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The Ghosts of Babylon

Jonathan Baxter (Goodreads Author)

4.80 · Rating details · 5 ratings · 2 reviews

A former US Army Ranger and private security contractor reflects on multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan in this poetry anthology.

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Paperback, 142 pages

Published November 6th 2016 by Blackside Publishing

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Lists with This Book

Best Iraq and Afghanistan War Books

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· 5 ratings · 2 reviews

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May 26, 2017 Linda rated it it was amazing

Shelves: memoir, poetry, iraq-afghanistan-war

Raw, beautiful, and lyrical, Jonathan Baxter’s poems cut into the heart. I have read a lot of personal war narratives from different wars and helped a combat medic write some shocking stories, but the depth of emotional honesty here is incredible. Each poem made me stop and think. They show the effects of war on the soul, yet the bond among soldiers is strong and the adrenaline rush addictive. Titles like "The Jester Skull," "A Love Like a War Zone," and "Ambien" lure the reader on and don’t fai ...more

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Jul 14, 2020 Aramis rated it it was amazing

A wonderful collection of poems about war and what comes after.

Jonathan Baxter's words are both passionate and violent like his muse Ishtar, the goddess of sex and war. I enjoyed this collection and like all good poetry it makes a solid connection with the reader; or me at least.

I loved the imagery, the compassion, self loathing, and acceptance of the life chosen in a flawed world.

It captured the thrill of ops, the boredom that comes in between taskers, and the desire to have the answer to the ...more

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About Jonathan Baxter

Jonathan Baxter

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Jonathan Baxter spent six years in the US Army with the entirety of his service with the 75th Ranger Regiment. He continues to travel to the Middle East as a private security contractor. "The Ghosts of Babylon" is his first published work.