Daniel P. Bolger served in the Army for thirty-five years, retiring as a lieutenant general. He commanded troops in both Afghanistan and Iraq, earning five Bronze Star medals (one for valor) and the Combat Action Badge. He is the author of eight previous books and a contributing editor for Army magazine. He lives in Raleigh, North Carolina.
"Our Year of War is a vivid war story that soars beyond the
battlefields to become a metaphor for life's struggles and
redemption. Drawing on an exhaustive depth of research and
first-hand combat experience, General Bolger weaves together a tale
of brotherly devotion and a warning about ambitious senior
officials who lacked humility and common sense."--Bing West, author
of The Wrong War: A History of the War in Afghanistan
"Our Year of War is the remarkable tale of two brothers--one of
them a future Secretary of Defense--who walked point together in
the same Army infantry platoon in Vietnam. It's a story of war, and
a story of family, and a reminder that America's wars are, in the
end, fought by families. Dan Bolger has done us all a great service
with this wonderful book."--Nathaniel Fick, author of the New York
Times bestseller One Bullet Away
"A compelling [story] and one that Bolger tells well."--The VVA
Veteran
"A crisp account of a messy war...Bolger, who won five Bronze Stars
during his Army career, brings a unique perspective to the story,
as he understands the intricacies of modern warfare and also
acknowledges the wide gap between those who fight these wars and
those who lead them...Bolger ably conveys how Vietnam felt to those
who fought it and what it meant." --Kirkus Reviews
"A eulogy to lost American values and a clarion for the vanishing
virtues of civility and genuine patriotism...A brilliant, exciting
and tragic survey...As a war story its hair-raising suspense is as
artfully crafted as any spellbinding fiction...[A] sanguine and
gritty book that relates history even as it resonates today's real
news."--Washington Times
"A multilayered, nuanced, extensively researched and wonderfully
written account of what transpired on the battlefields of Vietnam
and on the American homefront during the pivotal year for the war
and for our country-1968...Bolger's superbly imagined and expertly
presented narrative is much more than simply the story of two
brothers who went to war...Bolger provides an insightful
examination of the unprecedented domestic political-social
upheavals confronting the U.S. in 1968...The best book in many
years on the Vietnam War. This is a must-read book."-
--Vietnam Magazine
"A story of the [Hagel] brothers' respective year-long experiences
in the U.S. Army during the turbulent Vietnam War and how they came
to their individual perspectives regarding that conflict...[Bolger]
has weaved a highly readable account of the brothers' lives and war
experiences along with the political, military, social, and
cultural circumstances extant in the United States, and
internationally, at the time...a quickly and easily read book that
tells the Hagels' personal story while incorporating the big
picture of events and influences from the pivotal year of
1968."--New York Journal of Books
"A unique true-life story focusing on the 1968 Vietnam war
experience of two brothers...[A] captivating, expertly researched,
and thoroughly immersive saga. A vivid glimpse into the tumultuous
past, a divided America, and the sweltering jungles of war-torn
Vietnam, Our Year of War is highly recommended for public and
college library military shelves and personal reading
lists."--Midwest Book Review
"An intimate look at the Vietnam War through the experiences of two
brothers who survived it."--WTBF Radio
"Bolger does a masterful job of researching and referencing...He
also captures and explains GI slang from the war."--Washington
Independent Review of Books
"Bolger goes beyond the standard chronological account of soldiers
in combat...The book is an excellent look at not only how two
brothers coped with war, but also how the U.S. changed with the
brothers as the Vietnam War dragged on."--Collected Miscellany
"Bolger offers an affecting account of Chuck Hagel (who later
became secretary of defense) and his brother Tom as they fought-and
in some ways continue to refight-their shared tour in
Vietnam."--The Christian Century
"Bolger's story of the two Hagel brothers shows how even close
family members became alienated from each other by the war in
Vietnam."--Publishers Weekly
"Daniel Bolger is an unusual general--a fine writer and a masterful
storyteller. Here he tells the moving tale of two soldiers, of the
US Army (an organization he understands to his bones), of America,
and of war. Reading this book is like sitting around the campfire
with a tribal elder."--Thomas E. Ricks, bestselling author of
Fiasco, The Generals, and Churchill and Orwell
"Engrossing."--New York Post
"The raw description of a soldier's life will appeal to readers of
military history...For readers interested in a new perspective of
Vietnam."--Library Journal
"The siblings' story, a part of the American fabric that Bolger
weaves deftly, sucks you in."--Military Times
"The story of the Hagel brothers is one of the most incredible and
unbelievable stories ever to come out of war. It is a miracle that
either of the brothers survived the crucible of Vietnam. Their
stories as individuals and as brothers provide inspiration for us
all."--US Senator Max Cleland (Ret.)
"The story of two brothers fighting an implacable enemy in a
faraway place that just a few years earlier most Americans couldn't
find on a map...[Bolger] has experienced war firsthand and is
uniquely qualified to tell the Hagels' story. And he pulls no
punches. He puts things in perspective. He does an excellent job
describing what the Hagels experienced in Vietnam and what was
simultaneously happening on the homefront. He provides insight into
what senior military leadership was thinking and how it affected
soldiers in the jungle."
--ARMY magazine
 |
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
|
