She Went to War

Description

The Remarkable, inspiring memoir of combat, captivity and courage during Desert Storm - by an American G.I. hero This is the thrilling story of Army battalion surgeon and helicopter pilot Rhonda Cornum, captured when her helicopter was shot down deep in Iraqi territory during Desert Storm. Expertly written by Peter Copeland, Pentagon and Gulf War correspondent, it follows her painful, humiliating ordeal to Baghdad and repatriation via the International Red Cross. Cornum was held for 8 days as one of the Gulf War's 23 POWs. She broke both her arms, shattered her knee and took a bullet in her shoulder. An Iraqi guard sexually assaulted her. Repeatedly interrogated, she refused to reveal classified information. Her former supervisor Maj Gen John Ryneska said:"I felt sorry for the Iraqis who captured her". This book is more than a war story. It digs deep into the discrimination women still face in the military. What emerges is a heroic tale of one woman's irrepressible determination and vitality, and a revealing portrait of her comradeship with those who shared the months of waiting and dangers of combat and captivity. After she testified about her experience in 1992, many combat posts were opened to women. "A gem of a memoir. Cornum displays resourcefulness and courage that would do credit to any soldier. [Copeland has crafted] a taut and finely rendered narrative." - The Washington Post "As compelling as it is unsettling. A terrifically readable book, kick[ing] off a new and sobering genre of autobiography." - The New York Times Book Review "Riveting, enlightening...a wonderful tale, wonderfully told." - St. Louis Post-Dispatch "A fast-paced story as much about war and one remarkable women as about the tenacity of the human spirit." - Kirkus Reviews