Jay Kopelman’s From Baghdad With Love

From Baghdad With Love

I finished reading a book called From Baghdad With Love yesterday which chronicles the relationship between a Marine, Lieutenant Colonel Jay Kopelman with a stray puppy which he found at an abandoned house in Fallujah, Iraq. He named the puppy Lava and went against the order (General order 1-A) not to keep any pets. He defied all odds in bringing Lava, a dog who loved to roo-roo-roo at strangers and eat bootlaces.

The book is more about the war and the hardship that the Iraqis endures even up to this day – of the corruption, bloodbath, explosions and how the sanity of a band of Marines was saved by their love for a mutt. It’s also fascinating to read about dedicated journos, Iraqis, doghandlers who helped to bring Lava out of the country.

Why all the fuss about a dog? I have to admit that the thought passed my mind when I read the book – but then again, Lava was saved and rescued from the doom and gloom that is Iraq. When I posted my comment at Singapore Forum, the resident ‘conspiracy nutter’ said that the book was sugarcoating war crimes – I disagree. Kopelman tries to be as objective as he could, in his former position as a marine. After reading Bernhard Schlink’s The Reader and Rachel Seiffert’s The Dark Room, I learn not to be judgmental when I learn about one’s actions in tough times.

Through the book I learn more about Red Zone and Green Zone, of MREs and RPGs, and how a puppy can provide the sanity and humanity in the midst of chaos.

Highly recommended! [8/10]

Published by fuzz

I've finally relented to the lures of blogging - and for those who care, well, I'm a self-confessed geek who's a wanderer at heart, who thinks and analyses too much, and who's trying hard to hold on to his 7-year old inner persona.

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