G.P. Putnam's Sons to Publish U.S. Army Soldier and Blogger Colby Buzzell's War Experiences on the Ground in Iraq

G.P. Putnam's Sons to Publish U.S. Army Soldier and Blogger Colby Buzzell's War Experiences on the Ground in Iraq

According to Esquire Magazine: 'The most extraordinary writing yet produced by a soldier of the Iraq war ...'

NEW YORK, Jan. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- G.P. Putnam's Sons is publishing the personal experiences of twenty-eight-year-old U.S. Army soldier Colby Buzzell. His book, My War, will offer uncensored stories that bring home the chilling realities of war. Buzzell's incisive reportage and brutally honest take on the war were first filed as entries in a web log, My War, that he created as a way to tell the world about what was really happening in Iraq. Buzzell's book will delve further into his personal experiences as a 20-something soldier in the line of fire. World and audio rights to My War have been acquired by David Highfill, Senior Editor, G.P. Putnam's Sons, from literary agent Heather Schroder at ICM. Putnam will publish the book in hardcover in fall 2005, with a paperback edition to be published by Berkley in 2006.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050131/NYM174 )

Before enlisting in the Army at age twenty-six, Colby Buzzell (now twenty-eight) was living in California, jumping from one low-paying job to the next. He joined the military because he was "sick of living my life in oblivion." After he was deployed to Iraq, he quickly discovered that his life would never be the same again. On the ground near Mosul with First Battalion, 23rd Regiment, toting heavy weaponry amidst "guerilla warfare, urban-style," Buzzell was disturbed by how the war he was fighting was being reported - both by major news agencies and soldier-written blogs. In June 2004, Buzzell started his own blog, My War, and it offers a glimpse of his innate ability to chronicle the essence of war and its powerful impact on him and the world.

Mr. Highfill commented, "Colby's voice is one of the most natural, unpretentious and unaffected of his generation and his subject -- the war of our time -- is one that still fascinates and frightens many of us. My War is already being compared by some early readers to the classics of combat and youth ... Heller's Catch-22 and Herr's Dispatches. It's our good fortune that he brings his story to us with such energy, emotion and striking authenticity."

Ms. Schroder added, "Colby's is one of the strongest voices to come out in a long, long time. His ability to capture the technologically enhanced hyper-reality of the 21st century raises this book far beyond the level of war journal to an important commentary on our times."

Penguin Group (USA) Inc. is the U.S. member of the internationally renowned Penguin Group. Penguin Group (USA) is one of the leading U.S. adult and children's trade book publishers, owning a wide range of imprints and trademarks, including Berkley Books, Dutton, Frederick Warne, G.P. Putnam's Sons, Grosset & Dunlap, New American Library, Penguin Books, The Penguin Press, Philomel, Plume, Puffin, Riverhead Books and Viking, among others. The Penguin Group (http://www.penguin.com/) is part of Pearson plc, the international media company.

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050131/NYM174
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN5
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Penguin Group

CONTACT: Marilyn Ducksworth, +1-212-366-2564,
marilyn.ducksworth@us.penguingroup.com, or Dave Zimmer, +1-212-366-2687,
david.zimmer@us.penguingroup.com, both of Penguin Group

Web site: http://www.penguin.com/


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