We Were One: Shoulder to Shoulder with the Marines Who Took Fallujah - Softcover

O'Donnell, Patrick K. K.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0306815737 ISBN 13: 9780306815737

Publisher: Da Capo Press, 2007

Synopsis

Five months after being deployed to Iraq, Lima Company's 1st Platoon, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, found itself in Fallujah, embroiled in some of the most intense house-to-house, hand-to-hand urban combat since World War II. In the city's bloody streets, they came face-to-face with the enemy-radical insurgents high on adrenaline, fighting to a martyr's death, and suicide bombers approaching from every corner. Award-winning author and historian Patrick O'Donnell stood shoulder to shoulder with this modern band of brothers as they marched and fought through the streets of Fallujah, and he stayed with them as the casualties mounted.

About this title

Review:

"We Were One is feelingly narrated by an intrepid war historian who risked his own life to capture every raw minute of their story."--Hampton Sides, author of Blood and Thunder and Ghost Soldiers

"A magnificent tale of combat--mixing valor, grit, love, blood, and sacrifice. This book defines what it means to be a Marine grunt."--Bing West, author of The March Up and No True Glory

"We Were One is a dramatic tale of courage, hardship, and the extraordinarily difficult challenges faced by a gallant Marine unit in one of the world's deadliest places. Patrick O'Donnell brilliantly and compassionately recounts the story of our American sons called upon to fight, bleed, die, and survive in a hostile land."--Carlo D'Este, author of Patton: A Genius for War

"As an embedded journalist in an Infantry Platoon, O'Donnell paints an authentic picture of our Nation's most precious assets--the Marine Riflemen--engaged in one of their fiercest fights. We Were One is a gritty, boots-on-the-ground account that enables readers to witness the overwhelming will and courage of Marines as they move against the enemy."--J.N. Mattis, Lieutenant General, U.S. Marine Corps, Commanding General, I Marine Expeditionary Force

"Pat O'Donnell was with us on the ground in Fallujah--house to house. His story is historically accurate and describes the greatest personal and professional test of our lives. We Were One is destined to be a classic of urban close combat and honors the memory of all who made the ultimate sacrifice for their brother Marines. I am deeply thankful that Pat kept his oath to Lima Company."--Lt. Col. Willard A. Buhl, CO Task Force 3/1, Operation AL FAJR

"A detailed, blow-by-blow description of the brutal street fighting...These Marines fought with great courage and the details of their battle make gripping reading."--Publishers Weekly

"[We Were One] clearly reflects valor and courage."--Kirkus Reviews

"First-rate reading...Admirably depicts the brutal realities of street-to-street, house-to-house fighting...Captures the sensory details and emotional drama of good men killing and dying for one another and their country."--Marine Corps Times, Air Force Times, Navy Times, and Army Times

"One of the best books to come out of the recent conflict in the Middle East is this blistering account of fighting the toughest of Iraq's insurgents...Riveting and frightening...In many ways this has the same intensity of experience as Mark Bowden's classic Black Hawk Down. An exhilarating and instructive read."--Military Illustrated

"A blue-collar, in-your-face, real-life depiction of marines fighting an ingenious, determined, and radical mujahideen insurgency...This book's perspective makes it stand out among others that deal with such battles. The author's decision to write about Fallujah through the eyes and experiences of those who fought it-and to draw on his own observations-brings credibility and a real sense of truth to a compelling story of bravery, courage, and commitment to something greater than oneself."--Air & Space Power Journal

Synopsis:

This is a gripping first-hand account of the battle at Fallujah and the Marines who lived and died fighting for control. Patrick O'Donnell was the first "embedded" author to go into combat in Iraq with his unit, fighting side-by-side with the men of the 1st Platoon. They were the first unit into Fallujah - considered the most important battle in the war in Iraq - where civilians were used as human shields, suicide bombers approached from any street corner, and insurgents, high on injected adrenaline, fought to the death. The Marines of the 1st (and Patrick O'Donnell with them) saw the worst of it; by the end of the battle only 14 of the original 49 were left standing. In "We Were One", O'Donnell captures not only the sights, sounds and smells of the battles, but the human drama of the young men from a close-knit platoon fighting and dying side-by-side.

About this edition

• Publisher: Da Capo Press
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0306815737
• ISBN 13: 9780306815737
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 288