From Baghdad, With Love: A Marine, the War, and a Dog Named Lava Reviews

• An excellent combination of war memoir and dog story

  
  By A2CJ8EFFB2J10A on 2006-08-25
  I received an advance copy of From Baghdad, With Love for review at Bookslut.com. I expected it to be a very heartwarming story about a soldier trying to save a stray puppy from Iraq and it certainly is that kind of book but I was surprised to find also an excellent war memoir here - the sort of book about Iraq that I don't think we have seen nearly enough of. The author is an active duty marine but he manages not to overly politicize his story - amazingly this is the sort of book that will appeal to those who both support and oppose the war. More than anything though it is just about how it is over there - how utterly insane it is - for US troops and civilians. On top of all of that it is also about why saving an animal in Iraq could mean so much to a soldier, something that I imagine few Americans realize is even happening everyday.
  
  From Baghdad, With Love is a wonderful surprise and will equally appeal to both male and female readers. It is a sure bet for dog lovers but beyond that, for anyone trying to understand the impact the situation in Iraq is having on our soliders (and that means all of Americans), this should be viewed as critical reading.
  
  

• A wonderful book!

  
  By A3BAJH4QW7LDWV on 2006-11-28
  When Marine Jay Koppelman and his unit raid a house in Iraq,all they find in it is a lively,adorable puppy.Unsure of what to do with him,Jay takes
  him back to their headquarters.Although Marine rules forbid keeping pets,
  Jay promptly falls in love with the irresistible pup he names Lava,and is
  determined to get him to America.What follows is a riveting,suspenseful
  story of survival.Koppelman tells it brilliantly.Watching this big,strong,
  tough Marine melt over a little dog is wonderful.Their love and affection
  for each other is obvious right from the start,and it really comes across to the reader.Jay's langauge and prose are rough at times,but remember,he IS a Marine.Read this moving,powerful book.You'll be glad you did!
  
  

• A heartwarming story

  
  By A2CDA00O4MB1CK on 2007-02-26
  Jay Kopelman's "From Baghdad, With Love," focused on Jay's journey to bring a stray puppy from Baghdad to the United States. In 2005, Jay was a Lieutenant Colonel stationed in Iraq and he came across this mangy puppy who the Marines named "Lava." It was a clear violation of the rules as military personnel were not allowed to keep any pets as their main mission was to focus on the war. As Jay's love for Lava grew, he was determined to give a better life to this puppy. Eighty percent of the book focused on Jay's effort to seek help from various individuals and organizations to bring Lava over to the United States.
  
  This was a heartwarming story of the devoted love from a Marine, determined to rescue this dog, despite breaking the rules repeatedly. He may drew some criticisms from the military or the public, but it undeniable that he cared truly for Lava. The book was not exactly a very well-written book and I also wished that the author threw in some personal stories in there. But I guess his main purpose in this book was to talk about Lava's adventurous journey to the United States. Despite that, this was definitely worth reading and I also think that the author touched upon a difficult subject in terms of the living conditions of stray animals during the war as he mentioned how some dogs were eating dead bodies for sustenance.
  
  

• A remarkable story that is both heartwarming and heartbreaking

  
  By A2F6N60Z96CAJI on 2006-11-21
  When Lieutenant Colonel Jay Kopelman walks down the hallway of a compound housing U.S. Marines in Fallujah, Iraq, he's startled by a noise. He shouts and raises his gun, his nerves still on edge from having just patrolled the dangerous streets of a city in the grip of violence. His adversary? A five-week-old stray puppy. "There's fear in his eyes despite the bravado," writes Kopelman in FROM BAGHDAD, WITH LOVE. "He's only a puppy, too young to know how to mask it, so I can see how bravery and terror trap him on all sides while testosterone and adrenaline compete in the meantime for every ounce of his attention. Recognize it right away."
  
  The "little outlaw" has been named Lava in a nod to the nickname of his rescuers' regiment --- the 1st battalion, 3rd Marines, otherwise known as the Lava Dogs. In a breach of military policy, the Lava Dogs have been secretly caring for the tiny canine. "The newest grunt" has been "de-flead with kerosene, de-wormed with chewing tobacco, and pumped full of MREs [Meals Ready to Eat]."
  
