Downriver Memoir of a Warrior Poet

"Few war memoirs achieve the level of literary depth and emotional resonance of Downriver." -General David Petraeus, US Army (Ret.) A powerful Iraq War memoir about leadership, trauma, resilience, and the search for meaning after battle. In Downriver: Memoir of a Warrior Poet, Ryan McDermott takes readers from the front lines of the 2003 invasion of Iraq-where he led an infantry platoon in several intense battles, including the Battle for Baghdad, as part of the 3rd Infantry Division-through the collapse of Lehman Brothers during the 2008 financial crisis, and into the private struggles of reintegration, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and fatherhood. This literary memoir explores the emotional toll of combat, the burden of battlefield leadership, and the collapse of identity that follows war and ambition.