Arms contracted in Iraq by Shaun Schutte
From personal struggle, to battle conflict, to a changed life
“Hired Guns in Iraq” is a revealing revelation of the aftermath of the war. Brogan Kessler, a former family member of the military, found himself failing in a dream to build his own business in South Africa. Desperate, he realized that he could no longer justify the sacrifice and hardships he was imposing on his family. A longtime friend from the military era, Peter, encouraged Brogan to take a job with a security contractor working on rebuilding Iraq. The job offered a high salary, giving Brogan the opportunity to resume his dream and get out of debt in no time.
Shaun Schutte graphically articulates the carnage of the war in Baghdad, Iraq. It describes how ignorance of the local language and culture and the difficulty in differentiating between combatants and non-combatants often leads to offensive behavior by multinational forces, security contractors and mercenaries. The tragic deaths of innocents force insurgents to attack coalition forces to avenge the deaths of their families. Through incidents of irrational decisions and careless actions, Brogan and his team learn the critical need for teamwork as the key survival tactic in a country where religious fanatics and vengeful family members wage a holy war against infidels and occupational forces.
Brogan miraculously escaped from a vehicle that exploded only to be taken hostage by insurgents. As a result of these circumstances, he learns to hear God’s voice through life and death struggles as a target of insurgents who are determined to destroy him.
Schutte incorporates the essence of his personal faith throughout the story as he relates the message of God’s love for sinful man, His redemptive plan of love and grace by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to atone for those sins.
Schutte’s writing is riveting, suspenseful to a surprising climactic finale. Stunning word images left me with an indestructible vision of the weaknesses of man. Schutte powerfully describes the repercussions of war, fear, courage, and anger. He understands, from his personal experience, the urge to survive in the life and death struggles of an environment in which opposing ideologies place little value on an individual’s life. “Hired Guns in Iraq” exposes the cost and sacrifice of rebuilding a country destroyed by bloodshed and war. The book is timely and relevant.
Pleasant Word, a division of Winepress Publishing Group, 978-1414111360
As reviewed for Midwest Book Review