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House to House: An Epic Memoir of War
One of the great heroes of the Iraq War, Staff Sergeant David Bellavia captures the brutal action and raw intensity of leading his Third Platoon, Alpha Company, into a lethally choreographed kill zone: the booby-trapped, explosive-laden houses of Fallujah's militant insurgents. Bringing to searing life the terrifying intimacy of hand-to-hand infantry combat, this stunning
...morePaperback, 336 pages
Published
September 4th 2007
by Free Press
(first published January 1st 2007)
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MG Munguia
rated it
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review of another edition
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review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Anyone who is interested in a ground-view account of the War in Iraq.
Recommended to MG by:
Amazon.com
Before picking up this book (on Kindle) some of the reviews I had read suggested that the language and demeanor of the Author were unrealistic (even "over-the-top"), meant to paint a "Rambo" portrait of him, in some self-glorifying way.
Honestly, that's one of the things that piqued my interest in the book. I downloaded a sample chapter from the Kindle store, and I was hooked after 10 pages. Bellavia writes a gritty, "through genuine eyes" portrait of com...more
Honestly, that's one of the things that piqued my interest in the book. I downloaded a sample chapter from the Kindle store, and I was hooked after 10 pages. Bellavia writes a gritty, "through genuine eyes" portrait of com...more
This book was a very dramatic and intense perspective on modern warfare. It described to me the complex struggle that American men take on to proove manhood, or maybe just to feel meaningful. David describes his and other soldiers courageous actions. He gives a good description of what America thinks men aught to be. This concerns me, I even teetered towards sensationalizing the sacrifice. I know there will always be soldiers, but to give killing a stage, seems to glorify it. I honor David...more
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It took me a bit to put the words together in my head what I wanted to say in my review of House to House. I absolutely loved it, that was never a question. My confusion was how to convey how much I loved it and what a book like this means to me. House to House is the memoir of David Bellavia's time as a soldier in Iraq and in particular his and his unit's experiences in the second Battle of Fallujah, which took place in November of 2004 and was arguably the bloodiest battle in the Iraq war.
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Amazing book. I've read other reviews that compare Bellavia's work to Tim O'Brien. It is a solid comparison, but Bellavia gives more of a vivid picture of not only combat but the suffering that each solider goes though on the battlefield.
The book contains one of the most violent description of two men fighting to the death. The terror/rage/pain described will haunt me.
Often times you hear people pay lip service to supporting to troops and thanks to all what veterans do...more
The book contains one of the most violent description of two men fighting to the death. The terror/rage/pain described will haunt me.
Often times you hear people pay lip service to supporting to troops and thanks to all what veterans do...more
Lisa Johnson
rated it
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review of another edition
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review of another edition
Recommends it for:
girls, women who want to understand about men's relationships, Americans, and humans.
I LOVE this book!!!!! I Really really really LOVE this book. This book may possibly be tied for my FAVORITE with War and Peace and just above Les Miserables. I'll have to wait awhile and see if the glow wears off.
Certain books make you feel like your world was turned upside down...War and Peace did this for me, and so has this book. Bellavia answered a million questions I always wondered about combat, many that couldn't even be intelligently expressed. I keep thinking of images from...more
Certain books make you feel like your world was turned upside down...War and Peace did this for me, and so has this book. Bellavia answered a million questions I always wondered about combat, many that couldn't even be intelligently expressed. I keep thinking of images from...more
Suzie Quint
rated it
Recommends it for:
those who want an understanding of what our troops really do in urban warfare
Recommended to Suzie by:
Katie
Shelves:
nonfiction
It takes a special kind of person to want to be an infantry soldier. David Bellavia is one of those people. If you really want to know what the battle of Fallujah was like, this is the book. He was there in the thick of it on his 29th birthday. To say I'm awed by the loyalty, courage, and tenacity of these men is an understatement, but I don't have the words to express my admiration and gratitude that these men exist in my world. These are the men who go out there and get the job done while the ...more
House To House: An Epic Memoir of War by David Bellavia injects you straight into a mechanized infantry platoon fighting insurgents in Iraq. Bellavia pulls no punches, providing a fascinating look into the mind of the modern soldier -- his fears, his triumphs, his heartfelt bonds with his fellow warriors -- all at a frenetic pace that keeps the pages turning one after another. His narrative is riddled with extreme violence and nonstop profanity, just like the daily lives of the soldiers whose ex...more
Wow. War is hell. Words escape me.
