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Joker One: A Marine Platoon's Story of Courage, Leadership, and Brotherhood
Joker One: A Marine Platoon's Story of Courage, Leadership, and Brotherhood
Joker One: A Marine Platoon's Story of Courage, Leadership, and Brotherhood
Audiobook11 hours

Joker One: A Marine Platoon's Story of Courage, Leadership, and Brotherhood

Written by Donovan Campbell

Narrated by David Drummond

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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About this audiobook

When Donovan Campbell's platoon deployed to Ramadi in the spring of 2004, they believed they'd be spending most of their time building schools, training police, and making friends with the citizens. But shortly after arriving, when Campbell awoke to the chilling cry of "Jihad, Jihad, Jihad!" echoing from minaret to minaret across the city, he knew they had an altogether different situation on their hands.

For nearly the entire day, Joker-One-the forty-man infantry platoon that Campbell was charged with leading-fought house-to-house to rescue other units, sometimes trading grenades with their enemies from just a few feet away. In the days and months that followed, hundreds of hard-core insurgents launched simultaneous attacks on the Marine forces in Ramadi, their ranks swelled by thousands of local volunteers drawn from the citizens of a city whose primary export was officers in Saddam Hussein's army. By the fall of 2004, nearly half the men in Campbell's platoon had been wounded in some of the fiercest urban fighting since Vietnam; less than a month after they withdrew, the forces in Ramadi were doubled, then tripled.

Although Joker One is set in Iraq, the book's themes-brotherhood, honor, and sacrifice-are universal. Campbell shows us how his Marines' patience, discipline, and love for one another created a whole that is much greater than the sum of its parts, and how the essential goodness of these men remains unchanged by all of the pain and the terror surrounding them. His sharp-eyed, evocative, and unflinching account of his deployment is just as impressive as the man himself-a man who chose to enter the military because of his patriotism, sense of privilege, and deep religious faith when most of his Princeton classmates were cashing in their ivy league educations for lucrative careers among the financial elite. The vivid and gripping battle scenes will satisfy fans of military memoirs, but it's Campbell's sense of duty, faith, and love for his men that makes Joker One a truly extraordinary account of a war that has touched us all.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateMar 31, 2009
ISBN9781400180745
Joker One: A Marine Platoon's Story of Courage, Leadership, and Brotherhood

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Rating: 4.142511961352657 out of 5 stars
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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Kept it real. I enjoyed the book very much. S
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I think it is humbling to see a true personal account of the Iraq war from someone who was in the midst of it. This was a gripping story that opened the eyes of this reader. Well done.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book was fantastic. Unfortunate gaps in audio though, with 30-60 seconds of silence and chapters transitions that cut off a few words.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Good book, well told and entertaining. My only gripe is the publisher always plays the chapter announcements WAY too early, cutting off what is being said by the narrator. Also, it’s louder than the narration so it’s jarring.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I haven't read other Iraq memoirs, so I can't compare them, and I know there have been a lot written. I would definitely recommend this one, though. It showed Joker One, the Marine Corps, and the American presence in Iraq faithfully, both good and bad. It was readable and engaging, with both humor and drama. It was descriptive enough that I could 'see' what was happening without being disturbingly graphic. It drew me into the lives of the people and the world it described, and I enjoyed it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Very few books make me cry at the end and this one sure did because I was humbled. I had trouble with this book at first in relationship to how the author presented himself. However, after some thought I realized this was mostly a personal issue due to the fact that I having been involved in a lot of discussions regarding class. As a former enlisted Navy reservist, and having cousins still serving I often get into these discussions about officers arrogance because of their distance from most enlisted backgrounds, and issues dealing with privilege and its relationship to one’s education. At the end of the book my viewpoint about Mr. Campbell changed. I saw how this young officer developed, and was humbled; how he learned about love, real love, love for your brothers, and love for people. In the end I was very appreciative of his honesty about himself, his thoughts and feelings and how he was shaped throughout this experience. In fact, this book is a story about what an officer should become and what he/she should embody when holding such a commission. Though this is quite the tale of bloodshed there was still so much hope in the book. Also, I often find myself in conversations with those for the military and against