Ghosts of War by Ryan Smithson

Ghosts of War by Ryan Smithson

In 2001, Smithson was the average American high school kid: blonde hair, blue eyes, plenty of dorkines. When the planes hit the twin towers, he didn’t realize the significance of what he was witnessing on television. Of course, by the end of the day, everyone understood that they were living history. His parents wanted him to go to college and become a writer or study. But Smithson, like so many other men and women, felt compelled to do something about the attacks. So he signed up for the Army reserve. At 19 years old, he went to Iraq and fought in some of those battles. This isn’t what you will see on CNN or on the news, this is more the true story of the daily life of a grunt at war: the behind the scenes of what happens when you are at war, both the good and the bad. It’s gripping, it’s all true, and it’s a good suggestion for high school students looking for a non-fiction book to which they can relate.