Andrew Carroll

Nov 7, 2025
I’ve only just restarted this book and I think this book may have been one of the first to radicalize me against war and fireworks.

This book definitely, properly, highlights the horrors of war — the fact that its children fight, children dying, mothers having to send their babies off to fight in wars started by petty men. And then if they do come back, they’re so scarred they never talk about it, they privately suffer and relive it alone in their minds. That’s show more horrible.

When I originally read this book I was newly returning to the Church. Now I’m an atheist and seeing “God” everywhere bothers me immensely and in the first few letters I’m seeing “God” being used as the reason for war. For that reason I may not bother finishing or keeping the book.

Nov 8, 2025

Nah. I’m not going to bother continuing to read this. show less

5651. War Letters Extraordinary Correspondence from American Wars, edited by Andrew Carroll (read 28 Sep 2019) This is a 504 page book (plus index) published in 2001 and having therein numerous letters written during the Civil War, World Wars One and Two, the Korean War, the Cold War, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf War, Somalia, and Bosnia.. I found the book eminently readable and since the letters are in most cases short if one is is of limited interest one quickly gets to the next one. Many are show more poignant and often give a picture of what war is doing to the writer. Some are by famous people--Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, General Patton, General MacArthur, etc. Most are by less famous persons and there are even Dear John letters and many are highly introspective. All too often a note tells that the writer did not survive the war and when the note tells that the writer survived and returned to his loved ones the fact is a joy. This was a good book to read and savor. show less

Operation Homecoming: Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Home Front, in the Words of U.S. Troops and Their Families
Edited by Andrew Carroll
Random House (2006), Hardcover

My opinion – not at all humble…

READ THIS BOOK!!!

http://www.arts.gov/national/homecoming/anthology.html#

I think EVERYONE should read this book. I don't care if you're conservative or liberal. I don't care if you support the current administration or not. I don't care if you support the current military mission or not. I don't show more care if you're political or not. I don't think it matters.

This book is an amazingly crafted view of humanity. The men and women who contributed their stories, their thoughts and their feelings are utterly human, Parents and children, brothers and sisters, husbands and wives, best friends and strangers. These are the slices of everyday life. Far from routine, but the life each of them is living – and many are dying for – each day.

I opened this book for the first time at lunchtime on Monday and made it about a quarter of the way through before going back to work. After work I went to dinner and for a walk with N, then went home and read for a while before crawling into bed. I got home from work a bit early on Tuesday, since it's my flex afternoon. I picked up the book, made a pot of tea and curled up in the cat's chair to read. I didn't put the book down until the phone rang around 8:00pm. By then I had cried more than a few tears, laughed out loud (done both over at least one story – happy journey, Tigger) and made it almost all the rest of the way through the book. This is not an easy book to read. It is poignant, it
is heart-wrenching, it is make-no-mistake graphic and it is, in an odd sort of way, uplifting. It touched me in such a visceral way that I dreamed it Tuesday night. I didn't dream /about/ the stories, I woke up feeling inside them.

It shows our men and women in uniform not as Saints or Monsters, not as Bad Guys or Heroes. There are plenty of heroic things going on, there is saintly compassion. There is Death -- sometimes at our side and sometime at our hands. There is doubt, there is fear, there is love and longing shared by out troops in the field and the families and friends at home. There is humility and humanity. It is war.

Last night I went to a reading / signing / discussion at Third Place Books. In addition to the editor, Andrew Carroll, four of the contributing writers were present and read from the book. One of the writers is my friend, Staff Sgt. Jack Lewis, US Army Reserve. He was joined by Lieutenant Todd Vorenkamp. US Navy, Captain Ed Hrivnak, US Air Force and Captain Zoltan Krompecher, US Army. The experiences they share are nothing short of powerful – how things that are the activities of everyday life take on such a different sheen in the light of war, in the face of death and in the commitment to duty.

It was my great honor and privilege to share a drink and dinner with them afterward. More discussion was had – among friends, now. This book started as a "Gee whiz…" conversation which was a truly brilliant idea – ask the everyday folks what they think and how they feel and share the results with the world. The troops, the families, the friends are all doing the very best they can to live a relatively ordinary life under extraordinary circumstances. They have my unending respect because, among many other things, they mostly succeed while doing jobs that most of them never expected to have to do.

The 'foot-stomper' in this semi-narrative, semi-book review?

BUY THE BOOK!

It's not a particularly cheap book, but it's not outrageous, either. I'm going to be buying several copies, at retail. The reasons to buy it instead of getting it from the library? It's a book we should have and keep and share with our kids. It's a book that will have meaning for a long time after the conflicts are over because it is a diverse selection of really high quality writing about the human experience. As long as we retain our humanity that will be of value. Last? The proceeds from the book will be used to provide arts and cultural programs to military communities.

Buy it, Read it, Link it, Share it!

Robbie show less

Carefully researched and written history of General John Pershing and many American who fought in the Great War, this book earns its place on the shelf of WWI history. I read this because my knowledge of that war was greatly lacking and I wanted to learn about Pershing.

I am amazed at the scope of this book. Andrew Carroll, Jr. starts with General John Pershing experience with the Pancho Villa Expedition and includes well known officers who were active in WWII and those who never gained show more recognition but sorely deserve it. He fills you in on so many areas too. The author covers the conditions of war, the reluctance of Wilson to get into it, the terrible conditions that the fighting men had in the trenches including the Germans using nerve gas, the French Foreign Legion, the Lafayette Escadrille.

The story about Private Needham Roberts and Henry Johnson, is a stark contrast to the bigotry inspired by President Woodrow Wilson inspired that black soldiers faced. Those two exhibited incredible bravery worthy and were highly praised by General Pershing. That part stands out to me and many other parts like the letters about Quentin Roosevelt's death. Part of what makes this history book more alive than a statement of facts is the letters of the family and there are plenty in this book.

I highly recommend this book to all history lovers but do caution that the print copy is in small print. It was a struggle for me to read with my aging eyes so those of you with the same problem may want to find another way of reading the story.

I received this Advanced Reading Copy by making a selection from Amazon Vine books but that in no way influenced my thoughts or feelings in this review. I also posted this review only on sites meant for reading not for selling. show less