A book recommendation: One Bullet Away

Last night I finished One Bullet Away by Nathaniel Fick. Fick was an Marine Recon officer who served in Afghanistan and Iraq. The book describes Fick's military journey from Officer Candidate School while he was in college at Dartmouth to returning home from Iraq and his entry back into civilian life.

This is an outstanding book, and I highly recommend it.

Although there are passages which support some of my views about the Iraq war, the book--as I read it--is not trying to take a stand one way or the other on the war. The book is instead primarily about, as its subtitle says, "the making of a Marine officer." The book details experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq, but the description of those experiences resonates in a way that is universal in nature. In other words, that description seems to me to be about war and combat in general, not just in Afghanistan and Iraq. Fick's story also shows not just the demands and harsh realities faced by those serving in combat, but also the tremendous skill, ability, and character of the Marines with whom he served.

Supporters of the war will find passages they like, and opponents of the war will find passages they like. As for me, this book makes me glad and proud that our military has people like Fick and the rest of his Marine Recon platoon.