Only Cry For The Living: Memos From Inside The ISIS Battlefield

by Hollie McKay

Only once in a lifetime does a war so brutal erupt. A war that becomes an official genocide, causes millions to run from their homes, compels the slaughtering of thousands in the most horrific of ways, and inspires terrorist attacks to transpire across the world. That is the chilling legacy of the ISIS onslaught, and Only Cry for the Living takes a profoundly personal, unprecedented dive into one of the most brutal terrorist organizations in the world. Journalist Hollie S. McKay offers a raw, on-the-ground journey chronicling the rise of ISIS in Iraq—exposing the group’s vast impact and how and why it sought to wage terror on civilians in a desperate attempt to create an antiquated “caliphate.”

Genres: War, History, Memoir, Biography

491 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 8, 2021

Reviews

[Zen Ventzi Marinov]

Jocko Willink brought me here

[Shane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not an easy topic, but the book is very well written and really just tried to tell the human side of the story without political bias. Well recommended.

[Matt B · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a terribly sad story. It’s amazing how evil people can be, but this book also shows how resilient
People can be. I can’t imagine going through the terrors that the victims of isis went through. I hope that someday they can all find peace and comfort. Great read but a hard one.

[Dustin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was one of the hardest, and yet most eye opening reads I have ever come across. The book is as good as it is tragic. It was one that I initially had to take a break from. It definitely was not a book that I could sit and read nonstop from cover to cover in a few sittings. At times I would read a short entry, close the book, and just feel a sense of shock. Some of the atrocities within LITERALLY kept me from sleeping as easily as I possibly could have had I not read them, and fortunately, they were not even atrocities I lived and experienced first hand - yet many, many, people did. The world needs to open its eyes. Things like this need to be at the front and center of our minds, because there are living, breathing, souls who have to face man’s (often unimaginable) inhumanity to man, and those capable of doing so need to - at the very least - speak out against what is nothing short of pure evil, and when capable of doing so be a part of rising against it. The world is not that large, and when thinking of my own country, the saddest part in reading these stories is reminiscing upon the petty BS we tend to whine about and let consume us here; perhaps more exposure with an open heart and mind is what we need.

[Justinas Rastenis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The most depressing book I have ever read in my life. There were multiple places that tempted me to cry and I found myself mentally blocking the content after ~30 minutes of immersing into it. However, it tells important story and at the end of it I tend to agree with the thought mentioned in this book and infered in the title of this book that it is much more difficult to deal with the realities of the living after this nightmare.

[Neliann · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.8 - it was an eye-opening, haunting, and heartbreaking memoir of the brutal reign of ISIS! Prior to reading this book I had little to no knowledge of the genocide, brutal slaughtering, and happenings under ISIS in Iraq. It is quite a long book but it gives you a very colorful look of what is war !

[Abdalla Nasef · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and humane.

Podcast episode with author: https://youtu.be/6WyXqZnK8Mg

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly powerful

[Eric Schudy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read

The true horrors of war. A difficult but compelling read, and a must read for those interested in military and foreign affairs.

[Eugenia Montiel Aceti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent writer, with a beautiful story-telling capacity. Robust analysis, and insightful experiences; an independent journalist that delves into the human experience of war.