Final Salute: A Story of Unfinished Lives
|
List Price: $25.95
Our Price: $17.13
Your Save: $ 8.82 ( 34% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Penguin Press HC, The
|
Average Customer Rating: 
|
|
Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 956.704437
EAN: 9781594201653
ISBN: 159420165X
Label: Penguin Press HC, The
Manufacturer: Penguin Press HC, The
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 288
Publication Date: 2008-05-01
Publisher: Penguin Press HC, The
Studio: Penguin Press HC, The
|
|
|
|
|
|
Editorial Reviews:
|
Based on his Pulitzer Prize-winning story, Jim Sheeler’s unprecedented look at the way our country honors its dead; Final Salute Is a stunning tribute to the brave troops who have lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan and to the families who continue to mourn them
They are the troops that nobody wants to see, carrying a message that no military family ever wants to hear. It begins with a knock at the door. “The curtains pull away. They come to the door. And they know. They always know,” said Major Steve Beck.
Since the start of the war in Iraq, marines like Major Beck found themselves thrown into a different kind of mission: casualty notification. It is a job Major Beck never asked for and one for which he received no training. They are given no set rules, only impersonal guidelines.
Marines are trained to kill, to break down doors, but casualty notification is a mission without weapons. For Beck, the mission meant learning each dead marine’s name and nickname, touching the toys they grew up with and reading the letters they wrote home. He held grieving mothers in long embraces, absorbing their muffled cries into the dark blue shoulder of his uniform. He stitched himself into the fabric of their lives, in the simple hope that his compassion might help alleviate at least the smallest piece of their pain. Sometimes he returned home to his own family unable to keep from crying in the dark.
In Final Salute, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Jim Sheeler weaves together the stories of the fallen and of the broken homes they have left behind. It is also the story of Major Steve Beck and his unflagging efforts to help heal the wounds of those left grieving. Above all, it is a moving tribute to our troops, putting faces to the mostly anonymous names of our courageous heroes, and to the brave families who have made the ultimate sacrifice for this country. Final Salute is the achingly beautiful, devastatingly honest story of the true toll of war. After the knock on the door, the story has only begun.
|
|
|
Spotlight customer reviews:
|
Customer Rating:
Summary: The Face of War's Sorrow
Comment: Final Salute looks deep into the inner part of grief and sorrow experienced by families affected by the war in Iraq. The numbers of people lost in the war reverberate and ripple through numerous lives both on the battle field and the home front. The thousands of lives lost represent tens of thousands of those who loved them and are affected by their deaths.
The book gives the reader a sense of intense sadness and loss but you don't want to stop reading it the way you don't want to stop listening to a sad song. It touches a nerve which gives a far deeper grasp of and sympathy for those who are directly affected. It helps put a face on the numerous fallen heroes.
Jim Sheeler tells each family's story genuinely and without a hidden agenda. When finished, the reader is left with a strong sense of the tremendous sacrifice given. The story is told from a variety of viewpoints including the wives and children, parents and siblings, fellow soldiers as well as casualty assistance officers who notify and provide support to the families once the news is shared with them.
Included in the book are striking photographs capturing moments throughout the families ordeals which provides an additional element of realness. Sheeler first wrote the stories for a newspaper which went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing.
Those who make flippant comment about the military would do well to read the deeply personal stories of these families and how the soldiers they loved willing volunteered and served their country. Politicians would also do well to read this book and put a face on the people and families they are sending into battle. If you want an understanding of the impact and loss experienced by countless families as a result of the war, read this book.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Tribute to Heroes
Comment: What a tribute to the fallen, and those charged with the duties of notifying next of kin.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Well Done
Comment: This book clearly demonstrates how the American military cares for the families of those who are killed in the defense of our great nation! It is written with a sensitivity and a compassion that is rare in non-fiction work these days.
It is the story of bravery not only on the battlefield but at home among the mothers, fathers, wives, children, brothers, sisters and other relatives of the fallen.
I was almost brought to tears when reading of the tenderness of the casualty officers portrayed in this fine book.
I would encourage all Americans to give this book a read.
Michael Patterson
Customer Rating:
Summary: Salute to our troops
Comment: An incredible story about a guy with one of the toughest jobs in the world, but who does it very well.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great Book!
Comment: I recommend this book! My son is a Marine and it breaks my heart that parents have to have that knock on the door, but the compassion, heart and feelings these Marines have was eye opening! The book was very well written. I have a new found respect for those Marines, because it too breaks thier heart to do their job and they did not volunteer for it. The Marines truly are a brotherhood!
|
|
|
|
|
|
| | Somerset School of Massage Therapy | | | Somerset School of Massage Therapy in New Jersey offers the programs you need to start a rewarding career in massage. Extensive career placement services are available as well as financial aid for students who qualify. Highly respected as the #1 massage school in New Jersey, Somerset offers acclaimed massage programs in Professional, Western, Eastern, and Spa disciplines. As a trained massage therapist, youfll have the choice to work in Spas, Hotels and Resorts, Chiropractic Offices, Rehabilitation Centers, Cruise Ships, Health Clubs, Medical Offices, Beauty Salons, Sports Medicine Clinics, and even Pro Sports Teams. | |  | |
| | A. T. Still University of Health Sciences | | | Attention health care professionals - now you can earn your Master of Public Health degree 100% online from The School of Health Management (SHM) at the A.T. Still University of Health Sciences. This fully accredited institution offers comprehensive health management instruction which incorporates the osteopathic principles of mind, body, and spirit. Health care professionals looking to advance their career choose SHM. | | | |
| | Chicago School of Massage Therapy | | | Train for a rewarding career in massage at Chicago School of Massage Therapy. | | | |
| | Clayton College of Natural Health | | | Here's to your health. More than 20,000 students and graduates have chosen Clayton College of Natural Health to study holistic nutrition, naturopathy, herbology and natural health. Learn more. | | | |
| | National Holistic Institute | | | Have work you love. If youfve always dreamed a career as a massage therapist, then training at National Holistic Institute is the best way to make it happen. NHI has been training students for massage careers since 1979. Exclusively teaching massage therapy allows NHI to provide comprehensive training in massage techniques and practices. An on-campus massage clinic, with nearly 1,000 clients on a monthly basis, offers students the ability to receive hands-on training that employers are looking for. Staff are sensitive to learning styles and use a variety of teaching methods. Financial Aid is available for those who qualify. | | | |
|
What is OHCNetwork Market Place?
OHCNetwork is a full-featured health portal, and this book store is a part of it.
Since the book store selectively offers health books and other related products,
our guess is that you are also interested in various health services.
This market place lists links to those services. Half of services offer you free information
for you to find out more about those services. Of course, it is completely free
to request information. If you find something interesting, just click on it! |
|
|
