The horrors of war are told in conversational, blunt fashion by neurosurgeon Warren, who relates memories of his year caring for patients in war-torn Iraq. Warren, who had mastered the art of hiding behind a surgical mask, decides to leave his medical practice, his ministry as a church worship leader, and his failing marriage and children to seek answers as a doctor in an Air Force hospital near the front. His troubles pale in comparison to the shattered lives, supply shortages, and suffering he encounters at war. In a well-written narrative, mixed with actual email reports he sent home, Warren transports the reader to the battle zone and shares his thoughts, raw emotions, opinions on America's involvement in Iraq, and lessons learned during his tour of duty. Most poignant are the heart-wrenching stories of injured children and the agonizing decisions he must make about which victims to save and which ones he can't. Warren's war experiences bring him closer to God, provide insight into his own character flaws, and don't leave him, even after he returns home to address the problems he left behind. Agent: Dan Raines, Creative Trust. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Neurosurgeon and air force major Warren recalls his four-month deployment to Balad Air Base during the Iraq War 125 long, dangerous, and ugly days. Balad, hospital and home to 36,000 personnel, was dubbed Mortaritaville because of the frequency of mortar attacks on the base. The medical staff there treated anyone and everyone: American soldiers, Iraqi civilians, children, even terrorists. Many of the injuries were the result of IEDs, truck bombs, land mines, and gunshots. The imagery is vividly horrific. Warren writes, I was no longer shocked to see someone's frontal lobe before I even picked up the scalpel, or to see empty eye sockets, missing limbs, burned-off scrotums. Exposure to such incomprehensible brutality and human carnage draws him into an emotional black hole. He struggles with loss of control and failing faith. Not surprisingly, on his return home, symptoms of PTSD (nightmares, irritability, reclusiveness) arise. Combat medicine and the role of doctors in wartime, dedication to duty and the sacrifice of servicemen are all examined in this emotional account.--Miksanek, Tony Copyright 2014 Booklist