Empty Casing: A Soldier's Memoir of Sarajevo Under Siege

by Fred Doucette

When Canadian soldier Fred Doucette went to Bosnia-Herzegovina as a peacekeeper in 1995, he had a premonition that this tour of duty would be different from anything he had previously experienced. And it was. Doucette's tour quickly became an impossible task that took a huge toll on both the residents and his fellow peacekeepers. Trapped in thier beloved city, thousands of Sarajevans, perished, and yet, Doucette found a home in the midst of this hell. Billeted with a Bosnian family, he was offered a window into a Sarajevo that few outsiders saw. When the war ended, Doucette returned to Canada to face another battle, this one characterized by nightmares and brutal flashbacks. Traumatized, he had to face himself, his family, and his army once again, but now there was no turning away, no diversion in another foreign posting. Empty Casing is the riveting story of the making and unmaking of a soldier, and the growth of a man.

Genres: War, Nonfiction, Military Fiction, Memoir

256 pages, Hardcover

First published February 22, 2008

Reviews

[A.J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book took me by surprise. Having a long-standing interest in the subject, I picked it up in an airport bookstore with no particular expectations, but it turned out to be a well written, moving and honest account of the author's experience in Bosnia and his struggle with PTSD. I'd highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in the subject, or in UN peacekeeping efforts in the former Yugoslavia.

Fred Doucette makes no attempt to shock the reader, to surprise or disgust. There is no cheap sentimentality. He recounts his experiences frankly, expressing distaste for "war porn." Occasional interchapters under that heading -- war porn -- are included, describing such things as finding a severed finger lying in a Sarajevo street, or a body with a smashed skull, but these are set off from the rest of his story.

The great strength of this book is its honesty. Doucette makes no effort to conceal his bad decisions or his attempts to rationalize away his problems. He provides the full experience, including an excellent account of his first intrusive flashback.

Highly recommended.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book isn't a comprehensive look at the Yugoslavian War, nor does it try to be. Fred Doucette is very blunt about his point of view being informed by who he is and what lens he's viewing the war with. It's quite a good book when read with those things in mind.

[Milan Vrekic · Rating 2 out of 5]

Full of historical inaccuracies that would have been fixed with a simple Google search by author.

[Rebekkah Peters · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great books, it really gave me an understanding of what went on in Sarajevo and what the soldier's went through. Great read for anyone curious about life under seige!

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fred Doucette, who served as a Commander in the UN Peacekeeping forces in the 1992 Bosnian War, gives a moving and at times chilling account of his experiences on the war front as well as his struggle to integrate back into society at home. The prose is simple and to the point, and it is this quality above all else that lends Doucette's account the sincerity that characterizes it from beginning to end.

A great deal of perspective can be gleaned from these pages about the experiences of a soldier - especially with regards to post traumatic stress disorder. Doucette's narrative has an engrossing air of frankness to it that compels the reader to seek to learn more and better understand the serious issues at play in properly welcoming a soldier home. It is a rousing and serious read... a deeply human experience that will no doubt inspire.

[Tony · Rating 3 out of 5]

If the rating system had 10 stars I would give this book five. With misgivings. I had to wonder initially what the writer was doing in the army in the first place, given his surprise over and fear at conditions in Sarajevo. But much of the story is very interesting and sheds a lot of light on the war and the siege of Sarajevo. Unfortunately, I chose this book because I was very curious to read more of the war, and not the writer's issues with mental health, so I was left unsatisfied. I'm off to look for another!

[Heather Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely what some would consider 'war porn'. You can feel Doucette's anger seeping through every page. That being said, the subject matter is one that begs for that type of emotion. Writing about a largely overlooked conflict that occurred in our own lifetime, it is easy to understand Doucette's point of view. Read this book to learn a more truthful account of what happened in Bosnia than what the media presented. Read this book to evaluate the current state of the Canadian military, the United Nations, and our population of PTSD inflicted veterans.

[Aric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just read this for the second time. This is a terrific Canadian perspective about the siege of Sarajevo, the incompetence of the UN, and the after effects of OSIs/PTSD. I hope some day to contact or meet the author.

[April MacEachern · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a military spouse living with a husband with PTSD this book touched close to home. It was not only well written and engaging but eye opening as well!

[Rebekkah Peters · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing; An incredibly good look at the life and PTSD.