Returning Iraq war veteran Ray McKenna struggles with battle scars that can only be healed by love. Ray McKenna returns from the war in Iraq to find that she had attained unwanted celebrity status back home. As the only surviving American soldier of a well-publicized hostage crisis, she is the center of attention at a time when all she wants is solitude. Struggling to overcome the fear and anxiety that plague her, she relies on her psychiatric therapy dog Jagger to help her through the vicious symptoms of PTSD. Veterinarian Dr. Carly Warner hasn't yet figured out how to open her heart to the possibility of falling in love again after the death of her longtime partner. When Ray McKenna walks into the North Coast Veterinary Clinic with Jagger, she and Carly begin a friendship that takes them both by surprise. Brought together by their shared love of dogs, Ray and Carly discover that they are both capable of moving forward, if only they are brave enough to try.

The post-Fear Itself Marvel Universe begins here! Who is Army Ranger Marcus Jones? How could he tear the Marvel Universe apart, and why is he the most wanted man in the world? S.H.I.E.L.D., Taskmaster, Captain America and more want him - dead or alive. But when Deadpool joins the hunt, the greatest secret in the Marvel Universe begins to unravel. Taskmaster knows more than he's saying ... and Marcus Johnson wants answers! The mystery deepens as the hunted becomes the hunter! COLLECTING: BATTLE SCARS 1-6

Over a decade ago, the publication of Divided Houses ushered in a new field of scholarship on gender and the Civil War. Following in its wake, Battle Scars showcases insights from award-winning historians as well as emerging scholars. This volume depicts the ways in which gender, race, nationalism, religion, literary culture, sexual mores, and even epidemiology underwent radical transformations from when Americans went to war in 1861 through Reconstruction. Examining the interplay among such phenomena as racial stereotypes, sexual violence, trauma, and notions of masculinity, Battle Scars represents the best new scholarship on men and women in the North and South and highlights how lives were transformed by this era of tumultuous change.

In this collection of poetry, the reader explores the true meaning of love, inescapable vulnerability, and the agony of managing a painful chronic illness punctuated by hospitalizations and frequent bouts of pain. The words are pure and illuminating; the vivid imagery is powerful, resulting in ones thought process being challenged to discover new ways of understanding love and despair and how to emerge from darkness to light. The poet challenges the reader to view the possible cracks dwelling inside their heart, mind, and body as windows allowing in the light, as opposed to unwanted defects. A reliance on God, represented as ones ultimate spiritual and secure base, provides the hope to persevere and nourish the indomitable will. Glimpses of Gods concern for us is revealed when one sees the small, innocent, and beautiful rose growing between the cracks in the sidewalk. The images, purity of complex emotions, and irony in the poetry illuminates how one comes to see how their life transforms. The reader experiences shifting emotions evoked by the penetrating, powerful words that resonate within and which separates the reader from the ordinary, current reality. In the end, the poets weaving of words, imagery, and aesthetic qualities, revealing the truth, will compel the reader to harness the strength and optimism to emerge with renewed confidence to pursue meaningful living.

A unique insight into how combat in Iraq has shaped the lives of a battalion of young Marines. The most eye-opening, and terrifying, story in Chip Reid's career as a journalist was the six weeks he spent with 3d Battalion, 5th Marines, during the invasion of Iraq in 2003, as a correspondent for NBC News. Traveling shoulder-to-shoulder with the young Marines, he had unparalleled access, witnessing them in combat, and interviewing as many as he could persuade his bosses to put on air, allowing them to tell their war stories in their own words. It took only 22 days for the Marines of 3/5 to fight their way to Baghdad, but the effects on those who fought have lasted a lifetime. They lost a number of their own in battle, and others suffered life-threatening injuries. Of those who returned - even if they avoided physical scars - many have had to find their own way through survivor's guilt and the nightmare of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, with all its attendant miseries. Twenty years on, Chip sat down with the Marines of 3/5 once more. They told Chip inspiring stories of heroism in battle, of camaraderie and comrades lost, of patriotism and belief in mission, of recovery and success in both military and civilian life, and of the new appreciation for life that results from Post-Traumatic Growth. Visceral and searingly honest, this book is a tribute to the Marines for their service, and for the many sacrifices they made then, and that many still make today.

Cousins Walt and Nate McGregor, reeling from the carnage on the frontlines of the American Civil War, reunite in a notorious wartime prison.

THE EXTRAORDINARY NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER. 'The most important book you'll ever read... Battle Scars will save lives.' TOM MARCUS, author of SOLDIER SPY Battle Scars tells the story of Jason Fox's career as an elite operator, from the gunfights, hostage rescues, daring escapes and heroic endeavours that defined his service, to a very different kind of battle that awaited him at home. After more than two decades of active duty, Foxy was diagnosed with complex PTSD, forcing him to leave the military brotherhood and confront the hard reality of what follows. What happens when you become your own enemy? How do you keep on fighting when life itself no longer feels worth fighting for? Unflinchingly honest, Battle Scars is a breathtaking account of Special Forces soldiering: a chronicle of operational bravery, and of superhuman courage on and off the battlefield. --- 'A vivid, searing account of a life at war.' BEAR GRYLLS 'A must read.' ANT MIDDLETON, bestselling author of FIRST MAN IN. --- What readers are saying: 'Outstanding' ***** 'Inspiring' ***** 'Courageous' ***** 'Remarkable' ***** 'An absolute must-read' ***** --- Life Under Fire, Jason Fox's powerful and inspiring new book is OUT NOW

Major Matthew Carr is a professional soldier who has served in Iraq and Afghanistan. When faced with a cancerous invasion of his body, Matthew used the expert training he learnt in the Australian Army as a strategy to wage his own fierce and relentless battle with an enemy force. In January 2002, Matthew Carr was 25, ten foot tall and bullet proof. Not only was he trained and well prepared for war, he was looking for a fight. That same month, Matthew was diagnosed with testicular cancer. He suddenly found himself in a battle that he had not been expecting, and it certainly wasn't the type of fight he had been hoping for. In Battle Scars we learn that the main principles employed by militaries in the conduct of Counter Insurgency Operations can be applied to modern life as much as fighting cancer.

Scars don't always heal... Jesse Mason chose duty over love and endured the hell of captivity comforted only with thoughts of the woman he left behind. Though the physical damage has healed, the emotional battle continues now that he's home. He fakes happy and whole until Ellie is thrust back into his life. She's everything he ever wanted but can never have. Getting wrapped up in her problems is not an option, but neither is leaving her in danger. Without her he'd be nothing. Scars aren't always visible... Ellie Travers salvaged her scarred heart and landed headfirst in a horrible marriage. Now divorced, broke, and desperate to care for her ailing mother, she accepts the only job offered-Office Manager at The Arsenal. Working for the man who broke her heart should be simple compared to escaping a hellacious marriage. But only she can help Jesse win the final war for his soul, and she'll do anything to save him-even at the risk of losing herself. The battle lines have been drawn. Together they must navigate the minefields of love and sacrifice because failure is not an option.

This novel by John Wilson is the sequel to The Flags of War and highlights the complexity of relationships during wartime.