'Lava Dawgs: A Fight for Fallujah' Book Review

by
posted on February 21, 2017
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
xw05668_si-0414.jpg

As a former Marine, I took particular interest in this independently published account of the second battle of Fallujah. I was working in the security sector in 2004 when those four unfortunate contractors were killed and their bodies defiled at Fallujah, giving the place perhaps a bit more meaning to me than the casual reader.

What I got from the pages of "Lava Dawgs" was a down-in-the-weeds, grunt’s eye-level perspective on one of the toughest battles in recent U.S. military history and the one that contributed to the shaping the U.S. Marine Corps’ current doctrine on fighting in an urban environment.  Written by an enlisted infantryman, Charlie Moose, a squad leader with Charlie Company 1/3, who did his time in hell, this is the best account of the second battle of Fallujah that I have read to date, bar none. You will be treated to vivid details that virtually put you on the ground, not knowing what fate awaits you around the next corner.

In recent years, the SEALs and other special operators have gotten the most attention and are viewed with romantic notions of heroism, but the heavyweight intestinal fortitude champs, in my humble opinion, are the enlisted ground-pounders kicking in doors, going house-to-house, not knowing what’s coming next and not having the overwhelming assets available to special operations.

I finished this book feeling that my Marine Corps is in good hands judging by the ferocious, yet intelligent and measured fighting exhibited by these young 21st-century Marines. For a gritty, squad-level account of the second battle of Fallujah, look no further than "Lava Dawgs." You will get a real sense for what it must have felt like facing the unknown at every turn.

This book is available from Amazon.com, and a paperback copy of the book retails for $4.25.

Latest

Streamlight
Streamlight

First Look: Streamlight Sidewinder Compact III

A multi-fuel flashlight with 185-degree tilting head, different mounting options and a user-configurable LED.

First Look: Bushmaster Bravo Zulu Pistols

Available in either .223 Rem/5.56 NATO or .300 BLK.

IMNHO: We Ain't Gonna Make It

Some things sure have changed, and not necessarily for the better.

Review: Kimber 2K11 9mm Pistol

Kimber’s new entry into the 2011 market is sure to garner attention.

First Look: Galco RevSolution Belt Holster

Created as part of Galco's Masterbilt line, it's designed for the great outdoors.

Skills Check: Posture Patrol Drill

Find the stance that's right for you.

Interests



Get the best of Shooting Illustrated delivered to your inbox.