Reading Review

So, I'm off my Fiction fix for reading for the next few books, as I feel the need to catch up on my non-fiction "to-do" list.

At the top of this list was House to House: A Soldiers Memior by David Bellavia.

Where to start? The book is a very fast-paced read. SSGT. Bellavia basically takes the reader on an hour-by-hour account of his experiences during the 2nd Battle of Fallujah. Bellavia and his buddy Fitts both led men in house-to-house clearing in Fallujah.

This book isn't polished. Bellavia doesn't dive into the well of politics associated with the reasons for the war. Instead, he focuses on the relationships between the soldiers and how they are tested under brutal combat conditions.

The book climaxes with a ferocious hand-to-hand combat fight between Bellavia and a crazed insurgent. The description of the fight brought immediate memories of the hand-to-hand fight near the end of Saving Private Ryan between Mellish and the German soldier they had let go earlier in the movie. Faces were smashed, helmets were used as weapons, rifles were used as clubs, and finally, a knife ended the fight. The fight is graphic and intense, and I couldn't put the book down.

Bellavia reflects on how the war has changed him. How it strained his marriage with his wife and his relationship with his son. But, he doesn't regret going. He went for his men.

SSGT. Bellavia was awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star with a "V" , and the Conspicuous Service Cross. He was nominated for the Medal of Honor and the Distinguished Service Cross as well.

By Michael Ware:

Fitts takes a small team over the road. “Terminators coming in,” he bellows as he goes inside, using the unit’s name in a code to warn that friendly forces are entering. Inside they find Bellavia alive and on on the hunt. Upstairs he scans the bedrooms. An insurgent jumps out of the cupboard. Bellavia falls down and fires, spraying the man with bullets. At some point another insurgent drops out of the ceiling. Yet another runs to a window and makes for the garden. Bellavia hits him in the legs and lower back as he flees. When it’s over, four insurgents are dead; another has escaped badly wounded. To Bellavia, Fitts says, “That’s a good job, dude. You’re a better man than me.” Bellavia shakes his head. “No, no, no,” he mutters.

Linky

Next Up:

No True Glory by Bing West. Another book on the battle for Fallujah, only Bing West was embedded with Marines, so this piques my interest a lot.