McCoy's Marines: Darkside To Baghdad - Hardcover

San Francisco Chronicle reporter and marine veteran Koopman was embedded in the Third Battalion, Fourth Marines, during the most recent war in Iraq. He enjoyed a close working relationship with the CO, the battalion sergeant major, and several other members of the battalion. This didn't destroy his ability to distance himself from aspects of the military that he never liked, or from political judgments on the war. The combination of embedding and prior service did give him a rare perspective on the gritty (literally, when a sandstorm blew up) details of ground combat in Iraq and how the modern American marine relates to his buddies, his enemies, and his family back home. The conclusion of the book offers equally rare material on the nation-building efforts that continue, with sympathy for both the U.S. military and most shades of Iraqi opinion.—ALA Booklist

Praise for McCoy’s Marines: Darkside to Baghdad:

War, death, pathos, personal sacrifice, courage, bravery, leadership, charisma, history . . . these are but a few of the issues Koopman addresses in his gripping true account of McCoy’s Marines in Iraq.—Follow Me (the newsletter of the 2nd Marine Division)

[Koopman] writes in a clipped, hard-boiled prose and stays away—in the manner of the soldiers with whom he travels—from politics. Instead, his book is a description of the day-to-day progress of the Three-Four on their way north to Baghdad, where they encountered some of the worst fighting of the early days of the war. Koopman’s story could have taken place anywhere—as far back as the Napoleonic wars. It’s an unpleasant tale most of the time. But again, that seems to be the point.—San Francisco Chronicle

Personal battle accounts, interviews and anecdotes—as well as a look at McCoy’s philosophy of “hands-on” motivational leadership—are at the core of this gripping 300-page front-line report detailing the vast campaign with the courage of ordinary Marines. This deeply human look into the spirits, hearts and minds of our men and women during life-or-death skirmishes deserves to be read by all Americans.—Army Times

McCoy’s Marines is a brilliant intersection of journalism and combat. In addition to detailing candid views of the war from the ground up, Koopman vividly portrays the brutal realities of killing without jingoism and cheerleading. This deeply human look into the spirits, hearts and minds of our men and women during life-or-death skirmishes deserves to be read by all Americans. More then 30 color photos, most taken by Koopman, add to the integrity of the text.—Air Force Times