Ghosts of War, Ryan Smithson
Ghosts of War, Ryan Smithson
2 Rating(s)
List: $19.99 | Sale: $13.99
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Ghosts of War
The True Story of a 19-Year-Old GI

Author: Ryan Smithson

Narrator: Ryan Smithson

Unabridged: 5 hr 54 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: HarperCollins

Published: 04/21/2009

Synopsis

In this extraordinary and harrowing memoir, follow one GI’s tour of duty as Ryan Smithson brings readers inside a world that few understand. This is no ordinary teenager’s story. Instead of opting for college life, Ryan Smithson joined the Army Reserve when he was seventeen. Two years later, he was deployed to Iraq as an Army engineer.His story—and the stories of thousands of other soldiers—is nothing like what you see on CNN or read about in the New York Times. This unforgettable story about combat, friendship, fear, and a soldier’s commitment to his country peels back the curtain on the realities of war in a story all Americans should read.

About Ryan Smithson

Ryan Smithson joined the Army Reserve and was deployed to Iraq as an engineer at the age of nineteen. Upon returning, he earned an AAS degree in criminal justice. Specialist Smithson doesn't know if he'll be deployed again. He currently works for the American Red Cross as a mobile unit assistant and lives with his wife in upstate New York.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Halei

Wow... I just finished "Ghosts of War [My tour of duty:]" and am stunned at how it ambushed my emotions! I picked this up in the YA section of the library. My husband is a Army Infanty Vet with 2 Iraq tours under his belt, and he hardly ever speaks of his experiences, so I read anything I can get my......more

Goodreads review by Aaron

Using simple prose, Ryan Smithson shares with readers his experience of serving a one-year tour as an engineer in the Army in Iraq in 2005. He starts by recounting his experience of 9/11 as a 14-year-old in Albany New York, and how that persuaded him to join the army reserves years later upon finish......more

Goodreads review by Deanna

Realistic fiction, Iraq war. If I was a High school English or history teacher I definitely would have students read this memoir--of 19 year old Ryan Smithson, who shares his one year deployment in Iraq. Some of the chapters are short stories and could also be used/read alone. For example, A Town tha......more

Goodreads review by Alicia

A YA lit memoir of a 19 year old in Iraq... while most wouldn't stop to appreciate the emotion behind his adventure, it is an eye-opening story, made more fascinating because I've been corresponding with the author since he lives in my area. While Smithson tries hard to get you in the mindset with p......more

Goodreads review by Karen

I just finished Ghosts of War by Ryan Smithson. It is the most moving book I have read in a long time. He is a young man from Albany who has returned from Iraq in 2004 or 5. There are many references to camping in the ADKS, etcs). The book is being used as a textbook in some Albany area high schools......more

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