A top-fiver from Wes in 2016: Red Platoon

We’re not so far into 2017 that we still can’t look back at the best books we read last year. We’ve been busy! As such, I invited avid reader and co-worker Wes Roth to submit his best-of list. As you can see, he’s heavy into non-fiction, historical and political, but don’t hold that against him.

He has his top five, which I’ll feature one a day here. The one that didn’t make the list at No. 6 was Hillbilly Elegy, which was another fave among the 29 books he read last year.

So, in no particular order here is one of his top-fivers:

Red Platoon: A True Story of American Valor

by Clint Romesha: 

"In war, you play for keeps -- and because of that, there are no second chances and no do-overs. The calculus of combat, at its most brutal essence, is binary: you either overcome the hurdles that are flung in front of you and you figure out a way to make things happen, or you don't. Its a zero-sum, win-or-lose game with no middle ground--and no points for trying hard" (P. 324). This statement sums up war from former Staff Sgt Clint Romesha, who has written a military biography for the ages and one that should be read by every American.

Romesha was awarded numerous awards and decorations, including the Medal of Honor, for his bravery in on 10/3/09 at COP Keating. Widely reported at the time, and later covered by CNN's Jake Tapper on his show and in his book, "The Outpost," Romesha's "Red Platoon" gives the reader a heart-pounding account of the battle to protect COP Keating against an onslaught by the Taliban on that FalL day. Jaw-dropping, uncertain, hopeful, sad, heartbreaking were some of the emotions I experienced while reading this book. Its a vital contribution to this history in the war in Afghanistan and will be referenced for many years to come. 

This was an excellent book and one of the best I've read recently. My heart breaks for the eight brave men that were lost and the families they left behind. We need to keep praying for them. A brief but important post written by veteran Ben Sledge should also be read after you read this book: "The Conversation About War and Our Veterans We Refuse to Have"