  Although the soldiers enjoy Lava's energetic company and take comfort in the routine of caring for him, Kopelman included, they avoid talking about what will become of the puppy when they move on. And then something happens. Perhaps it's when Lava falls asleep head first in Kopelman's boots. Or maybe it's the morning he wakes up to find Lava curled in a ball at the bottom of his sleeping bag. "Once I decide to save Lava," Kopelman says, "it becomes an unprogrammable mission I don't have the smarts to reassign or the guts to walk away from."
  
  What begins is Kopelman's five-month effort to get Lava out of Iraq and into the United States, no small feat in a war-torn country where red tape runs deep and the well-being of one dog is of little consequence except to the few who have come to care for the "cute but fairly drastic breach of military law." What is truly remarkable is that even after Kopelman leaves Iraq, the wheels keep turning to get Lava out of the country, thanks to a group of people determined to complete the mission.
  
  Along with Kopelman's first-person account, in which he conveys the harsh realities of life in Iraq, are the stories of those who worked to help him bring Lava home. There is Sergeant Matt Hammond, a Marine recovering from life-threatening wounds who looked after Lava when Kopelman was transferred to another base, and who later arranged a special convoy to take the pup to Baghdad; Anne Garrels, an NPR journalist who sheltered Lava in Baghdad's dangerous Red Zone; "Sam," an Iraqi who risked his life obtaining vaccination papers (and dog biscuits) for Lava; and John Van Zante, director of public relations at the Helen Woodward Animal Center in California, who wonders "what the heck possessed a three-tour, tough-guy Marine to try to save a little puppy in the middle of a war."
  
  Indeed, with death and destruction rampant in Iraq, why should the fate of a single puppy be of much importance? In the pages of FROM BAGHDAD, WITH LOVE, Lieutenant Colonel Jay Kopelman shares his and Lava's remarkable story --- one that is heartwarming and heartbreaking, inspiring and candid. Kopelman explains how and why, in the midst of war, he forged a life-altering friendship with "a mangy little mutt."
  
  --- Reviewed by Shannon McKenna
  
  

• A Pup Amongst Devil Dogs

  
  By A1SP38JKYFFVJS on 2007-05-17
  One book that I would recommend to anyone, from my wife and mother to the Marines I served with back in my old Bulk Fuel company (although most of them hated my taste in reading material), is Kopelman's FROM BAGHDAD, WITH LOVE. After reading the first couple of pages, I fell for this uplifting and inspirational story, finishing it in less than two days.
  
  At its core, FROM BAGHDAD, WITH LOVE is the ancient tale about a boy and his dog. The boy in this story, however, happens to be a Marine Lt. Colonel, and his dog, Lava, is a five-week-old stray who was found in the midst of the Iraq War.
  
  Kopelman touches the heart with stories of Lava's playful and endearing shenanigans, as well as his efforts to skirt military regulations and to overcome bureaucratic confusion in order to get this puppy to the United States - all of which is going on while he and his men are fighting insurgents, avoiding suicide bombers and IEDs, and desperately trying to turn scared and ill-trained native troops into professional soldiers. This isn't a "OOH RAH!" guts and glory story here. Kopelman and his men are tired and, although they want to finish cleaning up the mess that Mr. Bush and company started, they want to come home. The Lt. Colonel's hopes for future of Lava the puppy reflect his hopes for the survival of himself and his men as emotionally functioning human beings.
  
  This story is a happy one, with the message that love and the human will for good can show through in our worst situations.
  
  
  
  
  
• It's not the dog in the fight...
  By APRDHGUSW1UMK on 2006-10-05
  This is a superb, and surprising, combat memoir that impressively mixes genres. I'm not a pet owner/dog lover so I admit I approached the book with curiosity more than urgency; would the focus be the emotional connection with an animal or the emotional response to hardcore combat? Well, it's both. If the overarching goal of a book is to prod the reader to turn the page...wondering "what's going to happen next"...Kopelman drills it. This book is not for those who relish the confines of convention. It's a visceral, heart-felt, even strange journey to find light in the dark.
  
