments of loved ones growing up to watching comrades suffer.
I want to thank T.S. Lewis for the perspective and his service. I've thanked people who served for their service and I know more of what I'm thanking them for. I've also asked my friends who have served about their service, but they've given terse answers or shrugged it off. This help explains some of what they may have experienced. I suggest picking up this audiobook if you are interested in autobiographies and/or if you want a perspective on a soldier's service.
I'm giving a 4 for performance as the quality of audio was a little grainy and not as clear as other audiobooks and it took me a while to get used to the narrator.
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- Valen
- 08-19-19
Definitely unorthodox for War
Not your American Sniper or anything like that, which is great because that's exactly what it tells you it's going to be. The narration however was rough, I sped this one up as fast as I possibly could too, and there are such long pauses between chapters, I honestly thought the book was over in so many occasions.
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