. I especially liked the many anecdotes the authors give along with the points they are trying to make, instead of just giving a few tidbits here and there, or worst, throwing names around.

Spotlight feature: Al Shabah: An Assassin’s Story takes readers into the heart and heat of the Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990). The story starts with a ten year old Paul as Bassam, a terrorist known as “Yellow Eyes”, overtakes Paul’s small hometown in the Bekaa Valley, killing his brother and sister in front of him. This forces Paul to take an oath: To grow up and find the yellow-eyed shooter—a man who soon becomes the charismatic leader of a jihadist group destroying his home country. As Paul watches Bassam recruit and head his own group of fighters and suicide bombers, Paul is forced into military action as a teenager. Paul fights for the Lebanese Forces to protect the innocent families caught up in a war disguised as a fight for religion, but is actually about gaining control and greed for a few selected powerful figures in the Middle East. Realizing that the foot soldiers are expendable fodder for poorly trained military leaders, Paul joins counter-terrorist operations to fight against Bassam, training in Israel with the Mossad and Kidon. Paul and Bassam cross paths as Paul is sent out on dangerous missions, only to come face-to-face in a final showdown—a showdown only one will survive. “The…

The author writes about the challenges of living in the region for both Jews and Arabs, especially for young people who struggle with identity and family.

Mr. Sjursen also shares his own personal views about the war, professional soldering, the ugly business of managing an occupation and the even uglier politics of inserting yourself in the middle of a sectarian civil war.

The Insurgents: David Petraeus and the Plot to Change the American Way of War by Fred Kaplan is a thought provoking book which tells a good story and asks some hard hitting questions. The book is divided into three parts: the post-Vietnam era and introduction of counterinsurgency (COIN) warfare line of thinking into the US military, the history of COIN in Afghanistan and Iraq (with input from Washington politicians), and a third part which analyzes what was accomplished and the value of this strategy.

Editing my first draft was something of a revelation. The novel is set in 1934, so that was a hard stop for all slang and references. That reference to Jiminy Cricket? Nope, that had to go. (Pinnochio didn’t come out until 1940.) What about “out the wazoo?” Doesn’t that just scream ’30s PI? Nope. Actually the term didn’t come into use until the late ’60s.

About: Bringing Down Gaddafi: On the Ground with the Libyan Rebels by Andrei Netto is a non-fiction book telling the story of the author, a Brazilian journalist. Mr. Netto traveled to Libya to witness firsthand the uprising against Gaddafi. 320 pages Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Trade Language: English ISBN-10: 1137279125 My rat­ing for Bringing Down Gaddafi — 4 Buy this book in paper or elec­tronic (Kin­dle) format* Thoughts: Bringing Down Gaddafi: On the Ground with the Libyan Rebels by Andrei Netto tells of the Libyan Revolution, the author’s harrowing experience, captivity and the people he met along the way. Together with an Iraqi journalist, Mr. Netto’s capture and release was, for me, one of the most interesting aspects of the book. The book also gives an excellent overview of the situation in Libya, including historical context to the revolution. The story moves back and forth between profiles of the revolutionaries, a history lesson and the author’s experiences. Even though the civil war in Libya was brief, it was still very dangerous, especially for reports at the time. The book is written in a very professional, but also personal manner depending on what subject Mr. Netto writes about. Mr. Netto’s book is…

I got the word yesterday afternoon, I will have the honor and privilege to participate in World Book Night 2014 and give out free books. The book I have chosen to give out is Sunrise Over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers, the description says: Operation Iraqi Freedom, that’s the code name. But Robin Perry, an ambivalent recruit from Harlem, and all his fellow soldiers in the Civil Affairs Battalion have a simpler name for it: WAR. Perry and the rest of his unit soon find their definition of “winning” the war in Iraq ever more elusive and their good intentions being replaced by terms like “survival” and “despair.”
Walter Dean Myers looks at a contemporary conflict with the same power and searing insight he brought to his Vietnam War classic, Fallen Angels. I am very excited about this event, my second. The first was an outstanding success, I had a great time and this year … I think I’ll involve the kids. Zohar – Man of la Book

While laying in a hospital bed after his suicide attempt Leroy, the sci-fi fan, makes up his own story which centers on him and his girlfriend being hunted down by a group called “The Free” who believe they are unpatriotic.

What would you sacrifice in the name of faith? What would you choose when faced with impossible choices—the salvation of your soul, or the lives of millions? I often write about choice and sacrifice, thrusting ordinary people into extraordinary circumstances and presenting them with difficult choices. I also wonder what I would sacrifice for another person: money, freedom, my health, even my own life. I especially marvel at people who do give up their lives for others. I had friend, a soldier, who threw his body onto a grenade to save the lives of his comrades. I was in living India at the time—trying to find myself—when I heard this sad but heroic story and gained much-needed perspective on my own quest. I went through most of my life thinking the greatest sacrifice a person can make is giving up their life in service to another. But times and values change. Now it seems that many people have a greater attachment to their faith then their lives; they would more quickly die for their God than their fellow man—regardless of the consequences. Acts of terror, random shootings, myriad crimes that we could hardly imagine a few years ago are not…