  
• Buy the book!
  By A2147HPMPYKMBU on 2006-10-06
  Have you ever read a book and gotten so sucked into the story that you had to remind yourself it's not actually happening right now? What an incredible book and a very fast read! By the time you've finished it you are very clued in on what it's like to be a Marine in Iraq. Lava helped the people who cared for him to re-connect to their humanity. Just as the SAR dogs helped the workers at Ground Zero re-connect after a hard day searching the rubble, Lava helped Jay Kopelman get through his tour of duty in Iraq. What an incredible dog! And what an intense affirmation of the human-canine bond.
  
  
• Both inspiring and heart-breaking
  By A1UL731FZEGMKM on 2006-12-04
  Lieutenant Colonel Jay Kopelman brings the war in Iraq to stark, vivid life, recounting the story of unlikely heroes who save a puppy named Lava from what seems like certain death. My emotions were wrenched in every direction reading his accounts of the brutality of the insurgents, the loneliness, anxiety and bravery of the Marines, the heartless bureaucracy of the military, the courage and kindness of reporters and civilians, both American and Iraqi, an adorable puppy, a hellish situation, and the human need to 'save something', even against all the odds and rules.
  
  
• Written landmines, but still a good story.
  By A197XEDDNZXGYV on 2007-01-10
  This is the story of Lava, an Iraqi dog that many good people (and a handful of Marines) labored to save and provide a home for in America. But more so, it's the memoir of a Marine who disobeyed orders to save Lava's life. This isn't a dog book; it's a Marine book about a Marine at war with his own humanity.
  
  It's honest and courageous. After reading this book I'd guess other Marines might not think highly of Jay Kopelman. But I really appreciate that he had the bravery and integrity to avoid sugar coating his direct disobedience of General Order 1-A. I was surprised (and impressed) that he admitted to placing his Marines (the Lava Dogs) into harms way to make a "milk run" to transport his dog to Baghdad. It was extremely irresponsible. It's not a choice I would've made (however, I did make some poor decisions during my tour I'm not proud of, and I wasn't there when Kopelman allowed his Marines to leave the gate), but I respect Kopelman for including this in the book. It shows he's telling a true story of the confusion of war and the reaction of the human condition, and that's worth something. This book is not a typical pro-war or anti-war propaganda piece.
  
  As the book is now, I give it three stars. I disagree with some of the reviews here. There are parts that seem inconsistent in voice and tense, almost like two different people wrote it in sections rather than collaborating on the work in its entirety. If the first sixteen chapters looked like the remainder of the book and little parts here and there were cleaned up, I'd give this book four and a half or five stars. Also, I didn't care for the chapters written in the present tense; however, even though I struggled to accept the present tense style until chapter seventeen, I didn't consider this stylistic choice in my rating process.
  
  Even though I gave From Baghdad, With Love three stars, I still found it entertaining and informative. This is a book worth reading, especially if you like dogs and understand how people grow so attached to them.
  
  The book starts on rocky ground, but hang in there, it gets better. As I traversed the written land mines, I found less and less of them. As I finished the first few chapters, I liked the book more. There are places that I would've preferred more description and use of the SHOW instead of the TELL, but I could still enjoy the story for what it is.
  
  Overall, I like this book. It's a good story even if it could have used more work and rewriting prior to publication, but it is what it is.
  
  
  
• Heart Rending
  By A2XQ1FK7KKGRS7 on 2006-10-05
  I was looking for a technical book and just happened to see the cover of this book. I'm a veteran, so I took a chance and bought it. I sat down at 8 p.m. with the book thinking I'd read myself to sleep. At 2 a.m. I finished the book. I laughed, cried, cringed and cried some more. What a great story. I was with the Marines for four years and totally know how "gungy" they are. I also know they are big "boys" with big hearts. I've recommended it to everyone I know.
  
  
• COULDN'T PUT THIS BOOK DOWN-I'LL NEVER FORGET IT
  By A122HTUAXZJK8A on 2006-09-27
  It was the picture on the cover that got me. I bought this book, From Baghdad with Love Friday night. I finished it Saturday after lunch. I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN. This is one of the best dog/humanity stories I have ever read. I LOVED it.
  Lt. Col. Kopelman, the Lava Dogs, Anne Garrels, Sam and Lava are unforgettable. Great insight on the war, too.
  
