From Baghdad, with Love: A Marine, the War, and a Dog Named Lava

From Baghdad, with Love: A Marine, the War, and a Dog Named Lava

by Melinda Roth (Author), JayKopelman (Author)

Synopsis

When Marines enter an abandoned house in Fallujah, Iraq, and hear a suspicious noise, they clench their weapons, edge around the corner, and prepare to open fire. What they find during the U.S.-led attack on the most dangerous city on Earth in late 2004, however, is not an insurgent but a puppy left behind when most of the city's residents fled. Despite military law forbidding pets, the Marines de-flea the pup with kerosene, de-worm him with chewing tobacco, and fill him up on Meals Ready to Eat. Thus begins the dramatic rescue of a dog named Lava-and Lava's rescue of at least one Marine, Lieutenant Colonel Jay Kopelman, from the emotional ravages of war. From hardened soldiers to wartime journalists to endangered Iraqi citizens, From Baghdad, With Love tells the unforgettable true story of an unlikely band of heroes who learn unexpected lessons about life, death, and war from a mangy little flea-ridden refugee.

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More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 208
Publisher: Lyons Press
Published: 03 Jun 2008

ISBN 10: 1599211823
ISBN 13: 9781599211824

Media Reviews
Critical acclaim for From Baghdad with Love: A story that is both tender and thought-provoking-candidly portraying the ugly conditions in wartime Iraq, while also describing Kopelman's (and his fellow Marines') growing attachment to a scruffy stray puppy. -Amazon.com Review Heartwarming. -USA Today Not just a seasonal heart-warmer. It is a provocative examination of an issue that resonates deeply. in the wake of Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay: Do 'softer' values, such as mercy for the weak, sabotage military morale or strengthen it? -Washington Post A tale of radiant joy ... that eschews sentimentality. ... The story of Lava's journey out of Iraq is exciting, but it's to Kopelman and Roth's credit that it's not nearly as harrowing as the story of what the dog left behind. -Publishers Weekly
Author Bio
Jay Kopelman is a former lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps; he was last stationed at Camp Pendleton, California. A competitive bicyclist, Jay lives in La Jolla, California, with his wife, Pam Godde, stepson, their two dogs, Lava and Koda, and Cheddar the cat. Both Jay and his wife, an anthropologist, are avid surfers. They're expecting their second child in January 2007. Melinda Roth works for a political lobbyist in Chicago, where she lives with her family.