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I Am a Soldier, Too (Abridged): The Jessica Lynch Story Audiobook
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(3.04) - 365 listener ratings
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On March 23, 2003, Private First Class Jessica Lynch was crossing the Iraqi desert with the 507th Maintenance Company when the convoy she was traveling in was ambushed, caught in enemy crossfire. All four soldiers traveling with her died in the attack. Lynch, perhaps the most famous P.O.W. this country has ever known, was taken prisoner and held captive in an Iraqi hospital for nine days. Her rescue galvanized the nation; she became a symbol of victory, of innocence and courage, of heroism; and then, just as quickly, of deceit and manipulation. What never changed, as the nation veered wildly between these extremes of mythmaking, was her story, the events and the experiences of a nineteen-year-old girl caught up in what was and will remain the battle of her life: what she saw, what she felt, what she experienced, what she survived. I Am a Soldier, Too: The Jessica Lynch Story is the story this country has hungered for, as told by Lynch herself to Pulitzer Prize–winning author Rick Bragg. In it, she tells what really happened in the ambush; what really happened in the hospital; what really happened, from her perspective, on the night of the rescue. More than this, the collaboration between Lynch and Bragg captures who she is and where she’s from: her childhood in Palestine, West Virginia, a lovely, rugged stretch of land always referred to as the hollow, where she rode horses, played softball, and was crowned Miss Congeniality at the Wirt County Fair the same year the steer she raised took a ribbon. It reveals her relationships with her older brother, Greg Jr., also an enlisted soldier, and her younger sister, Brandi; with her father, Greg Sr., a forty-three-year-old truck driver who has at times worked construction, cut hay, cut firewood, hauled timber, hauled concrete, run a bulldozer, run a backhoe, cleaned houses, and dug graves; and with her mother, Deadra, a city girl from Parkersburg who moved to the hollow and met her future husband when he was eleven and she was nine. And it describes what happened to the Lynch family in the agony of Jessica’s capture and captivity; the terror and disbelief that cascaded through an entire town at the news of her disappearance into enemy hands; the joy of her rescue; and the long work of healing and recovery that lie ahead. Jessica Lynch has won the hearts and minds of Americans. In the hands of Rick Bragg, a renowned chronicler of American lives, her tale is told at last, with grace, and care, and astonishing candor.
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"Sparsely told, with just what is believed to be the facts that can be verified and no filler - which is good. It is still uncertain what injuries occurred when the Humvee crashed and what occurred during the first 3 hours that she was unconcious. Keep a Kleenex handy, during the later half. I don't know how anyone could have gone through what this young girl did, and survive."
— Nancynova (4 out of 5 stars)
Awards
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A #1 New York Times bestseller
I Am a Soldier, Too Listener Reviews
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LINDA GREENE, 7/9/2022
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" This was a surprisingly good book. As much as I like memoirs and non fiction I didn't think I'd be very much into this but I was. I read it years ago so I can't really remember specifics but I do remember being pleasantly surprised. "
— Eva, 1/23/2014 -
" Inspirational and insightful, this book is a true treasure! Gives insight into P.O.W and M.I.A heroes everywhere. I really sympathized with Lynch and could not put it down. Many beautiful quotes as well. "
— Zsanelle, 1/20/2014 -
" Nothing special. Ms. Lynch was doing her job, and was taken hostiage. Over all she was not miss treated and they were trying to treat her injuries when the USA found her. Over all the book was poorly done. I wish she would have writen her own book, then I would have been a little less harsh. "
— Florence, 1/19/2014 -
" What a powerful book. A first-hand insight into a war that had already caused so much devestation. The trauma and experiences she went through were devasting and heart-wrenching. I got this book soon after it came out and read it in one day, because I was so drawn to her story. "
— Heather, 12/27/2013 -
" This book was very inspirational. "
— Stephanie, 12/26/2013 -
" This is a very touching story. It's true, and quite amazing of this girl! "
— Leslie, 12/23/2013 -
" After having heard the untrue hero version put out by the government concerning Jessica's statis as a POW in the Iraq War, it was interesting to find out what really happened and to have real sympathy for her ordeal. "