"America is not at war, The Army is at war; the Marine Corps is jammed up at the gates; and America is at the mall."
"America is not at war, The Army is at war; the Marine Corps is jammed up at the gates; and America is at the mall."
The language in this book took some time for me to get used to. There is a glossary and abbreviations are spelled out when introduced, but it's challenging to enjoy casual reading when you have to constantly look things up. The material itself was also difficult, but that's to be expected given the subject matter. The content is a play by play of events without much personal analysis offered. I would have been interested in hearing more about the emotional aspects, but that was not the motive of...more
My son-in-law wrote this book. It is a compelling read about a topic I usually shy away from.
The book is hard to put down. This book details the experiences of Sgt. Bellavia. He is a team leader in the early years of the war in Iraq, and the story builds to when his unit is sent into Fallujah. Beware, because this book contains graphic war images and plenty of curse words (but I suppose that is what you experience being in the military :-) Bellavia and his company fight house to house, and the story climaxes when his team enters a house to clear it and encounter a number of Terrorists w...more
Erikhart Hart
rated it
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review of another edition
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review of another edition
Recommends it for:
persons interested in military history.
This book was a phenomenal depiction of the brutal, hand to hand combat in the Second Battle of Fallujah. Told from the perspective of an infantry Squad Leader, I think this book complements some of the more familiar, and broader perspectives by providing a direct insight into the daily routines of the small unit leader. The camaraderie, black humor, and tense, intimate relationships between brothers in arms will be instantly familiar to anyone who has spent time in a line unit. Not for tho...more
This was a great book. Bellavia does a great job of describing the battle of Fallujah from a soldier's standpoint. He doesn't just dwell on the physical descriptions of what's happening, but also brings up the mental stress, the questions that come to mind and the strategic decisions, with unknown and possibly horrific consequences, that he has to make for himself and the men he genuinely cares about. His descriptions of his fellow soldiers make it really easy for the reader to care about them. ...more
Intense, proper look into the early years of American infantry in Iraq sweeping house to house in an epic testiment from this Staff Sergeant. The whole book covers 3 days as far as his missions, but encompasses the neverending American spirit & the lifelong honor of heroes that serve our country each & everyday. I couldnt put this down & highly recommend this book if you enjoy reading about military/conflict or american history, except if you have loved ones currently abroad serving in the line ...more
FicusFan
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This is a pretty engaging story of one sergeant's experience in Iraq. He tells it in a very melodramatic, epic style, which is somewhat amusing, but the information is all there. Unlike most military memoirs, which are careful to say only good things about others, Bellavia is fairly blunt in his opinions, reserving his compliments for people he honestly admired and those who fell in the line of duty. It offers a lot of insight into life on the ground during the battle of Fallujah, and details...more
This is one amazing story. On the down side it sets a new standard in bad language. You know how some movies are either so clean or so filthy they don't even bother with a rating? Well the combat language in this book takes it beyond a rating. I don't think I came across this much potty-mouth the entire time I was in high school. That said, this story is unbelievable. I'm so grateful to those who more than self, their country love. I can't even put into words how amazing this is.
Mark
rated it
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review of another edition
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review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Military and anyone trying to understand the war/soldiers who fight it
A stunning book and I can say, being in the Army myself, it is a great insight into the mind of a modern combat leader and demonstrates in no BS language what the war in Iraq was REALLY like, not the watered down bull one hears in the news. Bellavia does a great job revealing many of the thought processes and emotions that go through the head of a combat soldier during some of the toughest moments they face. I strongly recommend this book not only for the average person but for the soldier and...more
Justin
rated it
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review of another edition
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review of another edition
Recommends it for:
everyone
Recommended to Justin by:
housing works
I know I vacillate back and forth between flaming liberal hippy and little boy who thinks war is video games, and neither perspective is all that appropriate for this book...that said, it's completely terrifying and kickass and easily the biggest adrenaline-rush I've ever gotten out of reading a book. I don't know what to make of soldiers like Bellava. I have friends in the service who were in Iraq and I can feel the pride in their expertise and ability and loyalty to their friends and unit, b...more
David Bellavia takes the reader along with his platoon as they attempt to recapture the city of Fallujah from insurgents in 2004 in Iraq. The urban warfare was brutal, and the reader is given a front row experience as the troops encounter the horror and vicious hand to hand combat that was part of this battle. At times the language is very rough, but it's a very realistic portrayal of what our troops experienced. It's a gritty story that is hard to put down and hard to forget.
