Rating: 
Summary: Mom of a Marine who was there..
Review: As a mom of a Marine who was there on the bridges and is currently serving in the Middle East. I disagree that the author did not actually interview Marines. I have read my sons journal, which he kept while in Iraq, this information is accurately accounted for in this book! I kind of resent a readers opinion that states otherwise. I was very skeptical of a book to be written based on the Marines actual interviews and journals. After reading it I was extremely pleased with its contents. Yes, some of the details were very hard to read, because I never would have wanted my son to go through such horror. But the fact remains that he did and I will continue to beam with pride when I think of my son and all of the other Marines who fought and are still fighting for FREEDOM.
Rating:
Summary: Mom of a Marine who was there..
Review: As a mom of a Marine who was there on the bridges and is currently serving in the Middle East. I disagree that the author did not actually interview Marines. I have read my sons journal, which he kept while in Iraq, this information is accurately accounted for in this book! I kind of resent a readers opinion that states otherwise. I was very skeptical of a book to be written based on the Marines actual interviews and journals. After reading it I was extremely pleased with its contents. Yes, some of the details were very hard to read, because I never would have wanted my son to go through such horror. But the fact remains that he did and I will continue to beam with pride when I think of my son and all of the other Marines who fought and are still fighting for FREEDOM.
Rating:
Summary: honoring our living and our lost
Review: First of all let me tell you that I lost my baby brother, my best friend in the battle on the 23rd of March. I was told about this book through others that bragged on its contents. Reading this book has meant alot to me. I cried while reading it and also finding myself smiling. This book is not just about the battle,the war,or whose right or wrong-it is about the people we love. What we all lost that day is not just Marines-they are Uncles,brothes,sons,fathers,etc. and this books is a wonderful view into what their lives meant to our country because their country clearly meant alot to their lives. The author wrote this book with respect and compassion for everyone involved but most of all for our soldiers that have now traded their boots for wings. Mr Livingston not only talks about their deaths he also talks about their lives and that means alot to me and my family. As for the interviews in the book, it is a way for us to hear what happened through all different perspectives but not different stories, those men and women went through hell and this is a TRUE STORY of what they all have done for us including the right to critisize a book that honors them all. Thank You
Rating: 
Summary: Good and Bad.
Review: First, let me say that I was very eager to read this book having a good friend who fought in some of these battles and participated in the Jessica Lynch rescue mission. Second, I'm trying to be as objectionable as possible, so here are my "opinions" and I'm sure others will differ:
The good - very well researched, good interviews with veterans of the battles, and certainly the most definitive account of the battles around An Nasiriyah to date.
The bad - the writing style of the author needs serious editing. The author tends to use too many adjectives and wanders in his sentencing. Paragraphs seem to be a bit disorganized in the topic that they are referring too. All minor points to the theme and content, but I found them to be very distracting to the feel and flow and of the book. I never found this book to be a "page turner".
If a mainstream publisher and editor could touch up his work and polish some rough edges, it would probably be a national best seller.
I highly recommend:
"The March Up: Taking Baghdad with the 1st Marine Division"
"Thunder Run: The Armored Strike to Capture Baghdad"
Rating: 
Summary: Poorly written account
Review: Gary Livingston has joined the ranks of many authors who attempt to deliver military accounts of contemporary military events. In his rush to press he sacrificed accuracy, detail, and grammar.I would venture to say that he has achieved about 75% accuracy in his own account of the battle. Additionally, he has omitted 75% of the story.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointed
Review: I think Amazon has an obligation to let buyers know this book is self-published. It's a reader-beware kind of thing. I was disappointed after spending nearly $30 to find something with so much clumsy writing, grammatical and punctuational errors, misspelled words, blurry photos with misplaced captions, and just plain poor editorial quality. This does not take away from what the Marines did. I was a grunt myself (0331, M-60 machine-gunner) for 7 years at the end of Vietnam. I have also been in the publishing business for 20 years, so I know what I'm talking about. I always become uneasy about the facts presented in a book when so little care has been spent on the little things. Faithful in the little things, faithful in the big things--and vice versa.
Rating:
Summary: father of a fallen Marine of Nasiriyah
Review: Mr Livingston, thank you for writing this book. As hard as it was to read, it gives great insight as to what my son and others had to go through that day. As much as I wish my son could be here with his family now, I am so very proud of what he did that day with and for his Marines. In talking with his friends who thanklfully did return, this is a very accurate account of the battle and the time afterward. I was frankly shocked at the quote of my son, because it was exactly what I told him, " don't be a Hero ". They were all heros that day.
Rating:
Summary: Very moving for me.....
Review: My son is a Marine who will be leaving soon for Iraq. I read this book in order to get a better idea of some of the things that he might face while there. It definitely is a MUST READ. I liked the personal interviews and comments written. It gave a more personal perspective to what was going on.
The difficult part of reading this book was recognizing familiar names of our Fallen (Gold Star Marines). Lcpl Patrick Nixon was one. It was very emotional to read of his experience, some of his comments, and then know the eventual outcome (Guarding the Gates of Heaven).
I would like to thank this author for writing this book, and I give thanks to all of our Marines (stateside and overseas) for their courage and dedication to our country and our freedom.
Denise
Proud Marine Mom of Lcpl Jeff
Rating:
Summary: Very moving for me.....
Review: My son is a Marine who will be leaving soon for Iraq. I read this book in order to get a better idea of some of the things that he might face while there. It definitely is a MUST READ. I liked the personal interviews and comments written. It gave a more personal perspective to what was going on.
The difficult part of reading this book was recognizing familiar names of our Fallen (Gold Star Marines). Lcpl Patrick Nixon was one. It was very emotional to read of his experience, some of his comments, and then know the eventual outcome (Guarding the Gates of Heaven).
I would like to thank this author for writing this book, and I give thanks to all of our Marines (stateside and overseas) for their courage and dedication to our country and our freedom.
Denise
Proud Marine Mom of Lcpl Jeff
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointed
Review: This book was very disappointing to me. As a Marine who fought in the battle of Narsiryah I was anxious to have the story come out. Livingston, however, does a poor job of telling it. Thanks to his personal interviews he does a pretty good job with the facts. Unfortunatly his mechanics and style are atrocious. There is a mispelling on the jacket of my edition and countless other gramatical mistakes inside. The descriptions of the barve men and women that fought that day are lacking. The reader doesn't learn much about the Marines, other than where they went to High School and what they want to do when they get out. His credibility is challenged further by the use of military and Marine terminology that he obviously does not understand. The novel seems rushed and there are entirely to many mistakes. The Marines of Task Force Tarawa deserve better.
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