— Shirley, 10/17/2013 -
" This was an excellent book. Any young woman thinking of joining the service should read it. "
— Jane, 6/7/2013 -
" Excellent, excellent, excellent. Makes your heart go out to our service people even more. Makes me proud to be an American and very proud of Jessica Lynch. I read this....didn't 'listen' to it. "
— Amy, 3/1/2013 -
" I'm still not sure how I feel about her. Maybe it's because deep down I'm afraid something like that could happen to me. I think the book could have been better written...it seemed to jump around a bit too much. "
— Dina, 2/20/2013 -
" This book disappointed me. I believe Rick is best at telling his own story. "
— GK, 1/15/2013 -
" Good book. Jessica Lynch story. tells what really happened. "
— Catherine, 1/13/2013 -
" She is a brave woman. A hero? robably no, but a survivor and an admirable, honest person. She has a child now and is working for her college degree. "
— Ellen, 11/27/2012 -
" Good writing. The most interesting part of this story, in my opinion, was how Jessica's home town rallied around to support her family and pray for her. There were other parts of the book that dragged. "
— Laura, 8/15/2012 -
" An inspirational story and it had me interested in how she's doing today. It definitely kept my interest as I read the book in a day. It also provided insight into the controversial portions of her journeys. "
— Norkett, 6/21/2012 -
" It was interesting to read Jessica's personal account of her experience as a POW because it was so different from what was reported in the newspaper. I felt this was a good book to read because I learned about the horrors of war and it makes me appreciate the men and women who serve in the military. "
— Lennie, 1/21/2011 -
" Jessica may never have fired a shot but she is definitely a hero. The author was maybe a little 'dramatic' in his description of her hometown and the people there but he really made me feel like I knew Jessica and her humble heart. Great story. "
— Heidi, 12/25/2010 -
" Not very well-written, but hey, I learned something. "
— Gemma, 9/27/2010 -
" This book was not what I expected in that it focused mainly on Jessica, her background, and her family while still giving enough insight into her capture to paint a clear picture of the horror through which she must have lived. I read this book in one sitting and found it to be particularly moving. "
— Jennifer, 9/19/2010 -
" I knew what she felt going into the military for a career. She grew up poor in material things but rich in a happy loving, supportive family. Her daddy was very proud of her decision as was mine. "
— Sandra, 8/4/2010 -
" I knew what she felt going into the military for a career. She grew up poor in material things but rich in a happy loving, supportive family. Her daddy was very proud of her decision as was mine. "
— Sandra, 5/30/2010 -
" Nothing special. Ms. Lynch was doing her job, and was taken hostiage. Over all she was not miss treated and they were trying to treat her injuries when the USA found her. Over all the book was poorly done. I wish she would have writen her own book, then I would have been a little less harsh. "
— Florence, 4/8/2009 -
" I thought this was a good book. I read it in a day becuase it was hard to put down once you start and get into it. It shows what a strong and brave young woman Jessica Lynch is "
— Angel, 3/1/2009 -
" Good writing. The most interesting part of this story, in my opinion, was how Jessica's home town rallied around to support her family and pray for her. There were other parts of the book that dragged. "
— Laura, 1/22/2009 -
" Not as good as the biography of the irac man that saved her. I can't remember his name. This shoud not have happened. I'm glad to hear that she has since recovered, married and had a child. "
— Biosyd, 1/13/2009 -
" my high school played her high school in sports! <br/> <br/>the writing is overwrought, but I came away with a great deal of admiration for her in speaking out as she did. go, homegirl! "
— Christina, 1/6/2009 -
" After having heard the untrue hero version put out by the government concerning Jessica's statis as a POW in the Iraq War, it was interesting to find out what really happened and to have real sympathy for her ordeal. "
— Shirley, 9/23/2008 -
" This was a surprisingly good book. As much as I like memoirs and non fiction I didn't think I'd be very much into this but I was. I read it years ago so I can't really remember specifics but I do remember being pleasantly surprised. "
— ?Eva?, 8/26/2008
About Rick Bragg
Rick Bragg is the author of ten books, including New York Times bestsellers. He is also a regular contributor to Southern Living and Garden & Gun. As a feature writer for the New York Times, he won a Pulitzer Prize in 1996 for his “elegantly written stories about contemporary America.”