the military. These conversations in essence really end up as sound bites of people’s differing views of patriotism. I want them all to read this book. Mr. Campbell does well in depicting what Marines are, they are young men (some a little older) and though their job is often times to kill, and sometimes they screw up, they more often than not have an enormous amount of compassion. I experienced this myself when I met my cousin’s husband who is also Marine and during my experience in the Navy. I have read many books about the military and many have not shown the good parts of soldiers, often focusing on the war or the killing or the negative outcomes of war. I’m particularly taken to the passage in Joker One regarding the school children and how the platoon risked their lives for them. And also at the end when the Marines were happy to go home but felt they may have failed because Ramadi was still in turmoil. Many believe, as I do that this war is probably not the best thing for our country, but reading this book and serving in the Navy solidifies my belief that no matter what, support the troops.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Written by a Marine Officer leading his platoon into combat for the first time, a hardcore look at the war on the ground in Iraq, and the coming of age by the men who fought it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Written for Library Thing Early Reviewers:A thoughtful, detailed look by a Princeton grad cum Marine officer at bringing together a unit of Marines to be battle-ready, and then going to his first battle zone, Iraq in 2004. The writing is a bit rough in spots, it won't be a spoiler-alert to tell anyone that the reader knows intuitively early on not all of these men will make it back in one piece, and some won't make it back at all. Campbell's earnest and truthful acknowledgment of inexperience in leading - yet he is their leader...his bone-crushing intention not to make a mistake that could cost his men their very lives are depicted vividly. He's managed to replay his thinking, putting the reader in his shoes, of trying to think clearly, for example, when a rocket blast has just deafened him. Brief, sympathetic character development brings his men and fellow officers to life. With many military men in my immediate family, I appreciate their sacrifice. Taking Joker One at face value, the Marines take sacrifice to a higher level.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I will be honest and say that I did not expect this quality of a book from a Marine. I was quite surprised at how well it is written. I have not been so moved by a book about war since All Quiet on the Western Front. That was fiction; this is non-fiction. I was very proud about some of the decisions these "kids" made while in the heat of battle. Campbell did well to show the reader how training will never be enough, supplies run out or don't work, and anything that can go wrong whi...moreI will be honest and say that I did not expect this quality of a book from a Marine. I was quite surprised at how well it is written. I have not been so moved by a book about war since All Quiet on the Western Front. That was fiction; this is non-fiction. I was very proud about some of the decisions these "kids" made while in the heat of battle. Campbell did well to show the reader how training will never be enough, supplies run out or don't work, and anything that can go wrong while being shot at, will. He also showed how camaraderie and faith can get you through anything.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Just finished Joker One: A Marine Platoon's Story of Courage, Leadership, and Brotherhood. Told by the Platoon Commander this is an excellent book. There's no politics involved. It's a straightforward, detailed account of his platoon's hellish stint in Ramadi during the summer of '04. During that stint, their company had a higher casualty rate than any company since Vietnam. Had me in tears this morning while I was finishing it up. Just a damn good book.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Candid, Minute to Minute, On the Ground AccountDonavan Campbell gives us a candid view of what he and his Marine platoon, Joker One, experienced as they trained at Camp Pendleton California for their deployment in Ramadi, Iraq. The “hit and run” tactics of the enemy, how terrorists melt back into the city streets after an RPG attack, errant AK 47 “spray and pray” firefights in the city’s streets, the shocking consequences of an IED explosion, the heartbreaking death of young Iraqi children and the consequences on Campbell’s platoon who we feel we know by the end. Not only is the book a candid account of what the platoon experienced in Ramadi, but also a useful self assessment by Campbell of his own decisions, the confusion in decision making (fog of war) and the self doubt around some decisions. It is a good book on leadership as well.The book’s minute-by-minute account of urban firefights is a good and granular companion to higher altitude perspectives that miss the real consequences of war.