“The Deserter’s Tale”

The audio clip presented above is an excerpt from an interview with JOSHUA KEY, an American Soldier who recently deserted – The Story of an Ordinary Soldier Who Walked Away from the War in Iraq.

“What’s most engaging about this book is its essential honesty. . . . stark and compelling . . . The Deserter’s Tale ought to be required reading for soldiers heading overseas, to prepare them for the stresses and dilemmas they are likely to face.”

“The writing is fluid, crisp and compelling. The story is shocking . . . Key provides an unvarnished and gut-wrenching account of his company’s ‘war on terrorism’ . . . With unflinching frankness, Key recounts a series of horrific events that cause him to question his mission and force him to do the unthinkable – betray his buddies and his country.”

“. . . a story worth telling: how a good man became lost in an immoral system, and in the process lost his livelihood, his nation, and part of himself.”

“. . . a fascinating saga, one in which the American armed forces are made up of poorly trained, out-of-control boobs with no restraint, moral, ethical or otherwise.”

“. . . destined to become part of the literature of the Iraq war. . . . from the book’s opening pages, Key’s clear voice rings out, explaining why he deserted the Army after seven months in Iraq, with anguish and frankness that invests the book with quiet elegance . . .”

“. . . an unvarnished and gut-wrenching account . . .”

“. . . Key’s narration is disarmingly flat and straightforward . . .”

“. . . Key presents an uncomplicated telling of his personal experience of the war — the details are raw and gut-wrenching.”