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The Last True Story I'll Ever Tell: An Accidental Soldier's Account of the War in Iraq Audiobook
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Publisher Description
The only book about the war in Iraq by a soldier on the ground-destined to become a classic of war literature.
John Crawford joined the Florida National Guard to pay for his college tuition-it had seemed a small sacrifice to give up one weekend a month and two weeks a year in exchange for a free education. But one semester short of graduating, and newly married, he was called to active duty-to serve in Kuwait, then on the front lines of the invasion of Iraq, and ultimately in Baghdad. While serving in Iraq, Crawford began writing short nonfiction stories, his account of what he and his fellow soldiers experienced in the war. At the urging of a journalist embedded with his unit, he began sending his pieces out of the country via an anonymous Internet e-mail account.
In a voice at once raw and immediate, Crawford's work vividly chronicles the daily life of a young soldier in Iraq-the excitement, the horror, the anger, the tedium, the fear, the camaraderie. All together, the stories slowly uncover something more: the transformation of a group of young college students-innocents-into something entirely different.
In the tradition of Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried, this haunting and powerful, brutal but compellingly honest book promises to become the lasting, personal literary account of the United States' involvement in Iraq.
"Lawlor is masterful. Every now and then, you get a narrator who's so good he becomes indistinguishable from the character he's portraying. That would be Lawlor. He manages to convey the grittiness of the country, the gruffness of the soldiers, and Crawford's simmering anger and resentment with seamless ease." —Sandy Bauers, Philadelphia Inquirer
"A tremendous book...incredibly gripping and incredibly well-written"—Jon Stewart, The Daily Show
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"An honest account of one soldier's life in Iraq. He tells about missions he went on, life in Iraq, the people, how it affected his life at home, the morale of the soldiers. This book is written VERY well. It is broken up into short stories instead of a long memoir or hard to read account. It is a book that I did not want to put down, and gave me a different perspective on the soldiers life. It really lets you into what they go through day to day when they are deployed for a very long time. It is non-political and quick witted. Great book."
— Sarah (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“A tremendous book…incredibly gripping and incredibly well-written”
— Jon Stewart, The Daily Show -
“Lawlor is masterful. Every now and then, you get a narrator who’s so good he becomes indistinguishable from the character he’s portraying. That would be Lawlor. He manages to convey the grittiness of the country, the gruffness of the soldiers, and Crawford’s simmering anger and resentment with seamless ease.”
— Philadelphia Inquirer
The Last True Story I'll Ever Tell Listener Reviews
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" A little slow to start for me but then I got into it. A series of vignettes from the author's National Guard tour in Iraq. It's a bit troubling (but perhaps, realistic) to hear about some of the behavior that went on (goes on) between the soldiers and civilians. This is certainly not the way to make friends of other nations! Sigh. "
— Marissa, 2/4/2014 -
" It's a honest account of one solider's experience. Not surprising to the knowing soul however quite chilling to those who are far removed from the evils of war. Good read "
— Rastasemprss, 2/3/2014 -
" A fairly gritty tale of war from an honest perspective. Crawford is one of the best soldiers turned writers out there and this book held my interest throughout. It's a quick, insightful read. "
— Victoria, 1/30/2014 -
" This is a great story. I could relate with almost every part of it, very similar to my deployment that occurred at the same time as John's. Well worth the read. "
— Kate, 1/24/2014 -
" Great book. Very accurate reflection of military life. "
— Michael, 1/22/2014 -
" Disturbing and sad...someone remind me why the hell we're in Iraq again? Oh, and McCain announced that we'll be out of Iraq by 2013...that's such a comfort...only 5 more years of this messed up situation. What exactly will have been accomplished in that time? Probably only more deaths. Great. "
— Molly, 1/12/2014 -
" Pretty hardcore story told here. I like reading the first hand accounts from the folks that were there rather than battle plans and overviews, or worse yet the news on tv. "
— Travis, 1/11/2014 -