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Here's to hoping that the current (much deserved)success of The Hurt Locker will lead to the masses discovering the other great works of the Iraqi war, including Joker One by Donovan Campbell. What helps both The Hurt Locker and Joker one is how immersive the worlds being portrayed are, the story of Campbell and his platoon is not one we the reader feel as if we are on the outside looking in on, instead after a surprisingly short amount of time his platoon is your platoon. You run through the same gamut of emotions that the characters are put through. Just as in actual deployment the days/skirmishes start to run together until all of a sudden out of nowhere the realities of the horror these men are going through hits you like a ton of bricks. A definite must read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    While the author, Donovan Campbell, was attending the Harvard Business School he wrote this memoir as part of a veteran's writting project for full credit.This book, Joker One, is the result of this course. An easy to read first person account of a U.S. Marine Infantry Platoon leader whose platoon ended up serving a tour of duty in Ramadi, Iraq.Donovan Campbell, Lt. Campbell, had already served a tour of duty in Iraq as an Intelligence Officer but wanted the responsibility of leading an infantry platoon. He finally got his wish and was transferred to an Infantry Company as the Platoon Leader of the First Platoon. When he arrived at his first combat command position the platoon was under manned and not combat ready. And soon after his arrival notice is given of the companies impending deployment to Iraq, his first front line combat deployment but second tour of duty in that theater of war.When the orders arrived not only was the Company at its bare bones minimum, including missing a platoon leader, they filled out companies platoons complement of men with green men right out of boot camp. This means that the platoon would not have the bonding or training that a fully staffed platoon that had trained together would have had. The memoir starts here and we follow Lt. Campbell as he relates what he has to deal with as a newely assigned platoon leader. We read about his daily stress and the informal training he gets from performing his job, his squad leaders and from his tough platoon sergeant. Then once in a war zone we learn how a combat platoon and its leader quikly learn their responsibilities in a combat zone. Here the responsibility of all platoon missions and the lives of his men rest on his shoulders. The Lt. was blessed that he had the aid of very good non-commission offciers to aid him. Then Iraq! The main part of this memoir is of the platoon's deployment in Iraq. Their Company call sign was Joker and being the first platoon Lt. Campbell's platoon was called Joker One. He writes about what their daily lives were like while deployed in Ramadi, Iraqi. The constant stress and pressures of a combat zone seven days a week, 24 hours a day. As you read you get a glimpse of what these U.S. Marines went through.The belief on arrival that they all know they will be going home to assuming they are already dead so they can concetrate at the job at hand with the feeling of constant stress of the unknown which was always present. Joker One started each mission in prayer as a unit. Every platoon leader has the responsibility to complete the mission and keep his men safe. Joker was deployed to the city where some of the fiercest battle took place. Donovan Campell was one of the brave service to make it home and was willing to share some of his experience with us.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is a first person account of a U.S. Marine Infantry Platoon leader whose platoon ended up serving a tour of duty in Ramadi, Iraq. We are introduced to the author as he transfer from a HQ intelligence job to a front line combat infantry position where the lives of men will be his responsibility. It was surprising o me after reading this account how ill prepared our Marines were for combat...yet they still performed s we would expect of a U.S. Marine. When Lt. Campbell is given his transfer to his infantry platoon it is woefully understaffed and as they get orders for deployment new and green men right out of boot camp are sent to fill out the ranks. So his platoon is did not have the opportunity too get the bonding or training one would expect of a combat unit before deployment. This first hand telling let’s us see the daily stress and learning curve that a infantry platoon Lt. has to go through in a U.S. base and in a combat zone and how the responsibility of the men are always on his shoulders. You also see the truism of how important good non-commission officers are.As they are deployed and we read Campbell’s retelling of their deployment in Iraq we can almost feel the times of stress and relief he went through. And how you go from knowing you will go home to assuming you are already dead so the stress is lessened. You can also tell how dedicated he was to his men and his resolve to try to get everyman home and still perform their duty to the best of their ability...always with the thought of upholding the honor of the Marines. This look inside what actually happened in a city where some of the fiercest battle took place. If you were not deployed yourself, thank God that these men volunteered for service. This is a very good memoir of a front line Marine and I am glad I was able to read it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Joker One by Donovan Campbell is the first person account of a Marine lieutenant serving in Ramadi, Iraq in 2004. Joker One, the platoon’s call sign, is not an in-depth review of why the United States is fighting in Iraq. Instead, Campbell provides a personal and detailed account of one platoon, thrown into an intense combat situation, with limited practical training and Campbell’s efforts to bring his men out alive. Campbell