  BEFORE I read any animal story, I HAVE to know that the animal lives. I went to the inside back cover to read about the author and it states that he lives in CA w/ his wife, 2 dogs, Lava and Koda and cat, so I knew it was safe.
  
  God bless Lt. Col. Kopelman, the Lava Dogs, all our Armed Forces and LAVA! Thank you for your service to our country.
  
  
• What a moving story
  By A17HKHYIXYBEPZ on 2006-10-11
  I deeply love dogs, so when I saw the cover of this book I simply had to pick it up. After getting about half way through it at the store, I knew I had to have it! I laughed, cried, and fell head over heels in love with Lave, the cute puppy from the cover. Dogs give us so much love and all they ask back is a little food, fresh water, and a pat on the head. How people can treat them the way they do is beyond me but that's another story. I recommend this book to anyone who loves dogs, and even those who don't because in the end you will find a wonderful new part of your heart.
  
  
• Much More than A Feel Good Dog Book
  By A12UTXKZN1Q2WE on 2006-11-04
  I don't want to spoil the ending, but Lava (the stories main character) lives. In what I can only describe as a superbly written novel, in which the central theme is about a marine who defies all odds and somehow manages to get a puppy sent back to the U.S., this books underlying theme is a look at the destruction and countless lives (human and animal) that are being lost. From Baghdad.... is very honest and at times very gruesome. This is really not a book for children because LTC Kopelman goes into grave detail about the real going-ons in Baghdad. Great book, too bad it had to be written.
  
  
• I'm not even an animal lover . . .
  By AC1UIRR44VLGR on 2006-10-07
  . . . but this was one of the most touching books I have ever read. The author does an excellent job of revealing the vulnerability of the human need to be loved. I couldn't put the book down!!!!
  
  
• Hope and love
  By A1YZ3IJXI2J119 on 2006-10-17
  Reviewed by Joanne Benham for Reader Views (8/06)
  
  
  In November, 2004, members of the First Battalion, Third Marines found a puppy abandoned in a house in Fallujah, which was destroyed by the war. There was something special about this puppy, so special that a whole battalion of Marines would disobey direct orders to destroy any animals found in the country and take enormous risks to try and bring this one little guy back to the United States.
  
  The story of Lava was picked up by reporters from the NPR, then it flashed across the Internet and caught the attention of newspapers across the country. The push was on to save Lava, as he was named.
  
  Working with an organization called Military Mascots, Kopelman begins the long four month fight to cut through the bureaucratic red tape. This story outlines the behind-the-scenes scrambling that was necessary to save the life of one little war orphan. Assisted by Iraqi citizens, the Military, NPR reporters and numerous others, Lava finally lands on US soil, ready to begin his new life.
  
  The book deals honestly with the hard question asked by many people about why so much time, energy and money was spent on a dog when there are so many people in need.
  
  A fascinating look at the day-to-day life of soldiers fighting for their country, who discover a little bit of hope and love in a dismal time and place.
  
  
  
  
• Heartwarming and honest
  By A2CLH5C3W7CZVF on 2006-10-29
  I just finished reading From Baghdad, With Love and found it to be one of the best books I've read this year. I am a dog-lover and was first drawn to the book by its cover, but I am also the aunt of a Marine who just returned home from Iraq a few days ago. He served much of his time in Fallujah and Baghdad and as I read this book I felt like I had some sense of what he must be going through over there. The story of Lieutenant Colonel Jay Kopelman and Lava is so much more than a "save the dog" story. It weaves the search for humanity in a place of utter chaos with the story of an utterly adorable stray dog just trying to survive. I wish there was a way to know how things turned out with "Sam" ... his devotion to Lava was one of my most memerable effects from the book. Thank you, Jay, for your honesty and for caring enough to share Lava's story!
  
  
• A True Love Story
  By AG6MB5KJOL9YU on 2006-10-31
  What a great book! I loved the human connection for so many to network to save Lava. Amazing. A friend in Iraq unit had a dog named Charlie, Charlie did not make it and when I was shown pictures of Charlie my friend became very sad. Losing Charlie was one of the most difficult parts of the deployment for him. They tried to hide him and save him, but the Marines were ordered to shoot him. Morale suffered. When I read From Baghdad with Love it became very clear to me how Charlie had supported my friend's unit. I ask, Iraq is full of disease, why kill a living being that brings so much joy and comfort to stressed people that need some love? Perhaps the military should review this policy or at best be slack w/it. I am grateful that the LTC went against the rules, he could see the value in Lava. There is no love like a dog's love.
  
