Section 60: Arlington National Cemetery—Where War Comes Home

National Geographic writer Poole (On Hallowed Ground) returns to the subject of his previous book, Arlington National Cemetery, this time focusing on one specific area of the cemetery: Section 60, the burial place for the casualties of America’s most recent conflicts. Poole’s approach is poignant and personal: he retells a number of individual stories of soldiers who lost their lives as a direct or indirect result of serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. The cost of war is the thread that ties these tales together, and Poole examines everything from booby traps to friendly fire, from PTSD to POWs/MIAs. Emotional narratives of heroism and valor share space with the voices of those irretrievably damaged by their experiences. The book possesses multiple identities—it’s as much about the people as their final resting place; honoring their sacrifices and condemning the necessity, inevitability, or injustice of their deaths. While book suffers from trying to do too much at once, Poole’s sincerity is never in doubt. As he pieces together his subjects’ last days or considers the intense training and preparation of the honors teams who perform the actual burials, his respect for the military never wavers. An oddly intimate read, this a valuable look at what it costs to serve one’s country. Agent: Gillian MacKenzie, Gillian MacKenzie Agency (Oct.)