The Invisible Front: Love and Loss in an Era of Endless War (edition 2014)

by Yochi Dreazen (Author)

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This review is also available on my blog, Read Till Dawn.

This is going to be a very tricky book to review, because I honestly don't know how to approach the material. This is probably the saddest nonfictional book I've reviewed yet, including The Family Romanov, which is literally subtitled "Murder, Rebellion, and the Fall of Imperial Russia."

The first half of The Invisible Front traces the Graham family all the way from Mark and Carol's early years of courtship and marriage through the death of both of their sons. The narration goes mainly in order, but skips around rather confusingly every once in a while. I would say that some of the level of detail is a bit excessive (meaning not all of it is strictly relevant to the topic of depression/suicide), but on the other hand it's a book about the Grahams as well as about depression and suicide in the army, so it's perfectly natural for the first half of the book to focus almost entirely on them.

Okay, about Jeff and Kevin Graham. I have to say that after reading about their personal lives, these are not the sort of people I would have been friends with if I met them in college. I don't drink, I don't party, and I don't sleep with people - all things that one, the other, or both Graham boys did with gusto. However, both of their deaths still hit me very hard, and I had tears in my eyes when their deaths were described (in detail - this book is not for the faint of heart). Lifestyle choices aside, they both sound like genuinely nice people who could have made the world a better place for a very long time if they hadn't died at such tragically young ages.

The second half of the book discusses depression and suicide in the army, citing anecdote after anecdote about real soldier who really attempted suicide - many of them succeeding. It also follows Mark's time working as general at a fort where he worked to implement techniques to decrease PTSD-related depression and suicide. I frankly would have preferred to read more about what Mark did than about all these random deaths and almost-deaths. It is definitely talked about, but Dreazen could have gone a lot deeper into talking about what worked, what didn't work, etc. I came away with a feeling of helplessness more than anything else; it didn't really feel like Mark did any good. Of course, standing back a step I see clearly that he saved many lives (likely more than he could have by going overseas), and I register the fact that his techniques have been implemented across the country. But while actually read the narrative, it felt a bit disjointed. I would have preferred to have the pieces placed together neatly in front of me, instead of scattered around for me to pick through and piece together.

Basically, that's the only flaw I can come up with: it's a bit disjointed. Besides that, there is really nothing I can possibly criticize. It's a book about suicide in the military, what is there to say? The only thing I can say is that it is incredibly tragic that the best and bravest of our nation are not given the proper mental care they need. They do and see unspeakable things in order to keep us, the citizens of America, safe. We need to ensure that when they come home, they will be greeted with proper medical care not just for their physical wounds, but their mental wounds as well.

Disclaimer: I received a complementary copy of this book through the Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review. (

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Jaina_Rose | Mar 1, 2016 |

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This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

I received this book for free from the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program. I found the beginning of this book to be very repetitive, not only telling the exact same story from each family member's point of view, but also repeating in those views as well. The second half of the book however, seemed rushed. Overall, I thought it was a great book. It brought attention to issues that are often on my mind, as my brother is currently deployed. Thank you for telling these stories. (

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Anietzerck | Jan 29, 2018 |

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Jaina_Rose | Mar 1, 2016 |

This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

i foudn it very interesting (

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rentie | Jan 24, 2016 |

This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

The army has a stigma about mental illness and this book gives the reader an enthralling and engaging report on this societal failure. The emotional legacy of America in two most recent wars is disturbing, and outlawed by Dreazen. This is a compelling story about a military family that lost two sons, one to suicide and one in combat, and who have directed their grief into fighting the suicide epidemic of the military.
Told with great sympathy and profound insight, the Invisible Front is the story of the wars lingering human cost, which remains long after the guns are silent.

Families, including the children of these military individuals, suffer their losses silently.
I highly recommend this book to all readers to fully understand that we should not be silent anymore. Wars kill! (

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bakersfieldbarbara | Jan 13, 2016 |

This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

First, this is the story of an American military family who suffered the loss of 2 sons in the course of 9 months - one from suicide, the other from an IED in Iraq. If that isn't tragic enough, it's also the story of how differently the deaths were treated by the military and community, with one son being hailed a hero while the other was met with shame and embarrassment.

It is the tragic story of the mental health crisis facing the military and society's failure to meet the needs of the soldiers who are crushed and changed by war. I think Americans owe it to the men and women who serve to know what's going on and reading this book is a good start.

