Two Wars by Nate Self
November 4th, 2008Title: Two Wars
Author: Nate Self
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers (2008)
When I read the summary of this book, I knew I had to read it. I am a big fan of war stories and this looked like a good one…plus, being from Afghanistan, it is recent. Two Wars: One Hero’s Fight on Two Fronts – Abroad and Within by Nate Self reads like a movie. Actually, I wouldn’t be surprised if this got made into a movie of some kind.
The story basically takes you through Self’s advancement through the military eventually reaching the pinnacle of the Army: the Rangers. Eventually they were sent off on a mission to rescue a Navy SEAL whose helicopter went down in Al-Qaeda territory. It was on this mission that Self, and his crew, found their first real action of the war. Unfortunately, things did not quite go to plan as their copter was shot down as well.
Self gives riveting descriptions of the action as it goes on. The battle scenes are pretty intense. I don’t think I can say that I know how they felt because I’ve not been in a situation like this. But still…Self really makes you feel involved. The first half of the book tells this story (which I don’t want to ruin by describing every thing that happens). After the long battle ended, and they were choppered away to safety the second half of the book begins. This half deals with the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder that can result from war.
Throughout the book Self comments on his faith and its importance in his life. But after he got back from Afghanistan he went into a deep depression which, like all depressions, vastly affected the people around him. He struggled with his post Army identity as he tried to figure out how to go on with his life. After seeing the things that he saw, it was hard to come back to “normal” life. As his depression got worse, his faith also fell off. While he didn’t exactly turn his back on God, he did abandon his faith for a while. It took hitting rock bottom to trust in God again to help guide his life back to normality.
This is a really good book, especially the battle scenes. I would recommend it for anyone who loves to read about war and for anyone who wants to read a story of faith reborn.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
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