A very real and sobering book. I would not recommend it to most people. It is gory and the language is foul. Beyond the insubordinate language you see the soldiers in a new light. Your respect will increase and you will be ever grateful these are the type of people on the front lines! I have been so pensive and kept thinking I can't believe it as i read it! I for one say shame on those who ever criticized the battle in Falluja Iraq. I love our soldiers!
Okay, do not read this. Anyone who is sensitive to language or violence do not even think about picking up this book. That being said, this book was a fascinating/horrifying view of war. A world I know NOTHING about! A world I can't even imagine. Yet we have men (and I'm sure women though this book was all about men) living this life every day fighting for the freedom of our country! Totally devoted and amazingly selfless! A world the politicians who profess to be devoted to our country w...more
On the street, first person look at combat from the squad. Some tactics are discussed but overall it is the heart racing, adrenaline pumping action during the first days entering Fallujah. The combat and dialogue are gritty and the story is told with little or no rest. It doesn't let up until the final pages. If you want a first hand account of what urban warfare is like in Iraq, look no further.
The author, an Army Staff Sergeant, wrote a very profane and honest account of his experience in Fallujah, Iraq, in 2006. It is not for the faint at heart. I found the final chapter, where he explains his reasons for ultimately leaving the Army, the best. Anyone who had a dad to to war as I did or has has to leave for war as many service dads and moms have, will appreciate his angst and honesty.
This was a really difficult book to get through - first because I am not a military person, so struggling to understand the acronyms, the jargon and the general military mindset was such a foreign experience. Secondly, this was a graphic book, and the content itself was difficult to wade through. But it was worth it. There is so much out now about the Iraq war and the soldiers, and the politics, and the foreign policy matters....that it's certainly easy to tune out. But this book is so gritty an...more
The author did a stint as a reporter after his tour of duty, and this training led to a very personal, vivid, and intense account of the urban firefight in Fallujah in 2004. Descriptions of house bombs and ambush zones as the squad encounters them leave one reeling in awe at the soldiers that survive them. The highlight is a harrowing account of the writer clearing a house using every single weapon, plus those he improvises, at his disposal.
Eh. It was okay, but at a certain point, I finished it because I felt like I had to, since I had spent so much time reading a chapter here or there, not because I particularly wanted to. I've read a decent number of books like this, so after I got a few chapters into it, I realized that it was pretty much more of the same.
Not that great, but still a vivid account of modern war. I kind of didn't understand part of it, when he was fighting this other guy in a house or something. I believe this was the first book I read about the war in Iraq, and I was kind of taken by surprise by the language and graphic imagery.
I'm not too sure what to think of the book. I felt like I was just reading another Soldier's story which is exactly what it is, a Soldier's memoir. FYI - this is the story of one infantry Soldier's experience in Fallujah. If you don't want to know gory details, this is not for you. There were times I squirmed and gaped. I do know that I could not have done what he did in Fallujah. It was a quick read and detailed read.
A book with no politics but a tale "as it is" of what our guys have endured in Iraq. They do sacrifice, they do struggle and American soldiers are true heroes although not perfect beings, they have a perfect sense of duty and honor to their country, their families and to each other.
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Staff Sergeant David Bellavia spent six years in the U.S. Army, including some of the most intense fighting of the Iraq War. He has been awarded the Silver Star and Bronze Star for his actions in Iraq, and recommended for the Distinguished Service Cross and Medal of Honor for his actions in Fallujah. In 2005, he received the Conspicuous Service Cross (New York State's highest award for military va...more
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“All the sins I've committed, I've done them with one objective: to keep my men alive. Those kids in my squad, those kids of mine, they are everything. My wife doesn't understand this job or why I do it. My son is too young. My dad wouldn't get it if I tried to explain. My mom would have a heart attack. The need to keep my men alive makes everything else negotiable, and everyone and everything a potential threat.”
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