provides excellent insight into the daily life of a Marine stationed in Ramadi, just as the violence in the area begins to increase. The vast majority of the book contains retellings of the day-to-day life of the Marine platoon that Campbell leads. Many of the stories are humorous—the retelling of a particularly raucous song and dance number is amusing, other tales are much more grim. Campbell’s retelling of patrols in hostile territory, coming under enemy fire, and ultimately, the loss of a fellow Marine, places the war in Iraq in a narrow focus, from a unique point of view.Ultimately, Joker One is the closest most Americans will come to being in an actual war zone. Campbell’s love of his fellow Marines, his deep faith in God, and his own personal determination to lead his platoon to the best of his ability, makes for a fascinating, if somewhat heartbreaking, read.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    It was hard to read this book without becoming overwhelmingly furious at the leaders, both military and civilian, who ask our young men to do impossible jobs without the proper tools. President Bush surely knew better than to attempt a land war in Asia, after all, it's only been a military maxim for better than 50 years. How many times did Mr. Campbell mention that the radios didn't work correctly? Funny how the civilian mercenaries can seem to find radios that work perfectly...But the Marines do the best job they can, mostly without complaint or bitterness. Campbell provides us with a multitude of leadership lessons. And in the end, we have another war memoir that illustrates the futility and wastefulness of attempting to impose our will on another culture... no matter how good our intentions.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Donovan Campbell joined the Marines after 9/11. A recent Princeton grad and first in his class at the Marines’ Basic Officer Course, Campbell was made the Lieutenant of a forty-man infantry platoon called Joker One. Campbell led his platoon on a tour of duty in Ramadi, Iraq, where they patrolled for IEDs, battled insurgents, and tried to win over the locals – often in temperatures over 120 degrees, carrying 50 pounds of equipment.Joker One: A Marine Platoon's Story of Courage, Leadership, and Brotherhood is Campbell’s account of his time in Ramadi. He describes what he and his men did and learned, but also shares his heartfelt insights into what made his team so great. It is a riveting story of courage and camaraderie that should make us appreciate the efforts and sacrifices of our military.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    An interesting account of a platoon of Marines who had little time to train before they were shipped out to Ramadi.Donovan's memoir brings to light the day-to-day operations of a Marine platoon from how squads are formed to saving lives in hostile territory.Following the platoon through their training, the intense tension that followed their mission in Iraq, the few glimpses of humor and relaxation and of course the horror and grief that followed deaths of some of the squad brought home the sacrifices these men make in serving their country. As you follow them along their journey, you live their fears, their stress, their anger, their courage, their grief, their thrills and the deep emotional bond that makes them an effective platoon.The details can sometimes be a little overwhelming but they do give a different and I think stronger perspective of what the Marines had to go through compared to what's covered by the news stations.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    You know how they say to never judge a book by its cover? They should update it to include never judge a book by the paragraph on its back cover. I started reading this book apprehensively because its description made it sound like it was written by a Christian jihadist out to kill hajis.Thankfully, Donovan Campbell is none of those things but he is en excellent writer. His prose is crisp as he describes the impossible situation that he and his platoon find himself in. He details the absurdities and sorrows of living in a war zone in a manner that's easy to read but still engaging. What's amazing is that he manages to do this without speaking of the politics that sent him to war. I'm still undecided if whether or not this is a good thing. Regardless, it's an important book and displays the realities of the war in Iraq. I'm just not sure how many people will pick it up, I know I wouldn't have if it weren't sent to me.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    “Donovan Campbell was a platoon commander in the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment in Anbar in 2004. In Joker One, he tells the story of a hard fight from the ground level better than most of the military writers or news people ever could. This is how it was in Ramadi in 2004,way before the Surge, when Iraq was falling apart on the evening news. The book portrays an picture of what it is like to lead men into battle. It describes the bonds that are formed between soldiers and the love he felt for all the men under his command. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in knowing what fighting in a war really entails. Whether you agree with the Iraq invasion or not you cannot help but respect the men that had such courage, who always looked out for their fellow soldiers and the Iraqi citizens and put themselves in harms way day after day.