Black Knights, Dark Days: The True Story of Sadr City's Black Sunday - Softcover

Fisk, J. Matthew

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1944353127 ISBN 13: 9781944353124

Publisher: Warriors Publishing Group, 2016

Synopsis

An Iraq War veteran’s firsthand account of surviving a deadly insurgent ambush against the 1st Cavalry Division—and battling through the aftermath. It was known as Black Sunday—April 4, 2004, when units of America’s 1st Cavalry Division saw their routine deployment turn into a harrowing and costly fight. Enraged, motivated, and well-armed insurgents crammed the alleys, streets, and buildings of Sadr City. In that fight, a surging mob of militants ambushed one small unit of the Black Knight battalion. The heroic rescue attempt proved fatal for many of the determined soldiers who braved the gauntlet. Cav veteran Matt Fisk—who fought through Black Sunday and survived—gives a gut-level, over-the-rifle-sights view of a short, violent period when one of the safest places in the war zone suddenly turned into a cauldron of death and destruction, leaving eight US troops dead and dozens wounded—only the beginning of a lengthy siege aimed at defeating the Mahdi Army. Fisk’s rugged deployment with colorful and courageous fellow soldiers would result in some serious problems when he returned home, testing his coping skills. He turned to the VA for help—and wound up with the same frustration that plagues so many of today’s returning combat veterans. It’s all here in Black Knights, Dark Days—and it’s all brutally honest. “A gripping, astonishing insider’s account of the April 4, 2004, ambush of a First Cavalry Platoon in Sadr City that changed the course of the Iraq War. With great candor and skill, Matt Fisk interweaves the chaos and adrenaline of modern combat with the continuing battles with PTSD at home. An intense, vivid, deeply personal portrait of men at war that is up there with the very best books of the genre.” —Mikko Alanne, screenwriter and producer, The Long Road Home, The 33

About this title

About the Author

MATT FISK WAS BORN in DeQueen, Arkansas and entered the Army in 1997. He served 8 years in the infantry as an enlisted soldier before crossing to the dark side for another 8 years as an officer in the logistics corps. He has a degree in criminal justice though he is not currently involved in either the criminal nor justice systems. Matt spends his days in east Texas developing a self-sufficient homestead with his childhood sweetheart and their lovely baby girl. And 10 goats. And two horses. And 11 bobwhite quail. And about 20 gazillion chickens. And a bad dog. And three disdainful cats, excellent examples of their species.

Review

"A gripping, astonishing insider's account of the April 4, 2004, ambush of a First Cavalry Platoon in Sadr City that changed the course of the Iraq War. With great candor and skill, Matt Fisk interweaves the chaos and adrenaline of modern combat with the continuing battles with PTSD at home. An intense, vivid, deeply personal portrait of men at war that is up there with the very best books of the genre." -Mikko Alanne, screenwriter and producer, The Long Road Home, The 33 "Matt Fisk's Black Knights, Dark Days hits the reader square in the gut from the first line-"I've just killed a child, and I'm waiting for my conscience to tell me it's a bad thing"-and doesn't let up. It is a rare first-hand look at the 2004 Black Sunday ambush in Sadar City from a grunt with Shakespearian sensibilities. A beautifully told story of sacrifice and loss, devotion and redemption, this book should be required reading for veterans and civilians alike." -Erin Celello, Learning to Stay

About this edition

• Publisher: Warriors Publishing Group
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1944353127
• ISBN 13: 9781944353124
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 324