Why this book:  I met Josh Mantz several years ago when he was a guest speaker at an event I was organizing.  He came, he spoke, he impressed all of us.  Josh and I connected, became friends and have stayed in touch. He had given me a copy of his book, and I finally got around to reading it. 

Summary in 3 Sentences:  This is Josh Mantz’s story, beginning with a few brief chapters about his childhood and upbringing, describing his path through school to West Point to becoming an Army infantry officer, and ultimately to leading a platoon in a very violent part of Iraq in 2007. While there, an enemy sniper fired a high caliber round that went through and killed his platoon sergeant, before hitting Josh and severing his femoral artery. Bleeding badly, his platoon mates rapidly got him to the nearest medical aide station where he flat lined for 15 minutes while doctors and medics struggled to save him, finally detecting a pulse and bringing him back to life.  The second half of the book is about his recovery, and his efforts to continue to serve while still struggling with PTSD and other physiological and psychological challenges from his time in combat.   

My Impressions:   A short, captivating and very powerful read. I’m so glad I finally picked it up and read it. I found his entire story fascinating and inspiring. As an infantry officer, he studied counter-insurgency theory and as a leader of a combat unit in Iraq recognized that it applied to the work he was doing in and around Sadr City in Baghdad, the most violent and dangerous section of the city during the worst part of the war. He and his team were making significant progress building ties to the local police and Iraqis when a sniper’s bullet interrupted their operations, and his life.

 Josh’s life story had been one of succeeding by working harder and with greater focus and dedication than most others, and it usually worked for him – until it didn’t.  His life seemed to be one well-earned success after another, until he was shot in Iraq.  Josh applied his proven methods of focus and hard work to his physical recovery and amazed doctors and his team by returning to join them in Iraq just months after being shot, dying and being brought back to life.   But trauma and PTSD don’t succumb to simple hard work – they are much more complex than that.  

Josh learned that perseverance, hope, faith, patience, mentorship and support from others are essential to the healing process.  Josh’s story is about all these things,  built upon an amazing combat story, and his efforts to help others who have struggled with trauma – from battle or other sources.

Josh’s story of dying – his Near Death Experience is alone powerful enough to justify reading this book.  If you wonder what it might be like to know that you’re about to die, and then accept it and let go, here is one of the few who have had that experience and survived to be able to share it.   After letting himself go, and essentially saying goodbye to the world, when he woke up two days later, he remembered clearly everything that had happened to him before “literally everything faded to black.”  He describes a powerful and peaceful experience  – “the most peaceful experience of my life.” 

Josh shares how the convergence of good fortune and good people doing amazing work together led to the miracle of his survival.  He shares how his platoon and family reacted, and his months of recovery, and how after just a few months, he eventually, by hard work and a bit of bureaucratic conniving, made his way back to his men in Iraq, and continued to serve. But he was a changed man.

After his tour in Iraq was up and upon return to duty in the States, Josh continued to excel as he had before, with more focus, dedication, and hard work than almost anyone else. It was what had worked for him before, but again, he was a different man after his injury.   He initially stayed on track for advancement within his career, becoming aide de camp to a General officer and being given command of a Warrior Transition Unit, and eventually being sent to a graduate program to help his continued service and advancement.  Success and accolades kept coming.  But eventually he realized that working 16 hours a day was a coping mechanism to avoid dealing with the psychological residue and other issues relating to  his trauma.

Josh became a nationally recognized speaker and spokesman for the needs of soldiers to recover from trauma, speaking publicly in highly visible events and forums, impressing all who met him with his candor, humility, and willingness to share.  One of his primary goals was to take the stigma away from the struggles so many soldiers were having upon their return from combat.  

He described  what he and others refer to as moral injuries – feelings of shame, powerlessness, betrayal and guilt, to include survivor’s guilt, from decisions made and other experiences under the stress of combat.  Maintaining a grueling schedule on his speaking tour, he was still avoiding recognizing and dealing with the moral injuries he was experiencing himself.  Eventually he recognized his own pain and had to pull back.  While he was providing clear guidance to other soldiers and their loved ones about dealing with Post Traumatic Stress, and appeared to have it all together, he had difficulty following his own advice – until he found himself in a moment of severe personal crisis. Then he knew what he had to do – and reached out for help.

This is a powerful book, full of insights about life and death, success and struggle, and one man, connecting with and serving others who are similarly struggling, to find happiness and meaning after a severe traumatic event.  Josh has endured Post-Traumatic Stress and found Post Traumatic Growth.  He found not only pain, but also beauty, wisdom and insight in the struggle, and in this book, he celebrates the Beauty of a Darker Soul. 

Josh Mantz: “Giving someone the feeling that they’re not alone any more is one of the most selfless and courageous acts you can perform in this lifetime.”

Below is the TED talk Josh gave in 2015. In it, Josh tells a brief and powerful version of his story. There are other youtube presentations of Josh on Youtube, for those who have the time.