Overview

In Double Knot, Mac Caltrider takes us to the front lines of Afghanistan during the most violent period of America's longest war. But this powerful work is a refreshing break from the blood-soaked memoirs that typically emerge from the battlefield. With clear inspiration from the likes of Joan Didion, Bill Buford, and John Jeremiah Sullivan, Caltrider combines humor, wit, and insight to reveal complex truths about combat and life after service. In his debut book, Caltrider takes us on a tour of Afghanistan's IED-filled Helmand province, where every footstep is an act of bravery. Without a chance to exhale, he moves on to explore the messy world of policing in the wake of George Floyd and the outbreak of COVID-19. Caltrider then takes us up the snow-swept slopes of Mount Rainier and on a whirlwind tour of the United States alongside Miss America, some of the Pentagon's top brass, and a gaggle of B-list celebrities who more closely resemble a circus than a morale boost. As the stories progress, a narrative through-line emerges, revealing the complicated ways in which war remains with those who wage it.

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"""Caltrider's prose is a masterclass in writing about war. His dual perspective as a Marine and, later, as a writer makes his work deeply valuable to vets and civilians alike. As painful as this book is - as it must be - I enjoyed it immensely."" -Sebastian Junger, author of Tribe ""Double Knot sets the record straight. Direct, visceral, steel on target as they say. It needs to be read, and reread. Caltrider is as real and genuine as it gets. He's a thinking man in the gun club and someone you need to listen to."" -Matt Eversmann, author of The Battle of Mogadishu ""Modern books on war - the honest ones anyhow - are written like points scattered on a map; there is no Bag End to Mount Doom. By carefully connecting these points, Caltrider crafts a coherent path by route of a reader's terrain. Make no mistake about it, Double Knot is really one story."" -David Rose, author of No Joy ""Double Knot punched me right in the guts - it is the best thing I've read in years. A spectacular achievement."" -Kacy Tellesson, author of Freaks of a Feather ""Gripping yet meditative. Combat veterans will recognize truths in Double Knot rarely expressed outside their own tight circles. Readers who have no experience of war and its aftermath will do well to learn from this brave book."" -Mark Treanor, author of A Quiet Cadence ""With this freshmen work, Mac Caltrider has left an indelible mark on the modern war story. Double Knot manages to distill the absurdity of America's longest war (and all its entrails) with composure, grace, and humanity."" -Leo Jenkins, author of Lest We Forget ""Through a series of seemingly unrelated stories, [Caltrider] holds nothing back about veteran suicide, the nature of war, the awkwardness of transition, and the implications of our foreign policy."" -Mason Rodrigue, author of Rock Eater ""Explosive. 25lbs of HME packed into 167 pages."" -LtCol Thomas Schueman, author of Always Faithful"

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