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Wow. This non-fiction work is about the author's experiences leading a marine platoon for one year in Iraq. I devoured this on one plane trip and back and was so moved towards the end, I found myself crying in public. Its a really harrowing, but honest account of the horrors of the Iraq war and I think how much we Americans do not really understand the war.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I really enjoyed this book - it was in turns shocking and awe-inspiring. It is a well-written and fairly fast read - there are no slow bits and it qualifies as a real page-turner. It makes you think and makes you question many of the ideas you thought you already had answers to.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I really wanted to get into this book, which had a nice premise about the courage and hardships of a platoon, but I couldn't. It is in no way the author's fault; I'm just not that into learning about the military. It just goes against my peaceful beliefs, even though I know we must protect ourselves somehow.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    A quick and moving memoir of one young Marine platoon leader's experiences on the ground in Iraq. This doesn't get into the overall arc of the war but rather recounts the day-to-day realities of fighting in Iraq--from the ambushes in the street to ferreting out a carp from their water supply.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Joker One by Donovan Campbell is a raw account of the war in Iraq told by a USMC platoon leader who was deployed with his men in 2004. It is a heartfelt account of day to day life on the ground in a war-ravaged country, a story about the commitment that these men made to each other, and proved every single day watching one other’s backs. This story is about what it means to serve a greater good and put aside selfish wants. It gives a first hand account of the camaraderie that the Marines of Joker One showed to each other, and the extents of the love that they had for their platoon members. The individual segments of this book tell about various battles, patrols, and missions that Joker One and the other companies of 2nd Battalion/4th Marine Regiment took on in the city of Ramadi, the capital of the Anbar province (the same province in which Falujah is also located). The details of each engagement have been told very well, and with so much clarity, it is amazing the recall Campbell has, and the detail with which he kept his patrol logs. I have not read any other Iraq war books, so I am unable to comment on how this stacks up with other accounts, but Campbell’s stories should be mandatory reading for every American. To all of us, safe in our homes tens of thousands of miles away, Iraq just seems like one big mess, but doesn’t really affect us personally. These men on the ground are the ones that must bear the day to day hardships of emerging democracy in this tattered country. No matter what the mission, how incomprehensible it may seem, they are giving 200% in support of making Iraq a better country for all of its citizens. No matter what your politics, it is important to understand how our men and women, not just military service personnel, but civilians as well, as trying to help the Iraqis realize a country where they don’t have to be afraid. Where they don’t fear the current leadership’s private police force, or corrupt military leaders. I think we can all agree that the goal is to get our troops home as soon as possible, but our Marines, as evidenced in Joker One, believe in the work they are doing to secure the future of Iraq and commit themselves without reservation. They have put themselves in harms way and laid down their lives to protect people who hate them from terrorists and insurgents trying to undermine their own future.This book tells the story of amazing individuals, young men who started out not the best or the brightest, but became strong leaders and took care of their friends and team members before thinking of themselves. I think the insight into a city like Ramadi really makes you reflect on what we are accomplishing. Campbell does a good job to not bias his accounts with political perspective and it forces you to ask yourself questions: What are we doing to help enrich the lives of the Iraqi people? Is our being there doing the people of Iraq more harm than good? How on earth can a human being launch a grenade into a group of marines crowded around by Iraqi children? How can an enemy be defeated who will use children and innocent bystanders are human shields? Are the insurgents of Iraq beatable without decimating the entire civilian population? Is it worth us being there is the answer is no?In all, I think Donovan Campbell does an excellent job of giving his account of the Iraq conflict, and gives us a better appreciation of the love that can exist between friends and comrades. Campbell ensures that their story will live on forever, and evidences the love that he had for his platoon.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    While Campbell isn't a polished writer, his honesty and transparency are refreshing. The narrative is a little slow at times, but (thank goodness) war isn't always constant action (that's only in the movies). At times poignant, but rarely preachy. Just one man's honest appraisal of what it was like to lead a Marine platoon in combat in the dirty streets of Iraq. Some great lessons on leadership, too, particularly on empathy and taking responsibility for the welfare of those under your command.