" It's true! things are not the same when you get home. I spent 1 year in kuwait in 90-91 and the book brought back a flood of old bad memories "
— Warren, 12/30/2013 -
" No one can really know what war is like until you experiences it firsthand. "
— Irma, 9/27/2013 -
" I read this a couple years ago...very eye opening and easy read "
— Krista, 9/11/2013 -
" Self-centered, arrogant writing. Not the best Iraq War veteran book. But, typical stuff you'll read coming from this part of the world. "
— Zach, 8/26/2013 -
" This book is a must read for those who want a true picture of what our soldiers face daily. We don't see or hear the day to day attrocieties that they face in the line of duty. Nor do we hear of the wonderful kind brave things they do for those they are there to protect and save. God bless them all. "
— Janet, 8/16/2013 -
" Solid account by a National Guardsman who got stuck serving tour after tour in Iraq. Worth reading to remind yourself of what it means to be over there for the troops. "
— Dvarenne, 5/26/2013 -
" This book is really great! I was impressed. "
— Jonathanfstick, 5/17/2013 -
" I really enjoyed this, it's a first hand account of the authors time in Iraq. It's emotional, raw and brutally honest. I've read a few other first hand accounts but none that have captivated and kept me thinking about them like this book. "
— Nicholas, 4/1/2013 -
" As good as it is depressing. "
— Dave, 2/28/2013 -
" Really good book about a soldiers perspective on some of the things that happen at war. "
— Stacey, 1/2/2013 -
" What a damning portrayal of war. Happily, the author keeps politics out of it for the most part. "
— Solomon, 8/26/2012 -
" Man, that shit is fucked up over there. "
— Tracie, 2/12/2012 -
" war is boring until the sh..... hits the fan. And it gets worst when you have a love one at home that can't handle the separation and leaves you. Its the worst nightmare that you can face when the Dear John arrives............ "
— Greynomad, 1/5/2012 -
" This is a great read!!! True story of a soldiers' experience at the beginning of the war...I read it in 1 sitting!! "
— Rose, 9/1/2011 -
" i really loved this book--but i may be a bit biased being an army wife. i came across this in the library RIGHT after my husband deployed--i wanted to educate myself as much as possible with the military,war,PTSD,ect. this book didnt leave my hands till i was done reading it. truly a good read. "
— Kelly, 7/11/2011 -
" I need a more riveting Iraq account... "
— Michelle, 6/30/2011 -
" Well written, stark in its description of an Iraq untainted by the subjective pen of journalists and politicians. The soldiers come across as cavalier, innocent, ignorant, and just a few times wanting to help. "
— Matthew, 4/5/2011 -
" Pretty hardcore story told here. I like reading the first hand accounts from the folks that were there rather than battle plans and overviews, or worse yet the news on tv. "
— Travis, 3/18/2011 -
" I had to stop reading it because the language was so fierce, but it was a very realistic first hand account. "
— Jamie, 2/24/2011 -
" Another good book about how shitty the Iraq situation is! "
— Eric, 2/16/2011 -
" Great book. Very accurate reflection of military life. "
— Michael, 10/23/2010 -
" A very sad story of a soldier who served in Iraq. "
— Ray, 10/6/2010 -
" 8/10. Interesting account from an ordinary American soldier's viewpoint. Negative view of this stupid war. "
— Ian, 7/13/2010 -
" This wasn't exactly "superiorly" written, but it is the real story of a soldier who went to Iraq and that is all that matters. It reveals the TRUTH about what is going on in the basically pointless war and what a soldier actually saw happen there. An eye-opener for sure. "
— Kristin, 7/1/2010 -
" I liked reading about someone elses perspective and their situation. "
— Jz, 3/25/2010
About John Crawford
SPC John Crawford is an American Iraq War veteran and writer originally from Palatka, Florida. In the early 2000s, Crawford, already an Army veteran, had enlisted in the Army National Guard to help pay for his college tuition. With two credits to go before college graduation, John Crawford was called to active duty, sent to Kuwait and soon after to the front lines in Iraq. His bestselling memoir The Last True Story I’ll Ever Tell, is about his tour in Iraq. Crawford has made appearances on National Public Radio and The Daily Show.
About Patrick Lawlor
Patrick Lawlor, an award-winning narrator, is also an accomplished stage actor, director, and combat choreographer. He has worked extensively off Broadway and has been an actor and stuntman in both film and television. He has been an Audie Award finalist multiple times and has garnered several AudioFile Earphones Awards, a Publishers Weekly Listen-Up Award, and many starred audio reviews from Library Journal and Kirkus Reviews.