  I am glad he quit feeding Lava M&M's, chocolate can kill a dog. He got lucky there. Particulary touching was how this rough tough Marine was so affected by this one little puppy. The LTC did a wonderful job of conveying the bond between man and dog. If you are a dog lover you will understand and he articulates it perfectly, especially where he reads Lava's mind. It's just great. The book is funny, sad, honest, and has a cliff hanger.
  I was most touched by LTC Kopelman ability to share the horrors of war, so many can't or won't. I am sure it was difficult for him, but appreciate him sharing with us so we can know what they experience. We are dealing w/a brutal enemy that has no heart or soul. I thank God for our Warriors because they do have heart and souls and this story is a perfect example. In his writings I could "feel" the LTC's emotion as opposed to reading words of a story, not many books can do that for me. I wish the LTC and Lava all good things and thank them for telling their story.
  
  
• Best Description of a Marine I've read
  By A3VQOJ93YR0LD2 on 2006-11-18
  Kopelman has a gritty realistic touch with a penchant for meticulous detail. He fits a lot into a sentence, leaving the reader a vivid image of emotion and action.
  
  Page 58 has one of the best descriptions of the type of person who becomes a Marine. Kopeland made many Marines proud by continuing a fine tradition of excelsior writing.
  
  
• Wonderful, heart-warming story that anyone can love
  By AH34JP0ASJVD4 on 2006-10-31
  Upon finding this book in the bookstore, and scanning the front and back covers, I knew I had to have it. The picture, the blurb on the back, I wanted to know what happened to the dog, Lava.
  
  As soon as I began reading the book, I found myself unable to put it down, wondering about Lava's fate in the end (and hoping so much that it was a happy ending, finding pictures of grown-up Lava in the middle of the book helped immensely).
  
  I think my favorite part was the relation of the story of "Sam", the Iraqi who helped care for Lava while he was in Baghdad as well as was instrumental in getting documentation needed to allow the pup to leave the country. Just the idea of this guy who was so against the idea of caring for the dog ending up teaching him to play soccer is wonderful, to me.
  
  
• The best book I've read in years
  By A19B7Y2O77RQKJ on 2006-11-01
  From Baghdad, With Love combines a great story with an interesting, original and highly readable writing style. There is no question that Lava's story plays the central role, but the author's wit and deadpan humor make this a truly outstanding book. Buy it, you will not regret it!
  
  
• I loved it from begining to end!
  By A1HIJAQZ1OSR3B on 2006-10-17
  I got the book and read it from cover to cover in no time, and I loved it. I do own a dog, but that's not the only reason I was entranced with this book. It's heart-warming, informative, and entertaining, and I fell in love with Lava, the colonel, and the story. Don't miss it.
  
  
• From Baghdad, With Love: A Marine, the War, and a Dog Named Lava
  By A54P2MJS39GY6 on 2006-10-11
  This is a wonderful book for anyone to read. Once you start, you will not be able to put it down. Very heart-warming the way so many people helped to bring this little fella to the US! Great story!
  
  
• A "Must Read" Regardless of your views on the war in Iraq
  By AB1D8F975HWD on 2006-10-19
  This is a heartwarming story that places the reader in war-torn Iraq with the US military trying to complete their mission. It is told in such a way that you can't put it down, and you feel thast you are there with them, and are living the story as it unfolds. It also makes it easy to understand how the "Lava Dogs" receive comfort in caring for a puppy amid the horror around them. The book makes NO judgements about the war or the US presence in Iraq being right or wrong, and no matter what the reader's views on the war are (or even if the reader is a dog owner/lover), this is a heartwarming story about the bond between a soldier and a dog during adverse times for both of them.
  
  
• A Great Christmas gift
  By AR3NZY08A4JKK on 2006-10-23
  It reminds one of GIs Joe and Willie at a different time in a different war however just as appealing. This is truly marvelous tale of the human spirit faced with the incredible awfulness of war. Buy it, you won't regret it!
  
