Beyond Bullets

October 15, 2011
Author/photographer Gerszak first went to Afghanistan to spend a year embedded with an American military unit documenting house searches, disputes with village elders and the aftermath of battles. He returned as an unaffiliated photographer without a military escort, determined to document civilian life. This "photo journal" features images from both trips to Afghanistan, accompanied by diarylike accounts of his travels. Gerszak's frank and descriptive observations effectively convey the ugliness, monotony and tragedy of war. Most compelling are descriptions of civilians he meets, encounters that put a human face on the conflict Gerszak was unable to experience as an embedded journalist. His powerful images never romanticize or sensationalize the war. There are scenes of bloody battles, wounded people in hospitals and dazed refugees, but also remarkable images of busy marketplaces and vibrant street activity revealing that life goes on in the midst of death and destruction. The snippets of Gerszak's observations often lack cohesion and context. Though good background information is provided throughout in sidebars on such subjects as the Taliban, Muslim traditions and ethnic groups, this book alone will not give readers insight into the complexities of the Afghan conflict. As one journalist's perspective, this stands as an excellent supplement to a more comprehensive overview. (maps, photographs) (Nonfiction. 12 & up)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

December 1, 2011

Gr 8 Up-Gerszak spent more than a year embedded with troops on the front lines in Afghanistan, learning about and experiencing firsthand the war on terrorism. After this powerful experience, he then lived among Afghan civilians in order to explore the war from their perspective, learning to love and appreciate both the culture and the country that has been ravaged by multiple conflicts and invasions. Beautiful, provocative photographs are combined with explanations and journal entries to provide a complete portrait of his time in Afghanistan. The book does not shy away from sharing the darker side of war, with photos of injured soldiers, dogfights, and suffering civilians all included, and through detailed descriptions these potentially difficult images are given context and meaning. Having visited hospitals, individual homes, refugee camps, and much more, Gerszak enables readers to see a side of the war that is rarely shared in the media, and, even less frequently, in a book directed at young adults. The photos tell a story all on their own, but the added narrative draws readers in and gives them a front-row seat. Share or display this title with a variety of nonfiction and fiction titles about other American wars, such as Walter Dean Myers's Fallen Angels (Scholastic, 1988) or Philip Caputo's 10,000 Days of Thunder (S & S, 2005) as a means of humanizing war.-Jody Kopple, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA

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