From Baghdad, With Love: A Marine, The War, And A Dog Named Lava (2006) - Plot & Excerpts
Opening line:"I don't remember exactly when I got to the house that served as our command post in the northwest sector of Fallujah, and I don't remember exactly how I got there."This was a surprisingly great read that held me captivated from beginning to end and I've been recommending it like crazy to all my friends. FROM BAGHDAD WITH LOVE tells the heartwarming and somewhat heartbreaking story of a starving abandoned puppy named Lava and the hardened marine who along with wartime journalists, Iraqi citizens and many, many others that saved him from certain death on the bombed out streets of Iraq and eventually got him onto US soil.Well written and containing 8 pages of photographs there is no secret to Lava's outcome but this is still an utterly fascinating story. Lava is initially discovered by the Third Marines unit known as The Lava Dogs when they storm an abandoned house in Fallujah Iraq and almost shoot him. Then not knowing what to do with the 5 week old puppy and forbidden by military law to keep pets the marines begin feeding and caring for the dog as they set up a command center in the abandoned house. Lava's presence allows the soldiers a pass from reality, a small piece of sweetness and normalcy in their daily hell and something else to think about other than getting killed. Has anybody fed the dog today? There are some touching scenes as we witness these big tough military men falling apart, talking in baby talk and playing with the puppy as he pees on their boots and destroys their belongings and they think he's cute. Lieutenant Colonel Jay Kopelman is eventually adopted by Lava who chooses his boots to sleep in. Subsequently several scenes play out like a movie as Lava is hidden and moved between red and green military zones and finally crated as they attempt to drive him across the Jordanian border. The last few chapters are really exciting, and even though you know the outcome you will find yourself wondering, how exactly are they going to pull this off? I learned a surprising amount about the war in Iraq reading this book and really got a feel for what the soldiers go through on a daily basis living in a war zone. Just how hard it must be to maintain your sanity amidst all the chaos and death. The ending is WOW and had me close to tears, as it's Lava who ultimately saves one marine from the emotional ravages of war. This is a book that I can highly recommend, especially if you're a dog lover in addition you'll get to learn a little something about a war that most of us barely notice anymore when the images and numbers flash past on our TV screens.
This is a beautiful story about people in bleak and soul-poisoning situations trying to find something life-affirming that will help them hold up and keep going. People who are surrounded by war, grinding poverty, disasters, and personal tragedies all have these needs in common - like the rest of humanity, just more so.This is a memoir by a Marine, then-Major Jay Kopelman, of how his unit adopted an abandoned puppy they came across in the middle of the battle of Falujah, one of the worst in terms of brutal house-by-house and room-by-room fighting through a whole city since Hue during Tet 1968 and Stalingrad in World War II. They took the puppy in because having him around made them feel good, and named him Lava because their unit's nickname was 'Lava Dogs.' They knew they were violating a policy the military takes pretty seriously, banning units adopting animals other than military working dogs, and the author in particular, as the highest-ranking officer involved, knew he was risking his career for this dog. He did, though, up to and including coordinating a complex plan to smuggle Lava back the States and adopt him there when he came back himself.It's well written, often hilarious, but not eliding over the horror and brutality of the Iraq war. As a still-serving senior officer, now-Lieutenant Colonel Kopelman is surprisingly frank and cynical about the politics behind the war, the non-existent WMDs, and the corruption and incompetence of the Coalition Provisional Authority and often the Iraqi military his unit was trying to train. It also captures beautifully the subculture of the Marine Corps with all its irreverence, bluntness, gallows humor, and frequently surreal nature. When I finished reading it, I was crying. My wife asked why. I told her it was partly because I love animals and this one reminded me of a dog I loved and lost to cancer many years ago now, and partly because it brought home to me how much I still miss the Marine Corps (I retired 16 years ago and have had a full and rewarding life since, but it will always be where I grew up and a second family to me.)If you like animals, military people, moving memoirs, weird humor, or all of the above, read this book.
What do You think about From Baghdad, With Love: A Marine, The War, And A Dog Named Lava (2006)?
It's no small task to build suspense--and maintain it page after page--when the reviews and cutlines reveal then ending of the story before you even begin it. But that's exactly what Lieutenant Colonel Jay Kopelman does in his 2006 international bestseller From Baghdad with Love.Kopelman's story is set in Fallujah, Iraq, during the 2004 US-led invasion. Though the story advertises its happy ending before it begins, the setting along is enough to tell you getting there is going to be a bumpy, bum
—Sandy
Oh man. I should not have read this book right now! I am currently in delicate negotiations with my husband about getting a puppy. And this book only heightens my I-want-a-dog-now fervor. See, dear husband – dogs are great! Even in the middle of war-torn Iraq, a U.S. Marine grew attached to a rambunctious puppy named Lava and undertook the arduous process of getting Lava to the U.S. If Kopelman can fall in love with a dog in those dire circumstances, you too can fall in love with a new puppy in our peaceful townhouse!Anyways. The book is very touching and easy to read. I do have some critiques: The writing style is too colloquial and choppy for my taste. The changes in point-of-view away from Kopelman are ineffective. And I get the impression that Kopelman fits the military guy stereotype of being emotionally removed. I can just imagine his co-author sitting across the table from him, shaking her head at his practical step-by-step summary and pleading with him to talk about his feelings. He does expose himself. Bravo for that. But sometimes I still wanted more and/or got lost in his explanations of how he felt. Yet, overall, I am happy to have read this one. I really appreciate the no-frills insight he provided into the situation in Iraq, as well as the little tidbits about dogs’ historic and present role in warfare. Although, sometimes the book veers a tad too far from the focus on Lava with these detours. Then it operates more as journalistic overview of the conflict in Iraq than a tight memoir. But I am willing to forgive this, because I see the necessity of setting the backdrop of danger at every corner and serving as a good ambassador for the U.S. troops (and dogs) in Iraq.And as an avid listener of all things National Public Radio (NPR), I am pleased to read how helpful their staff was in securing Lava’s well-being. Maybe I will give more money next pledge drive - even forgo the complimentary coffee mug!
—Cassy
I just finished reading this book last night. I would recommend it to anyone who loves animals. The military jargon at times was confusing. At times it was also difficult to read about the atrocities to animals and humans. I appreciated his honesty in the book. I also found the use of animals in the military to be interesting but shocking. I was appalled at what the soldiers over there witness and know they will never be the same. Although I don't think the writing was that good, it was interesting perspective on a marine's time in Iraq.
—Heidi