  
• This is 1 A Helluva Book!
  By A1EQ5D5JRSW23K on 2006-11-26
  General Order 1-A says Don't Love, Make War. Notice how it appears to be resoundingly the first rule of conduct in the military: it starts with a "1" and an "A". The firsts in the integers and the alphabet. Yet love conquers all, doesn't it? This book is about that, love. How a dog melted the heart of a hardened soldier like the molten lava of a mighty volcano.
  
  Order 1-A is as logical as it is de-humanizing. I don't doubt such a military code exists in any military of any country. But must we accept the 1-A as the necessary evil of the necessity to survive? Perhaps.
  
  When it comes to soldiering and war, I always think of Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried". Jay Kopelman reminds us soldiers carry their hearts.
  
  
• Absolutely Lovable
  By AYJ0E2KEIG767 on 2007-03-28
  I couldn't resist this book just from the cover. I expected a cutesy book about this little dog. I got that, plus much more. Jay gives a very vivid description of what life is like for all of the men and women fighting the war on terror.
  
  Let me say he does not dwell on any of the horrors of war, so if you are looking for a good "dog" book, this is it. He writes clearly and concisely and doesn't go into minuscule detail, just writes in a fashion that conveys everything in an easy-to-read manner.
  
  Two thumbs up! I loved it! Anyone who liked Marley & Me will surely enjoy this book also!
  
  
• Couldn't put it down!
  By A2LZQ7P3VOAPBP on 2007-04-15
  This book is amazing! Amazon ended up sending me a signed copy somehow (thank you!), and that's great for me because this quickly became one of my favorite books! I'm a huge dog lover and love studying history and government and this book combined the two! It's actually a terrific account of the war and provides a lot of insight into what life is like for an American soldier in Iraq. It opened my eyes to a lot of little things that I never would have thought would be a big issue over there, but I feel like now I can relate a lot more to the family and friends who have spent many long months in the war. Thank you Jay Kopelman, hearing your story was magnificent and it's the first book I have read for fun since I started college 4 years ago :)
  
  
• Worth a read
  By APAL0DU1CUSFJ on 2007-05-07
  I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Once I picked it up I found it hard to put back down. It was an easy read, the chapters bounce around a bit but are easy to follow.
  
  Going in, I was a little unsure that I would like parts of the story, having zero tolerance for animal cruelty, but the sensitive parts are told well and are really important for reader to understand the bigger picture. Having only heard about Iraq on the news it was a real eye opener to see just how bad the conditions are and what the brave service men and women, and journalists, from many countries have to endure.
  
  The only reason I am giving this book 4 stars and not 5 is the writing is a little basic, and the book seems to end fairly abruptly. I would have liked to read a little more about life after Iraq. But I guess thats another story...
  
  I recommend this book to anyone who loves dogs (or any war buffs out there).
  
  
• a must read!
  By A1GLZTBEA9OXZW on 2006-10-26
  Remarkable journeys of a self described harden Marine and the trials and tribulations of his four legged menace, his love and his sanity keeper's escape out of Iraq is, well, first-rate! You can't help but want to root Lava on, be inspired how Lava touches the lives of many of the characters in the book that helped assist Kopelman's plight to bring him home. From an injured soldier, Matt Hammond, to Ann the NPR reporter and an Iraqi named just "Sam", to of course the fortitude and love of Jay Kopleman.
  I enjoyed reading about Lava but found the insights into the war also very fascinating and yet disturbing. It opened my eyes to the sadness there; from our soldiers to the stray dogs and the Iraqi people. I wish the Iraqi people showed compassion to stray dogs and was distressed to read that they "hate dogs." Just as disturbing was the shoot the strays' policy in our military camps. This makes Lava and Jay's story even more astounding. An extremely well written page turner for anyone who loves a hero and his dog.
  
  
  
• Wonderful!
  By A3KWX62GPL3LX1 on 2006-10-27
  What a wonderful story. My heart goes out to all the servicemen over in Iraq. Incredible, that in what must be hell, a little dog not only lived, but thrived. What compassion can accomplish when you have a great guy - Jay, and a great reporter and all the others who helped get Lava home. I hope they are all safe and happy!
  
  

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