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2008-04-20 Iraq
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Greyhawk's (MudvilleGazette) Review of Yon's Book for NY Post
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Attaboy to Greyhawk
From Greyhawk, about writing this review:
For what it's worth, their original request was for 750 words, and that seems to be the approximate length of any and all book reviews there. My first draft was about 1200 words, I cut til it hurt to submit 750. (I also made arrangements with Mike to include three of his photos in the review - thanks again, Mike.) The Post editors then realized it was too short (in fairness, they wanted more direct quotes, not more "me"). I expanded it significantly and after the editors finished working their magic the published version is.... about 1200 words. All this had to be accomplished during a tdy, late at night after dinners following full day "conferencing".
Bottom line: Not sure how common this is, but as far as I can tell, Mike's book gets double the normal space at the NY Post.
Those already familiar with Michael Yon's work might have one question regarding his book: Is it simply a printed version of his dispatches from Iraq published on his popular Web site (michaelyon-online.com)?
The answer: No.
The best of those stories are in the book, but they've been expanded with the passage of time and military details too sensitive to use immediately, and told in the same gripping style that can now truly be called page turning.
Early on you'll find yourself charging down an alley in Mosul on the heels of Lieutenant Colonel Erik Kurilla, a leader in every sense of the word: "LTC Kurilla began running in the direction of the shooting. He passed by me, and I chased, Kurilla leading the way. There was a quick and heavy volume of fire. And then LTC Kurilla was shot. Kurilla was running when he was hit - in three places, including his femur, which was shattered.
"The commander didn't seem to miss a stride. He did a crazy judo roll and came up shooting from a sitting position," Yon reports.
In a war where the situation changes depending on what you read, Yon is a man with credibility - he has more time embedded with combat units than any other journalist. Early in 2005, when I'd completed my first tour of duty in Iraq, I was searching the Internet for news when I found Yon's page. I was hooked. Yon was simultaneously one of us - the guys in the war - and not one of us. While we knew of Iraq in our corner of the battlespace, he could move throughout the country - and did so. That freedom of movement afforded him opportunities that few would take, and that he initially took reluctantly.
There's more at the site 
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Posted by Sherry 2008-04-20 13:38||
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