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I’m Still Standing: From Captive U.S. Soldier to Free Citizen—My Journey Home Audiobook
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(3.07) - 95 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Shoshana Johnson, America’s first black female prisoner of war, shares the story of her capture and imprisonment in Iraq and her rescue.
On March 23, 2003, during Operation Iraqi Freedom, Johnson was in a convoy that was ambushed in the city of An Nasiriyah. Wounded, she and five fellow soldiers were captured and taken as prisoners of war. They were rescued by US Marines on April 13 and she returned to the US decorated and honorably discharged.
Now, after years of coming to terms with her story, Johnson recounts with full candor exactly what happened to her and her fellow soldiers during the twenty-two days of their captivity, which none of them have told because of a military gag order. Her perspective of the ambush is revealing and her insight into life as a female POW inspirational.
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"Very well written first person account of the first Black female to be captured in Iraq. Shoshana is a very courageous woman and I am thankful to her and all of our service personnel for their service. If you want to know the true story of what happened that day, read this book."
— Mary (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“I’m Still Standing is one hell of a story by one hell of a woman. Soldier. Single mom. Survivor. Shoshana Johnson is a true American hero. Her memoir is a compelling, inspirational read.”
— Larry King -
“Shoshana Johnson survived ambush, injury, captivity, and colleagues’ deaths in the early days of the Iraq conflict with grit, dignity, and reflective grace. In I’m Still Standing, she tells her story with the same moving and admirable qualities.”
— Sheila Weller, New York Times bestselling author of Girls Like Us -
“I’m Still Standing is Johnson’s brutally honest account of the horrors of battle, the deprivations of captivity, and, finally, the sheer jubilation of freedom. What makes Johnson’s inspiring tale required reading for Americans, in and out of uniform, is her great heart. Its triumphant beat is felt on every page of this important book.”
— Phoenix Sun -
“Johnson endured her captivity with courage and emerged with honor. With the help of former army reservist Doyle, she vividly, simply, and unpretentiously tells her tale.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Johnson writes of the horror of…uncertainty, of the unending boredom of days with nothing to do but imagine the worst scenarios…She also includes the more mundane details of the prisoners’ grim existence…Events after Johnson’s return to the US were at times nearly as emotionally devastating as her ordeal in Iraq…Yet Shoshana Johnson proves with this book that she is, in fact, still standing.”
— BookPage -
“A well-told memoir of captivity and recovery.”
— Kirkus Reviews -
“Shoshana Johnson’s story is unsettling, scary, powerful, and brilliant—a story of a life-threatening milestone that must be told to benefit others, both women and men.”
— Major General Irene Trowell-Harris, USAF, NC, (Ret.) -
“Shoshana Johnson is an American ‘shero’ whose story of tragedy and survival is an inspiration to many who have served and are serving in the United States Armed Forces. I am honored to have met Shoshana, my fellow veteran, and afforded the opportunity to read her miraculous story.”
— Lucretia M. McClenney, COL, USA, (Ret.)
I’m Still Standing Listener Reviews
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" I was very entralled to have read this book about my oldest and dearest friend. Although I wish she had never had to endure this event in her life, she protrayed her struggles brillantly and has come out an even stronger and independent woman. I loved it. "
— MichelleAM, 10/26/2013 -
" Very interesting. Shoshana was a captured soldier in Iraq. Same incident as Jessica Lynch. Good read, but did get a little boring on the last chapter. "
— Marcie, 9/8/2013 -
" I can't imagine myself in her position. In my opionion, the book is not very well written. It is repetitive and slow. "
— Debbersb10, 8/16/2012 -
" An important story told not very well, sorry to say. The plight and heroism of Shoshana Johnson and her colleagues deserves a far better telling than this. "
— Sheryl, 9/2/2011 -
" This lady's story is quite something. I couldn't put it down. The truth about the war in Iraq is so much more interesting than the boatload of lies we've been sold by our government. "
— Betsy, 7/9/2011 -
" This book was amazing!! A definite must read for everyone, especially those that aren't familiar with the unfortunate situations a soldier could possibly find themselves in. You never think it would be you. "
— Shannon, 6/28/2011 -
" A true account of the events leading up to the capture of the first female POWs of the Iraqi conflict. She's not bitter, but I felt hope at the end of the book and highly recommend it to anyone curious about the incident, whose most famous face was Jessica Lynch. "
— Connie, 6/14/2011 -
" An interesting story. Shana Johnson comes across as a very real person. "
— Jessie, 5/1/2010 -
" I can't imagine myself in her position. In my opionion, the book is not very well written. It is repetitive and slow. "
— Debbersb10, 3/9/2010 -
" An important story told not very well, sorry to say. The plight and heroism of Shoshana Johnson and her colleagues deserves a far better telling than this. "
— Sheryl, 2/22/2010
About Shoshana Johnson
Shoshana Nyree Johnson was born in the Republic of Panama and moved to the United States with her family when she was a child. A second-generation Army veteran, she did not plan a career in the military but became a JROTC cadet in 1991 and joined the U.S. Army in September 1998 while attending classes at the University of Texas at El Paso. She lives in El Paso, Texas, with her daughter, sisters, and two nieces.
About Napiera Groves
Napiera Groves, born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, attended the School for the Creative and Performing Arts in Cincinnati and then earned a BFA degree from Howard University. She also studied at the British American Drama Academy at Oxford University in England. Her extensive training in theater, music, and dance brought her numerous roles in television, film, and theater, including the role of Bonnie McKechnie on the Emmy Award–winning CBS daytime drama, As the World Turns. She works extensively in both Los Angeles and New York, where she recently acted on Broadway as “Lady of the Lake” in the Tony Award–winning show Spamalot.