Joker One

Donovan Campbell; Joker One: A Marine Platoon's Story of Courage, Leadership, and Brotherhood (Random House; 2009; ISBN 978-1-4000-6773-2; cover photograph by Nicolas Asfouri, AFP/Getty Images).

I picked this volume up last night at the local Big Box as I had spotted a sign that the author was going to be there for a signing and reading/discussion. Nestled as we are between Princeton Univeristy and Rutgers University, I was kind of puzzled as to what the book would be like or how the reception of the crowd would be like.

I'm only a few chapters into the book, but so far, an excellent work. Whereas most military histories on this level (company or below) concentrate on the author, Campbell concentrates on the members of the platoon. The autobiographical details are sketchy (at best) on his background. Campbell also seems to be a rarity (at least, in my experience—direct or in reading) among young officers in that he joined his platoon and did not immediately make significant changes. He also actually sought out and listened to the counseling of his non-commissioned officers.

The talk, last night, was brief but also of a similar level of quality. During his introduction, he mentioned that he was going to make a special plea to any university students in the audience. My thought, knowing nothing of the author of the book, was that he was going to make some John Kerry-like remark about staying in school to avoid going to Irak (yes, that is an intentional mispelling). But no, the plea was much better. Look for a job that gives back, instead of just giving you a fat paycheck. Look for contributing to society. Look for helping. Amen, I say, amen. More folks ought to be doing that.

More on the book later.

Addendum: Will this book make it to this list?