Section 60: Arlington National Cemetery: Where War Comes Home - Hardcover

Poole, Robert M.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1620402939 ISBN 13: 9781620402931

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA, 2014

Synopsis

Gifted writer and reporter Robert Poole opens Section 60: Arlington National Cemetery with preparations for Memorial Day when thousands of families come to visit those buried in the 624-acre cemetery, legions of Rolling Thunder motorcyclists patrol the streets with fluttering POW flags, and service members place miniature flags before each of Arlington's graves. Section 60, where many of those killed in Iraq and Afghanistan have been laid to rest alongside service members from earlier wars, is a fourteen-acre plot that looms far larger in the minds and hearts of Americans. It represents a living, breathing community of fellow members of the military, family members, friends, and loved ones of those who have fallen to the new weapons of war: improvised explosive devices, suicide bombs, and enemies who blend in with local populations. Several of the newest recruits for Section 60 have been brought there by suicide or post-traumatic stress disorder, a war injury newly described but dating to ancient times.

Using this section as a window into the latest wars, Poole recounts stories of courage and sacrifice by fallen heroes, and explores the ways in which soldiers' comrades, friends, and families honor and remember those lost to war-carrying on with life in the aftermath of tragedy. Section 60 is a moving tribute to those who have fought and died for our country, and to those who love them.

About this title

About the Author:

Robert M. Poole is a writer and editor whose work for National Geographic, Smithsonian, and other magazines has taken him around the world. His last book, On Hallowed Ground, earned wide critical acclaim and was one of the Washington Post's Best Books of 2009. Poole, former executive editor of National Geographic, lives in Vermont.

Review:

“Gracefully written, often deeply affecting . . . Like the nation itself, Arlington bears the scars of its history, as Poole eloquently shows.” ―The Washington Post for On Hallowed Ground

“Perhaps more than any other secular site in America, Arlington casts a religious spell . . . There is ample evidence of sacramental need in the many Arlington rituals that Mr. Poole relates in such moving detail.” ―The Wall Street Journal for On Hallowed Ground

“A book of extraordinary depth . . . moving and eloquent. Free of bombast, political grandstanding, and jingoism, the book addresses seminal moments in Arlington's evolution.” ―The Journal of American History for On Hallowed Ground

“This engaging history . . . is also the story of America's maturation through death and war.” ―The Economist for On Hallowed Ground

About this edition

• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 1620402939
• ISBN 13: 9781620402931
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 256