Our country has been locked into a war in Iraq and Afghanistan for going almost thirteen years. During this time, on a regular basis, we have been exposed to the reality of extended troop deployments, suicide bombers, and unspeakable acts of violence against innocent civilians on behalf of our enemies. At the same time, we have also been introduced to incredible acts of heroism, sacrifice, and love for our fellow man, regardless of the uniform. There has been one area that has had little to no exposure: combat hospitals. In “No Place to Hide; A Brain Surgeon’s Long Journey Home From the Iraq War”, neurosurgeon and US Air Force Major Lee Warren shares the stories of his four month deployment to Iraq in 2004. Warren chronicles his time at the largest American hospital in the region in gripping fashion. His book brings to light the horror and tragedy of war, as well as the psychological, physical, and emotional toll that war can take on the human body and mind.

No Place to Hide is actually a story of two wars. On one hand, there is the Iraq War with all the tragedy and death that comes with war. The other war is a personal one, with ties to the home front. As Warren arrives in theater, his marriage is falling apart and his personal faith is unstable at best. Warren, in vivid detail, tells the personal and professional stories of his fellow doctors, nurses, American soldiers, Iraqi civilians, and the terrorists that he comes into contact with. Warren’s book is a beautiful juxtaposition. Good and evil, compassion and anger, joy and misery are smartly laid beside each other in order to tell an engrossing and addictive story. Be prepared for an in-your-face and brutally honest look at life in the midst of war.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”