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Paul M. Kendel
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Baghdad Blues Kindle Edition

by Paul M. Kendel (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
5.0 out of 5 stars 4 ratings
"Casemate has a long history of publishing high quality military history non-fiction. Lately, they have expanded their range of work to include well written novels using wartime settings." – WWII History MagazinePatrolling the dusty and deadly roads of south-west Baghdad, a young US soldier and his comrades face IEDs and ambushes on a near-daily basis, but the longer he is in Baghdad, the more he begins to question where to look for the real enemy.

Patrolling the deadly roads of south-west Baghdad, a young US soldier and his comrades face IEDs and ambushes on a near-daily basis, but the longer he is in Baghdad, the more he begins to question where to look for the real enemy. At a dusty intersection in Baghdad, Sergeant Thomas Kirkland is seconds away from unleashing a hail of bullets on a possible suicide bomber when he's stopped by the unexpected—the piercing dark eyes of a young girl sitting on her mother's lap in the passenger seat. For a split second he'd held the life of this child and her family in his hands. Plagued by fear and anxiety, Sergeant K struggles with his own inner demons as he confronts a population around him that wishes him dead. But he confronts more than just an external enemy, as he discovers the darkness that exists not just within himself, but in his fellow soldiers. A starkly honest and gut-wrenching account of the Iraq war from the perspective of an infantry soldier patrolling the dusty and lethal roads of south-west Baghdad. The threat of IEDs and ambushes are ever-present, but as Sergeant K and his comrades soon learn, modern war can take many shapes and forms. Grappling with a myriad of emotions—fear, anger, confusion, and anxiety—they face many external threats, but they begin to discover that the enemy within themselves can often be more challenging and dangerous than the one they were sent to fight.
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  1. Print length
    379 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Casemate
  4. Publication date
    September 27, 2022
  5. File size
    2.5 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"...just as post-WWII fiction offered foxhole-level observations, this book offers Humvee-window-level observations."
Historical Miniatures Gaming Society

"Author Kendel paints a picture of how war affects both the people of the occupied country and the warriors who interact with them."
Military Writers Society of America

"...navigates the perpetual fog of war and emerges strong on the other side, with its hero attempting to achieve inner peace while a war rages around him."
Library Journal

"Casemate has a long history of publishing high quality military history non-fiction. Lately, they have expanded their range of work to include well written novels using wartime settings."
WWII History Magazine

About the Author

Paul Kendel was born in Hawthorne, CA, in 1967. Following a three-year service in the active army, he graduated from college with a master’s degree in both History (emphasis in the Middle East) and Anthropology. Following the 9/11 attacks he deployed in early 2002 to Saudi Arabia with the California National Guard. In January 2005 he started his training for deployment to Iraq with the Georgia National Guard. In 2011, he retired from the army and his book Walking the Tiger’s Path: A Soldier’s Spiritual Journey was published. He has been working with Mindfulness Peace Project, a non-profit organization based in Niwot, Colorado, to develop secular mediation programs for combat veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. He has also participated in non-denominational mindfulness-based meditation workshops for incarcerated prisoners across the country.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BG36VS8C
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Casemate (September 27, 2022)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 27, 2022
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.5 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 379 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    5.0 out of 5 stars 4 ratings

About the author

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Paul M. Kendel

Paul M. Kendel

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Paul M. Kendel’s (SSG Ret.) first experience with the current “War on Terror” began with a deployment to Saudi Arabia with the California National Guard following 9/11. In 2005, the military deployed him to Iraq. He had been in Baghdad only a short time before he felt besieged with doubts regarding the U.S. presence in that region and saw little progress in winning the hearts and minds’ of the Iraqi people as he witnessed the hardships the American military placed on their way of life.

Disillusioned with the aggression overwhelming some of the members of his military unit and inspired by Sakyong Mipham's book Turning the Mind Into an Ally, he sent an email to Shambhala International, who connected him with Margot Neuman of the Ratna Peace Initiative (formerly Ratna Prison Initiative.) They corresponded throughout his deployment, and upon his return home, he deepened his involvement in the Shambhala Community through programs with the Sakyong Mipham, President Richard Reoch and Pema Chodron.

Following his return from combat in the spring of 2006, SSG Kendel spent the next three years dealing with the end of his marriage, the loss of his mother from cancer, and the friends who died in Iraq. During this period, he delved deeply into the Shambhala Buddhist teachings and the practice of meditation.

January 2009, found SSG. Kendel training for a deployment to Afghanistan. During that training, he aggravated a previous injury and did not deploy with his men. He spent the next ten months on active duty recovering from his injuries and spending quality time with his two young sons. Released from active duty in March 2010, he is currently teaching world history and special education at Andrew Jackson High School in Jacksonville, Florida. SSG. Kendel holds an M.A. in both History and Anthropology. He is actively working on a second book.

Customer reviews

5 out of 5 stars
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Morgan Burnham
    5.0 out of 5 stars Representing Iraq war as it's own genre
    Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Kendel takes a collection of anectodes from combat experience we all share as Iraq veterans to relate his personal journey. The characters in this book are unfiltered and provide a real context for any reader, not just a combat vet. I have appreciated Kendels work since "walking the tigers path" and this novel completes the experience.
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  • Former Infantryman
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good read
    Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    This book really shows the physical and mental stresses of being an Infantryman in Iraq.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Justin Young
    5.0 out of 5 stars The Emotional Impact of Baghdad Blues: A Soldier's Tale of Courage and Sacrifice
    Reviewed in Mexico on February 23, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    "Baghdad Blues" is a book about the Iraq War and what it's like to be a soldier during that time. It's a really powerful story that will make you think about the war and the people who fought in it. The book is about bravery, friendship, and making sacrifices. You won't forget this story once you read it.
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