This is an important topic and Yochi Dreazen is an engaging writer. I'll look for more of his books. (

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HighCountry | Dec 29, 2015 |

This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

As someone that spent four years in an infantry unit (never saw combat) I found the information in this book both unsurprising and disturbing at the same time. Having read Lethal Warriors by David Philipps, which chronicles in more detail the events of Ft. Carson that Dreazen covers in Chapter 17 there was a lot that I already new about the treatment of soldiers that are dealing with wounds that cannot be seen with the naked eye (PSTD), but this did not make reading this book any easier. Yochi Dreazen lays it all out in the he retelling of the story of the Grahams. Essentially, they lost there two sons. One killed himself right before he was set to enter the military after he took himself of anti-depressions. Depression, or at least admitting that it is a problem, Dreazen relates, is seen as a sign of weakness in the Army, and seeking help for it, can end a career. The other son died after an IED explosion in Irag. Those soldiers that do survive such an explosion often deal with massive problems such as PSTD, which again the military seems to view as a sign of weakness. The Grahams, try to change the culture of the Army, and the author does note that things are changing. However, it seems that if recent reports are true, the military is releases these men and women dealing with these issues from the Army by the thousands, and since their discharges are not honorable, they are denied the benefits that can help them deal with their personal costs of war. (

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pmartin462 | Dec 14, 2015 |

This is an excellent look at how our recent wars have brought the issues of depressions, PTSD, brain injuries and military suicide to our nation’s consciousness. While all of these things occurred in previous wars, we are finally recognizing them now because of the large number of our soldiers feeling their impact. This is an important read for anyone who knows someone who served or is serving, or cares about our country. (

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Susan.Macura | Dec 13, 2015 |

This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

Major General Mark Graham and his wife Carol lost both of their sons in less than a year. The younger of the two committed suicide after going off his antidepressants. He stopped the medication because he feared they would show up in mandatory ROTC drug testing and cost him his Army career. Nine months later the older son was killed by an IED in Iraq. The Graham's profound pain over their losses was made worse by the differences in the way people treated the two deaths. Jeff was lauded as a hero, but people either didn't want to talk about Kevin's death at all or said incredibly cruel things. As a result of this experience they made it their mission to do everything they could to prevent suicides and change the Army's approach to issue. In “The Invisible Front” Yochi Dreazen uses their experience to look at the suicide epidemic that has hit the military as a result of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and the larger issue of how the military deals with the “invisible wounds” of war.

This book is a difficult read, but an important one. In the era of endless war it behooves all of us to look long and hard at the results of the decision to deploy troops and to become educated on the issues surrounding suicide, PTSD, and traumatic brain injury. At the very least people need to have enough compassion not to tell the loved ones of those who die by suicide that they were just weak or that they're burning in hell. (

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LoriAnnK | Nov 27, 2015 |

This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

Major General Mark Graham and his wife, Carol, lost two sons. Both were pursuing military careers and both were dedicated to serving their country, but only one son was honored as a hero. The other was talked of in whispers. Jeff was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq and Kevin committed suicide. Thier parents struggled with the different ways their sons’ deaths were treated. In their eyes, both their sons died heroes, albeit fighting different battles. In the wake of their tragedy, they sought to change the military’s unacceptable attitude toward soldiers suffering from PTSD, depression, and other mental illnesses. The military’s ingrained culture of seeing any sort of assistance as a sign of weakness (often resulting in harassment, has made changing this attitude difficult. While Major General Graham has done much to change the military’s attitude, there is still much left to be done.

The Invisible Front is engaging, heartbreaking, and brutally honest in its discussion of mental illness on both a personal level and at an institutional level. I would definitely recommend this to anyone interested in military history and mental health issues. It’s well written, frank, and honest about a problem many do not want to address. (

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gofergrl84 | Nov 22, 2015 |

This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

Excellent telling of the Graham family story. Brings to life the trials of returning servicemen, troubled people, and the families that have to deal with them. Informative without being dry, touching without being maudlin. We need to do more for them, but not pity. (

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bgknighton | Nov 2, 2015 |

This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

This book was very enlightening and heavy for me. The story follows the Graham family who suffer a tragic suicide of their youngest son as well as the another heart wrenching loss of their eldest son while in service. The book covers each of these losses as well as the surmounting number of our veterans suffering with PTSD and depression. It takes your breath away when you think of how many service members and their families and are deeply affected and how ill equipped our military health care system is take on the numbers the author enlightened me too.

mootzymom | Oct 22, 2015 |

This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

This is a deeply moving and detailed story of one family's loss of both their sons to war -- one in combat, and one by suicide -- and how the Army and the world varied in their responses based on the manner of their deaths. A difficult read, but recommended for those that can manage the heavy emotions therein. (

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cattriona | Oct 19, 2015 |

This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

I began reading this book while also reading several other books having to do with Iraq and Afghanistan. I have in the recent past read several other books regarding behavior during and post deployment. I only read the first two chapters and then stopped. The book seemed well written but it was covering familiar ground due to my prior reading. (

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cherilove | Apr 25, 2015 |

Yochi Dreazem has written a heartbreaking and heroic story about a family who lost their sons, 9 months apart, while in service in Iraq. Jeff Graham, the eldest son was killed while looking for explosives in Fallujah while Kevin Graham committed suicide soon after he enrolled in the ROTC. Jeff was treated as a hero by the military while Kevin, and his family, was treated like a pariah. How their deaths were treated by the military is the center of this devastating book.