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I've read my fair share of 'War is Hell' books and each of them has been written from the perspective of someone who wants to illustrate how futile and insane war is. Often these books are preaching to the choir, so it was interesting to me to read a book written from the perspective of someone who was proud to be a Marine and both willing and eager to enter the fog of war.Joker One is extremely readable, Donovan Campbell does an excellent job at capturing the essence of the men around him while providing a truly emotionally naked portrait of himself.As with all war books you get the gore of war, the incidents which reinforce how indiscriminate and heartbreaking battle is. But with Joker One there's a great sense of the impact of it all on the men who were there and how the find a way to push forward beyond all exhaustion.The book avoids many pitfalls and while it is often emotional and proud it's never overly nostalgic or maudlin. My only real gripe about Joker One is the end. The book travels such a wide emotional arch that I felt the ending was rushed. I wish we had been given another few chapters on life after war.All in all, a very good read and a unique view of war.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    To say that Donovan Campbell’s Joker One is the Band of Brothers for the Iraq War would be delving dangerously into the murky world of hyperbole. Stephen Ambrose’s epic tome is, perhaps, the standard for war narratives based on individual units. But Campbell’s book relies less on the epic standing of the war in which he fought than on the experiences of his men while in the combat zone in Iraq. The Iraq War will never be seen in the same light as World War II, but Campbell’s memoir of life and death on the streets of Ramadi deserves to stand next to other great works as a major contribution to the war narrative genre.Campbell was an ivy-league educated kid who could have taken a job at any number of Fortune 500 companies immediately after graduating from Princeton. Instead, drawn to serve his country, he joined the Marines and became the commanding officer of Joker One, a forty-man infantry platoon. For seven months in 2004, this platoon patrolled one of the most dangerous areas of Iraq. Car bombs, suicide vests, RPGs, and suburban firefights were seen with far too much frequency. Yet through the death and the mayhem Campbell had one goal: protect the citizens of Ramadi and bring as many of his men home as possible.While Campbell’s descriptions of the battles and skirmishes Joker One saw in those seven months of insanity are lurid and enthralling, it is the cast of characters who make this book shine. A Filipino immigrant who was pulled from recruiting duty because of a large-scale tattoo of a naked she-devil on his chest. A narcoleptic capable of falling asleep in the middle of a battle and the sharpshooter assigned to give him a swift slap to the back of the head whenever he did. The speedster who became radio jockey solely because he could run three miles in under sixteen minutes. The men of Joker One are the heart of this story and their sacrifices drive the narrative.It is hard not to fall in love with Campbell’s men and equally hard not to mourn the losses. Joker One is engaging and moving and should be read by anyone with even a passing interest in the military or the Iraq War.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I should disclose this was not only my first book on Iraq, but the first war memoir I have ever read. I’m not even exactly sure what made me pick it up or that I would make it through the first few chapters. As a housewife, I have as little in common with your typical marine as anyone. But this book is excellent, and surprisingly relatable. The consummately humble Campbell tells the story of his platoon, Joker One, from it’s inception through deployment to Iraqi city of Ramadi for a nine month peace keeping mission. The reader is presented with a straightforward and honest account of war from the men who fought it. Campbell writes with grace and humor telling us of the platoon’s growing pains and mistakes as well as his short comings as a leader. He takes the time to walk the reader through military basics and the political setting of Ramadi making the story accessible without over politicizing or romanticizing his work. There is plenty of action, though nothing is gritty, and the book brims with poignant moments. I doubt it is possible to finish this book without renewed appreciation for the sacrifices our men make out of love for each other and our country. If you’ve ever wondered how service men keep their lives, faith and humanity—read this book.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Patrol in Ramadi, Iraq, is more than edgy – it is terrifying when you are a US Marine in early 2004. Author Donovan Campbell, commander of a forty-man infantry platoon, carries the reader on patrol and shares his soul, including the terror of making split-second decisions that determine life and death for his men and the civilian population – the successes and the failures.If you are looking for a book that makes sense out of the Iraq war or even one that will give you hope that what the US is doing in Iraq is for the better of mankind – I don’t recommend Joker One.If you want to feel what it is like to be a solider facing death or dismemberment any second for weeks on end, Joker One will do just that and more. Sleep well and with a thankful heart; the US Marines are bleeding for you.