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Title details for From Baghdad to America by Jay Kopelman - Available

From Baghdad to America

Life Lessons from a Dog Named Lava

by Jay Kopelman
Christopher Lane
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available
Lieutenant Colonel Jay Kopelman won the hearts of readers with his moving story of adopting an abandoned puppy named Lava in a hellish corner of Iraq. For this Marine and his comrades, the puppy served as an important emotional touchstone in a grim and seemingly endless war.


Kopelman now writes about what it's like to be home. He credits his canine best friend with finding his wife—in the park, Lava began playing with her dog and the two owners met—and for keeping him sane as he readjusted. With the same intelligence and insight he showed in From Baghdad, With Love, Kopelman sets forth more than a dozen lessons, including: Life can change in an instant, but you'll be able to handle it; passion for something can help you tap into your most powerful reserve of energy; have a standard operating procedure for everything; and never forget who you are or how you got here. Active and retired troops, soldiers' friends and families, and everyone who has ever loved a dog will embrace this book.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    October 13, 2008

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781400128754
      • File size: 98014 KB
      • Duration: 03:24:11

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Colonel Kopelman doesn't make it easy to follow his story. Like a butterfly in a flower field, he flits around, lighting on many places and times in his life without lingering. His memories of fighting in Iraq are mixed with descriptions of the stress of returning to U.S. society and of his love for Lava, a dog he smuggled back with him. Narrator Christopher Lane does nothing to distinguish the randomly placed letters to the author regarding his previous book--FROM BAGHDAD, WITH LOVE--making it difficult to tell where they begin and end. He does, however, portray to perfection an ex-Marine whose writing admits to anger, hostility, and personality damage resulting from his combat experiences. Lane creates a veteran characterized by chaotic thinking and disturbing unrest. J.A.H. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      April 28, 2008
      Forget the Westminster Dog Show—these real canine champions are spearheading humanitarian missions.
      From Baghdad to America: Life Lessons from a Dog Named Lava
      Jay Kopelman
      . Skyhorse
      , $23.95 (208p) ISBN 978-1-60239-264-9

      Former marine officer Kopelman's sequel to From Baghdad, with Love
      —his bestselling account of a war mongrel named Lava—is a bittersweet and hopeful account of the effects of posttraumatic stress disorder. Kopelman's First Battalion, Third Marines, found Lava among the debris of war-torn Fallujah in November 2004 and adopted the mongrel despite a Department of Defense prohibition against pets. Recognizing Lava's therapeutic value—“the pure joy and escape he provided”—Kopelman not only ignored the regulations but also promised his marines that he would bring Lava home, which, against all odds, he did. Both man and dog had considerable difficulty in adjusting to life after war; Kopelman experienced “frequent anger and frustration”—especially toward civilians who seemed “so self-absorbed”—and Lava was so aggressively overprotective, he required antidepressant medication. Inspired by Lava's example—and worried about the effect of his behavior on his new family—the author finally sought therapy and encourages other troubled vets to get the treatment they need. Kopelman's nonjudgmental approach and his self-deprecating, tongue-in-cheek humor make this survivor's account as engaging as it is powerful.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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