The Few. The Proud.: Women Marines in Harm's Way.

Westport, CT Praeger Security International, 2007. Hardcover First Ed; First Printing indicated. First Ed; First Printing indicated. Fine in Fine DJ: Book shows binding square and secure; text clean. DJ unclipped; mylar-protected. As New. NOT a Remainder, Book-Club, or Ex-Library. 8vo. 155pp. Foreward by Tracy L. Garrett. Review Copy; Author's card laid in. Hardback with DJ. Sheldon's work is exemplary in many ways, most of all the crafting of these individual Marine's stories. These women Marines all have unique experiences and thoughts about their time in Iraq and the Corps in general. Sara's personal handling of the stories brings them to life and gives these women a voice to tell a story that most of us cannot fathom and many wish they could experience for themselves. "Would I be `good enough' in that kind of stress?" These stories bring to light the real life impact women have and the critical roles they play in today's military. Normal, yet exemplary individuals, these women are role models for many while maintaining the low profile as you would expect of good Marines. Sheldon's artful arrangement of their stories brings out a certain humility as well as an understanding that they play important roles while facing challenges that are similar, yet different than their male counterparts. To a woman, I bet they would all say; "I'm just doing my job." The point of the book (I believe) is to bring these personal stories to `the rest of us.' It's a quick and interesting read that will keep you motivated to turn the page if you are remotely interested in the topic. As a (male) former infantry Marine, I had little contact with women except in the armory and perhaps the infirmary, but the facts have changed in the past decade. Policy questions are not the topic of this work, but some of the women provide, in their own words, their thoughts on women in combat and the implications. Other books do a wonderful job of analyzing this policy across time and various conflicts, but often forget that the subjects are people with interesting and unique stories to tell.