A book discussion series for veterans led by Vietnam veteran & author Wayne Karlin. For more information contact Kimberlé Fields at 301-863-8188 or kfields@stmalib.org.
A reading and book discussion series for military veterans that is led by Vietnam veteran, author, and College of Southern Maryland professor Wayne Karlin. Service members of all eras, their spouses, and adult children are welcome.
Participants should plan to attend all sessions. Books and other materials provided.
The Veterans' Book Group is coordinated statewide by Maryland Humanities and presented locally in partnership with St. Mary's County Library. The program was created by the Maine Humanities Council to promote understanding of the military experience and to support returning veterans.
March: The Outpost: The Most Heroic Battle of the Afghanistan War by Jake Tapper
Publisher Marketing:
The basis of the film The Outpost starring Orlando Bloom and Scott Eastwood, this novel is the heartbreaking and inspiring story of one of America's deadliest battles during the war in Afghanistan, acclaimed by critics everywhere as a classic.
At 5:58 AM on October 3rd, 2009, Combat Outpost Keating, located in frighteningly vulnerable terrain in Afghanistan just 14 miles from the Pakistani border, was viciously attacked. Though the 53 Americans there prevailed against nearly 400 Taliban fighters, their casualties made it the deadliest fight of the war for the U.S. that year. Four months after the battle, a Pentagon review revealed that there was no reason for the troops at Keating to have been there in the first place.
In The Outpost, Jake Tapper gives us the powerful saga of COP Keating, from its establishment to eventual destruction, introducing us to an unforgettable cast of soldiers and their families, and to a place and war that has remained profoundly distant to most Americans. A runaway bestseller, it makes a savage war real, and American courage manifest.
"The Outpost is a mind-boggling, all-too-true story of heroism, hubris, failed strategy, and heartbreaking sacrifice. If you want to understand how the war in Afghanistan went off the rails, you need to read this book." -- Jon Krakauer
April: The Yellow Bird Sings by Jennifer Rosner
May: Grant by Ron Chernow
June: A Wolf by the Ears by Wayne Karlin
Please submit accessibility requests at least 72 hours in advance to virtualservices@stmalib.org.
Temporary Hours:
Monday – Thursday: 1 – 6 p.m.
Friday & Saturday: 12 – 5 p.m.
Sunday: Closed
Friends of the St. Mary’s County Library
St. Mary’s County Library Foundation
