New York Times bestseller; With a new Afterword by the author
"[A] beautiful and harrowing debut…Campbell unspools blow-by-blow
accounts of his unit's patrols from street level. The fuzzy radio
transmissions, the roadside bombs laid by faceless enemies, the
dust-filled, hand-trembling confusion – it all comes dizzyingly
alive…..By the time the platoon finally returns home, exhausted,
scarred, and with fewer men than they set out with, Campbell's
admiration for his men has become contagious. It's only then that
you realize that Joker One isn't as much a story of war as it is a
story of love. A"—Entertainment Weekly
"Donovan Campbell, first as a Marine and then as a writer, shows us
that the dominant emotion in war isn't hatred or anger or fear.
It's love. His story stands as a poignant tribute to his men–their
courage, their dedication, their skill, and their love for one
another, even unto death. This is a deeply moving book."—Nathaniel
Fick, author of One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer
"The arrangement known as embedding–the almost complete immersion
in the movements and life of a military unit….is seldom available
to nonjournalists. But [Joker One] is its literary
equivalent….[Joker One] should be read by all those who have ever
wondered what conclusions they would have drawn about the Iraq war
if they had been dropped into the middle of the conflict."—New York
Times Book Review
"Nobody but a soldier knows what war is really like, but the next
best thing may be reading Donovan Campbell's Joker
One."—Star-Telegram, Ft. Worth
"Takes you into the heart of combat and into the soul of a young
Marine lieutenant….Beyond the colorfully described chaotic battle
scenes, beyond the noble warriors who populate the book, what sets
Joker One apart is its unsparing honesty."—Journal-Sentinel,
Milwaukee
"Joker One is the real goods, what Hemingway called 'the true gen.'
The classic military story: one platoon leader, the men of his
platoon, and the impossibility and urgency of the assignment. The
book will sharply take its place in ranks beside Black Hawk Downand
Jarhead. If you want to know what American fighting will look like
in this century, you need to read Campbell. Like the best stories,
military and nonmilitary, it's a story about love, community, and a
brotherhood."—David Lipsky, author of Absolutely American: Four
Years at West Point
"A gritty, down-on-the-street account of hard, house-to-house
fighting against a foe that could disappear to attack another
day….Through it all, Campbell shows that the men of Joker Company
lost neither their humanity nor their humor….Highly
recommended."—Library Journal
"Joker One is the finest small-unit description of a platoon at war
in Iraq. Hang on and cheer them on."—Bing West, author of The
Strongest Tribe
"Donovan Campbell was a platoon commander in the 2nd Battalion, 4th
Marine Regiment in Anbar in 2004–the unit that had my flank. In
Joker One, he tells the story of that hard fight from the ground
level better than I thought possible. This is how it was in Ramadi
in 2004, before the Surge, before the Awakening, when Iraq fell
apart. And this is what it is like to lead men in battle. Read this
book if you are going to war, or if you have gone to war, or if you
want to know what war is."—Lieutenant Colonel John A. Nagl (Ret.),
"Centurion 3," author of Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife
"So many "soldier books" emerge from America's wars. Many are
overstated; this one is not. It is an honest
down-in-the-dust-and-rubble look at young Marines." —Stu
Weber,author of the bestselling Tender Warrior
"Joker One hits you right in the gut. This book is boils
years of politics and debate down into an extremely harrowing and
human story about what it means to be a grunt. Joker One is
heartfelt, thoughtful and exciting depiction of modern warfare that
will surely stand the test of time. Campbell' s story is more
than about war; it is about service, family, dedication and
leadership. His voice is powerful, compelling and clear. In
Joker One, this young writer emerges as a voice for the millions of
us who have served in America's defense since 9-11. Campbell speaks
about what is most important in life, and America should be
listening. —Paul Rieckhoff, Founder and Executive Director of Iraq
& Afghanistan Veterans of America, and author of Chasing Ghosts
"Donovan demonstrates, in a very engaging way, truly authentic
values based leadership; inspired by faith, anchored in discipline
and lived out in true love for his men."—Steve Reinemund, Chairman
and CEO, Retired - PepsiCo, Dean of Business and Professor of
Leadership and Strategy, Wake Forest University
Campbell does not come from a military family. Enhancing his resume served as his sole reason for attending Marine Corp Officer Candidate School between his junior and senior years at Princeton, and he thoroughly hated the ten-week experience. By graduation, however, he recognized a challenge in the marines unavailable to him in corporate life. His book presents his experience as platoon leader of Joker Company in Iraq. From March to September 2004 this company of 120 marines fought insurgents in and around Ar Ramadi in a classic urban counterinsurgency within a city of 350,000 civilians. Outnumbered, outgunned, and lacking heavy weapons and air support, these marines patrolled the city, enduring countless ambushes and suffering many casualties. Through their efforts, Ramadi never fell into insurgents' hands, and the marines retained control of the city's major streets and government institutions. Campbell provides a gritty, down-on-the-street account of hard, house-to-house fighting against a foe that could disappear to attack another day. He also presents the physical and emotional toll that such combat inflicts on individuals. Through it all, Campbell shows that the men of Joker Company lost neither their humanity nor their humor. Highly recommended for all libraries. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 11/1/08; for a Q&A with Campbell, see p. 78.]-Stephen L. Hupp, West Virginia Univ., Parkersburg Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.
