Official Review: No Tougher Duty, No Greater Honor

[Erin Dydek]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "No Tougher Duty, No Greater Honor" by GySgt L Christian Bussler.]

---

4 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

In civilian life, he was a postman delivering the daily mail. When called to serve, he became the man who made sure the fallen heroes were transported home to their families. No Tougher Duty, No Greater Honor, by Gunnery Sergeant L Christian Bussler, is a behind the scenes look at the duty of a Mortuary Affairs (MA) Marine.

Told from the first-person point of view, readers get a front-row seat to all the highs and lows of serving overseas. The book is divided into three tours of duty, and it was fascinating to watch the escalation in the conflict and the growth of Bussler’s character as he endured the growing tension. Before my eyes, he went from naïve reservist to war-matured leader.

Vivid descriptions were used to highlight the vast beauty of the Iraqi desert in contrast to the intensity of mortar attacks and gunfire. A concise history depicts the events that led up to Operation Iraqi Freedom. This history is interwoven with the trek through the foreign territory as the marines worked to complete their mission.

This book is packed full of emotions, and several times I was brought to tears by the passion that the MA Marines have for their responsibilities. Bussler tastefully shares the details of the search and rescue missions and uses medical descriptions when talking about collecting the remains. He shows his great respect for the “angels” as they came through his collection point, and I admired the tact with which he shared these stories.

It was easy to get pulled into the stories within this book because of the compelling voice of the author throughout the pages. He also included pictures of the men he served with and some of the locations that they toured. From light-hearted moments of comical shenanigans to the heart-wrenching scenes of combat, this book held my interest from start to finish. A few of the chapters in the third tour were a bit lengthy, but the contents were relevant to the progress of an MIA situation. When the remains of a fallen sergeant could not be found, a bit of mystery came to life as Bussler had to dig deeper to find the missing soldier.

This riveting tale of those who pay the ultimate price for freedom is easily a 4 out of 4. A few minor errors made their way into the pages, but the book was otherwise well-edited. Due to the use of frequent profanities and the nature of recovering the remains, this may not be a good fit for sensitive readers. It is, however, a good fit for those who enjoy history and memoirs of wartime.

******
No Tougher Duty, No Greater Honor
View: on Bookshelves

[kandscreeley]

This book sounds like it has a little of everything - from comedy to seriousness. I love that it's so engaging. It sounds like it compels you to keep reading. Thanks for your thoughts here.

[Prisallen]

That is an aspect of war that I hadn't given too much thought to, recovering the bodies of the slain soldiers. It does sound dangerous. I'm glad this marine made it out alright. His book sounds fascinating. As always, I enjoy reading your wonderful reviews!

[Gabriel Merêncio]

I'm interested in war-related stories that talk about some of their lesser-known aspects. This one seems to fit the bill quite nicely. Thanks for the review!

[Juliet+1]

I don't usually read books about war, but this might be the one. I can't imagine what it must have been like to do what that man did every single day. Wow! Thanks for a terrific review.

[Magnify3]

Touching story. I guess I am not into war stories. However, I think Bussler's character really knew his calling. Whether it was mail or the remains of a loved one. Thanks for the review!

[Adina Lutinger]

War stories are not for me, but it sounds like an amazing, touching and very well written book. Thank you very much for your review!

[Letora]

I never knew Motuary Affairs Marine was an actual job in the Marines. This sounds like an interesting read. Thanks for your review!

[tristenb]

This is a very powerful and impactful story of MA marines. I'm glad the author was able to share some of these stories with the readers. I can't imagine doing something like this. Thanks for the great review!

[rumik]

I'm not personally interested in war tales but I can agree with the title, there are very few tougher duties than being a mortuary affairs marine. I didn't even know that was a thing before this review. Thanks!

[djr6090]

This is a very unusual topic for a book, but one that must have earned its place in over the years of US combat. I like that you freely admit it brought you to tears. Now, that is an honest review. I salute you.

[Sanju Lali]

One can see all the highs and lows of serving overseas by reading the book "No Tougher Duty, No Greater Honor" by GySgt L Christian Bussler. The book follows Bussler, who endured the growing tension. It is quite intriguing to find that how he went from naive reservist to war-matured leader.