The military has a long and painful history of ignoring and punishing soldiers with depression, PTSD, mental illness and those who commit suicide. What made this book particularly gripping was the way it told the story of one particular family's struggles with the military's pernicious and hostile culture towards soldiers with mental illness yet also fully examines the policies and systems that have kept this culture in place. This makes for a rich and thorough understanding of how the suicide rate in the military is higher than the military in civilian life. It also speaks to the bravery of the Graham family, especially Major General Graham's quest to change the culture of the military and stop the marginalization and stigmatization of those with mental illness. This book has the potential to be a game changer for the military and beyond.

I thank Blogging for Books for giving me the opportunity to review this book for an honest review (

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Karen59 | Nov 30, 2014 |

This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

I was excited about winning this book, since I am interest in the PTSD and the affects these current military engagements have had on our troops. The beginning kept my attention, and I cared about the two brothers. But the story veered off the fathers military career and as far back as the he parents meeting in college. This is the point where I lost interest, and could not get re-interested in the story. It should of stayed with the brothers and their history and their comrades - which it might have but I couldn't get past the parents history. (

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chwest | Nov 26, 2014 |

This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

Behavioral Health is a touchy subject in today's military. Dreazen shows us how much through the eyes of a General with a personal stake in the matter. Major General Mark Graham was the one time commander of an entire military base and sought to change how the military treated those with PTSD and those that chose to end their own lives. He knows how painful it can be because his own son committed suicide while training to become an officer. Nine Months later, His eldest son who was already commissioned, lost his life to an IED in Iraq. What struck him the most was the way the two deaths were treated by the military and after that sought to change to climate of the behavioral health system.

xymon81 | Nov 24, 2014 |

This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

I've learned so much by reading this book. I come from a military family and am grateful that neither of my loved ones was lost in combat or by suicide. I never knew that we failed our military so poorly in this regard. The author does a fantastic job in letting all this be known. Well written and moving. (

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nvgomez | Nov 7, 2014 |

This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

Dreazen has written a remarkably touching, approachable, and honest view into two of the most difficult issues facing soldiers and their families today: Suicide, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. This should be recommended reading to anyone with a family member in the military, or who works with, or alongside, veterans. (

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PJNeal | Oct 7, 2014 |

This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

A well written and though provoking book that is honest and upfront about the psychological problems in our military. The stories that are shared are tragic, but at the same time hopefully serve as a learning experience for the military. I would recommend this book to anyone. (

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Flyaway1987 | Jul 9, 2014 |

This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

A heart-breaking look into the tragedy of mental illness, PTSD and suicide in today’s military. This was not an easy read but it is an important book. It is well-written although I did not like the time skips in the first section. The Graham family is open and honest about their family’s problems and hopefully they will help many people through this book and their work for change in the military bureaucracy. (

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Suzanne81 | Jul 6, 2014 |

This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

A compassionate, engaging, and powerful look at the cost of war, the consequences of ignoring mental health issues, and society's response to suicide versus non-suicide death, specifically death in combat. Dreazen offers a close inspection of one family's tragedy: the suicide of one son & the combat death of another. The statistics included in this book are heartbreaking.

**This was an advanced reader copy won through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program.** (

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lesmel | Jul 6, 2014 |

This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

This is one of the standout books I've received from LibraryThing. A journalist tells the story of a family's loss of two sons for two different reasons and the military and societal response to those losses, and the events unfold at a perfect page and rivetingly. It has important points to make about our judgments about mental issues and about the horrors of war, but it also reads as smoothly as if it were fiction. I was impressed by this book and glad to have the chance to read it. (

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benruth | Jun 19, 2014 |

This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

I received this from the early reviewers program. This book is painful to read as it details the struggle of the Graham family as they deal with the loss of their two sons. It made me want to slam my head against the wall more than once as I read about the details of the human cost of war and how we are utterly failing to deal with them. (

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elizabeth9592 | Jun 16, 2014 |

This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

Good read about how we fail our miltary. (

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arelenriel | Jun 10, 2014 |

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