"It is essential that this volume (or something like it) be widely read before the nation cavalierly commits its troops to battle. Thus, Minear has rendered a valuable service in publishing this book. His book is written and edited with admirable skill; it is organized into an orderly, sensible continuum. Recommended. All leadership levels."—Choice
“Larry Minear has given voice to an entire generation of combat veterans whose experience will shape our society for decades to come. The conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan will henceforth serve as the dominant reference points for the American debate on issues of war and peace, just as World War II, Korea, and Vietnam shaped our national attitudes for the past half century. If you want to know what our soldiers and Marines have taken away from their service in America’s latest wars, his balanced and insightful account is the perfect place to start.”—Amb. James F. Dobbins, former special envoy to Afghanistan and author of After the Taliban: Nation-Building in Afghanistan
“Minear’s lens is compassionate; it does not flinch from nor dwell on uncomfortable facts. His own narrative does not embellish the service and sacrifice of soldiers and their families; these are clear enough to the reader. This view of United States military engagements in the last decade, through the eyes of its veterans, will likely leave the reader transformed. Through Veterans’ Eyes weaves a tapestry of experience of U.S. military personnel in, and after they return from, recent warzones.”—Karen Guttieri, faculty, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California
“Larry Minear takes us on a wide-ranging tour of going to war and coming home. He sets the scene, then lets the people who've lived it speak for themselves in their own words, unvarnished, without spin. Outsiders will come away with new understanding. Insiders will nod and know they have been heard."—Kristin Henderson, military spouse and author of While They’re at War: The True Story of American Families on the Homefront
“To truly understand a combat veteran, you have to be one. Minear’s sterling collection of first-hand accounts and thoughtful analysis is as close as you can get to the complex experience of war without ever setting foot on a battlefield. It's an important contribution toward helping our military, and our society, better appreciate the extraordinary sacrifices of these men and women. Through Veterans’ Eyes is honest, gritty and sometimes unpleasant. Whether we have the stomach for it, is an entirely different matter."—Maj. Greg Heilshorn, state public affairs officer, New Hampshire National Guard
"Thorough and readable, and an impressive range of voices [are] heard.”"—Journal of Folklore Research
