Collateral Damage

A harrowing record of the atrocities of the Iraq War, as told through the haunting testimonials of US soldiers who witnessed—and in some cases, were complicit in—the horrors of civilian life there

“The best account so far of what Hedges calls the ‘vast enterprise of industrial slaughter unleashed in Iraq.’” —HuffPost

In this devastating exposé of a military occupation gone awry, Pulitzer Prize–winner Chris Hedges and Emmy Award–winning journalist Laila Al-Arian reveal the terrifying reality of daily civilian life in Iraq at the hands of US troops. Based on hundreds of hours of interviews with combat veterans, Collateral Damage represents the largest number of named eyewitnesses to have testified on the record. These veterans, many of whom have come to oppose the war, describe a venal conflict fought largely out of view of journalists and television cameras. A stark and unflinching narrative, Collateral Damage exposes the true consequences of what the American government unleashed in Iraq.

• “The best account so far of what Hedges calls the ‘vast enterprise of industrial slaughter unleashed in Iraq,’ and its impact on the troops who are trained and ordered to administer it.” 
  HuffPost
• “A disturbing but well-written book about the damages of war that journalists don’t usually cover.” 
  Deseret News