The Hero Next Door

“Moving, compelling … What sets this book apart from others in the genre is Raddatz’s decades-long relationships with the men and women whom she profiles… . Many of these stories highlight the ties of families–both the traditional ones and ones that the warfighters form–and the need for society to sustain its veterans. Raddatz writes with an honest voice that is accessible and trustworthy. The military provides structure in chaos, creates units through training and common experience, and gives purpose to lives. These qualities can be harder to find or missing in civilian life. Raddatz illustrates how the former warfighters deal with these changes and survive them… . This book should be integrated in high school and college curricula alongside Phil Klay’s Redeployment. Raddatz’s theme of respect and remembrance is timely and timeless.”
–The Cipher Brief
“Inspiring profiles in courage for our time… . Heroes, it’s said, are the people who run toward danger instead of away from it. To this Raddatz rejoins, ‘The one sure way to spot a hero may be to look for the ones who insist they are not.’ In this series of portraits of heroes, most connected to the ‘forever wars’ in Iraq and Afghanistan, she finds plenty to admire, even as those men and women protest that ‘I was just doing my job.’”
–Kirkus Review
“The Hero Next Door reminds us brilliantly, movingly, of the many Americans who have fought our recent wars. If, two hundred and fifty years after the nation’s birth, we could all begin to match these men and women’s courage, devotion, service, and willingness to sacrifice, we would be a noble republic indeed. This is an important reminder of the unsung, the best among us.”
–Alex Kershaw, author of Against All Odds
“I have read hundreds of books on the military, and none has impacted me as profoundly as this one. Martha Raddatz has captured the humanity and heroism (and the humor) of our nation’s troops and their loved ones. These stories are riveting, inspiring, and beautifully told. They have the power to remind us, military and civilian alike, that we have so much more in common than we are led to believe.”
–Andrew Carroll, author of War Letters and Behind the Lines
“Powerful and profoundly immersive, The Hero Next Door is a work of rare force and significance. Martha Raddatz plunges us into the lives of these extraordinary men and women and captures with remarkable clarity their sacrifices and unfathomable courage.”
–Kathryn Bigelow, Oscar winning director of The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty and A House of Dynamite
“Your heart will swell, and sometimes break, in the company of these remarkable men and women. Martha Raddatz’s gorgeous, sensitive group portrait and deep sympathy for what she wonderfully calls this “no less great” generation will stay with me always. The Hero Next Door is an antidote to the cynicism that surrounds us, a celebration of sacrifice, selflessness, and moral courage. It is exactly the book we need.”
–Mitchell Zuckoff, New York Times bestselling author of Fall and Rise and 13 Hours
“Very few people outside the military really understand what those of us who serve experience–Martha Raddatz is one of them. In this remarkable book, she lets people see the real character of our servicemen and women. It is truly humbling to have led some of them.”
–General Robert “Abe” Abrams, Former Commander UNC, Combined Forces Command and U.S. Forces Korea

Martha Raddatz is chief global affairs correspondent and co-anchor of This Week for ABC News. She has been covering America’s wars for the network since September 11.

Raddatz is the author of The Long Road Home, a New York Times bestseller that was adapted into a National Geographic miniseries.

She was part of the ABC News team that won a Peabody Award for coverage of September 11 and an Emmy for coverage of the killing of Osama bin Laden. Raddatz has won a total of seven Emmy Awards. She has also been awarded the George C. Marshall Medal for her sustained commitment to the men and women of America’s armed forces.

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