"[A] beautiful and harrowing debut...Campbell unspools blow-by-blow
accounts of his unit's patrols from street level. The fuzzy radio
transmissions, the roadside bombs laid by faceless enemies, the
dust-filled, hand-trembling confusion - it all comes dizzyingly
alive.....By the time the platoon finally returns home, exhausted,
scarred, and with fewer men than they set out with, Campbell's
admiration for his men has become contagious. It's only then that
you realize that Joker One isn't as much a story of war as
it is a story of love. A"-Entertainment Weekly
"Donovan Campbell, first as a Marine and then as a writer,
shows us that the dominant emotion in war isn't hatred or anger or
fear. It's love. His story stands as a poignant tribute to his
men-their courage, their dedication, their skill, and their love
for one another, even unto death. This is a deeply moving
book."-Nathaniel Fick, author of One Bullet Away: The Making of
a Marine Officer
"The arrangement known as embedding-the almost complete
immersion in the movements and life of a military unit....is seldom
available to nonjournalists. But [Joker One] is its literary
equivalent....[Joker One] should be read by all those who
have ever wondered what conclusions they would have drawn about the
Iraq war if they had been dropped into the middle of the
conflict."-New York Times Book Review
"Nobody but a soldier knows what war is really like, but
the next best thing may be reading Donovan Campbell's Joker
One."-Star-Telegram, Ft. Worth
"Takes you into the heart of combat and into the soul of a young
Marine lieutenant....Beyond the colorfully described chaotic battle
scenes, beyond the noble warriors who populate the book, what sets
Joker One apart is its unsparing
honesty."-Journal-Sentinel, Milwaukee
"Joker One is the real goods, what Hemingway called 'the
true gen.' The classic military story: one platoon leader, the men
of his platoon, and the impossibility and urgency of the
assignment. The book will sharply take its place in ranks beside
Black Hawk Downand Jarhead. If you want to know what
American fighting will look like in this century, you need to read
Campbell. Like the best stories, military and nonmilitary, it's a
story about love, community, and a brotherhood."-David Lipsky,
author of Absolutely American: Four Years at West Point
"A gritty, down-on-the-street account of hard, house-to-house
fighting against a foe that could disappear to attack another
day....Through it all, Campbell shows that the men of Joker Company
lost neither their humanity nor their humor....Highly
recommended."-Library Journal
"Joker One is the finest small-unit description of a platoon
at war in Iraq. Hang on and cheer them on."-Bing West,
author of The Strongest Tribe
"Donovan Campbell was a platoon commander in the 2nd Battalion, 4th
Marine Regiment in Anbar in 2004-the unit that had my flank. In
Joker One, he tells the story of that hard fight from the
ground level better than I thought possible. This is how it was in
Ramadi in 2004, before the Surge, before the Awakening, when Iraq
fell apart. And this is what it is like to lead men in battle. Read
this book if you are going to war, or if you have gone to war, or
if you want to know what war is."-Lieutenant Colonel John A. Nagl
(Ret.), "Centurion 3," author of Learning to Eat Soup with a
Knife
"So many "soldier books" emerge from America's wars. Many are
overstated; this one is not. It is an honest
down-in-the-dust-and-rubble look at young Marines." -Stu
Weber,author of the bestselling Tender Warrior
"Joker One hits you right in the gut. This book is boils
years of politics and debate down into an extremely harrowing and
human story about what it means to be a grunt. Joker One is
heartfelt, thoughtful and exciting depiction of modern warfare that
will surely stand the test of time. Campbell' s story is more than
about war; it is about service, family, dedication and leadership.
His voice is powerful, compelling and clear. In Joker One,
this young writer emerges as a voice for the millions of us who
have served in America's defense since 9-11. Campbell speaks about
what is most important in life, and America should be listening.
-Paul Rieckhoff, Founder and Executive Director of Iraq &
Afghanistan Veterans of America, and author of Chasing
Ghosts
"Donovan demonstrates, in a very engaging way, truly authentic
values based leadership; inspired by faith, anchored in discipline
and lived out in true love for his men."-Steve Reinemund, Chairman
and CEO, Retired - PepsiCo, Dean of Business and Professor of
Leadership and Strategy, Wake Forest University
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