Valor: Unsung Heroes from Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Home Front

by Mark Lee Greenblatt

Valor( Unsung Heroes from Iraq Afghanistan and the Home Front) <> Hardcover <> MarkLeeGreenblatt <> TaylorTradePublishing

Genres: Military Fiction, Nonfiction, Biography, American History, Military History, History

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Mark Lee Greenblatt has conducted investigations for the federal government for more than a decade. Over the course of his career, Mark has led investigations into criminal and ethical misconduct by senior officials in the U.S. and foreign governments, homeland security vulnerabilities, Medicare abuses, and tax cheats. During his tenure with the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Mark led the Senate’s investigation into the United Nations’ Oil-for-Food Program. In that role, Mark testified twice before the Senate to present evidence of corrupt deals involving foreign politicians and U.N. officials.

Before his government service, Mark was a litigator at two large international law firms and a law clerk for a Federal District Judge. He received his undergraduate degree from Duke University and a J.D. from Columbia University School of Law. He was also a Senior Managers in Government Fellow at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Mark has appeared on NBC, CBS, MSNBC, Fox News Radio, Wall Street Journal.com, Bill Bennett’s Morning in America, and dozens of other media outlets. In addition to Valor, Mark has written two legal analyses related to criminal investigations and ghost-wrote more than a dozen op-eds published in newspapers around the country, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal. Mark is a frequent contributor to military.com and taskandpurpose.com.

Mark lives with his wife, the former Jana Packman, in Bethesda, Maryland. When he is not playing “Jump on Daddy” with their two sons Micah and Levi, Mark is involved in several community service activities, including serving as Vice President of the Marian Greenblatt Education Fund, a family-run charity created in honor of his mother that recognizes excellent teachers and students in Montgomery County, Maryland. Mark previously served as Vice Chairman of the Montgomery County (Maryland) Ethics Commission. Mark has earned a black belt in tae-kwon-do and was the drummer in The Fiasco, which is widely considered the greatest rock-n-roll band since The Beatles.

Reviews

[Tabby Shiflett · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars
A well-written collection of combat and rescue experiences of some pretty extraordinary Americans during the 21st century. Each section flows easily and the stories shared are moving, witty, scary, funny, respectful and paint a clear picture of each situation. Recommended for history and military fans.

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[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

In his work Valor: Unsung Heroes from Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Home Front, attorney Mark Lee Greenblatt has compiled a moving anthology of combat experiences from several veterans of our nation's most recent wars. Recognizing that the personal stories of our veterans should be preserved, and indeed shared, in order to help the public better realize the life and death struggles that our men and women in uniform face in their service to our country, Greenblatt devoted himself to reaching out to the veterans, their friends and families, and official military sources in order to relate as accurately as possible these occurrences of extreme selflessness. From the rescue of downed helicopter pilots in Iraq's infamous Triangle of Death to isolated Marines engaged in a desperate firefight with determined insurgents, the harrowing stories draw the reader deep into the heat of the action thanks to Greenblatt's easy prose and ability to relate the veterans' experiences in a way that those without military experience can still appreciate. It's quite clear that the author took the time to get to know the men that he writes about as he provides a glimpse into their pre- and post-military lives and presents much of the details of their experiences in their own words. Valor is recommended reading for military history enthusiasts and those who wish to gain a better understanding of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars than is presented on the nightly news. In all honesty, this book should be mandatory reading for those who make their career, or are considering a career, in national politics.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being a veteran myself, I truly appreciated this collection of first-hand accounts of their combat experiences in today’s wars. The author has definitely provided some great food for thought. As he said in the book, I am glad someone had the wherewithal to record these histories for these brave American heroes. Not one story is better than the one before or after. Some of the themes that crossed over into each story are the comradery and brotherhood (or sisterhood or even personhood, if such a term exists) among the soldiers, the usefulness of training so repetitive and quick-action actions/tasks become instinctive and the selflessness of each soldier in the face of deadly threats. There is a lot of information provided about soldiers today, but I have not read anything like this book—which contains first-hand accounts that thrust the reader right into the fray, regardless where he/she is or his/her level of experience. I think more people should read this book to more fully understand the realities of the military and especially of war. If you are looking to more fully understand and appreciate what our men and women encounter and feel in combat, this book will definitely provide that to you. I highly recommend it. I received this from Library Thing to read and review.

[Rhodes Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written to highlight some heroes of the modern American wars, the author spins detailed reporting and graphic descriptions to take the reader on a journey with our forces to understand their challenges and examples of heroism under fire. The humanity of these soldiers is on display beyond the acts of heroism. As war heroes of the past, who often were the first to hand off that title to other soldiers who did not get recognition, we see average people in trying circumstances rise to demonstrate bravery, sacrificial love for comrades, and the high price paid by the dead and the survivors, that characterizes our combat troops.

The book is well written but not consistently as engaging as other writers of the genre. That being said, it is a good read and contributes greatly to the history of modern warfare and is a fitting tribute to the subjects of this book.

[Iowa City Public Library]

From Beth F.: "Mark Lee Greenblatt interviewed Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine veterans of America’s most recent wars to gather their incredible stories in their own words. Many of these soldiers have risked their lives multiple times for their fellow solideris and their country. Until now, however their stories have largely gone unnoticed by the public."

[Tony Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very inspirational book about soldiers, sailors, and marines who have stood out as men of valor from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as service at home. Well worth a read both as a book of individual tales of heroism and for its insight into battle on an personal level.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice book on unknown heroes of war. Nice short writeups on each that I would love to see more of in the newspaper. I met the author and he couldnt be a nicer more sincere gentleman. Well worth the read to get an appreciation for real heroes.

[Nordo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stories are great but the book is nothing fantastic... Worth a read if you enjoy military history and/or personal accounts of war in the last decade.