A former newspaper reporter, who went on to serve two tours in Iraq as an infantryman with the 10th Mountain Division before leaving the U.S. Army in 2005, Brian has used his inside knowledge about warfare to write extensively on military and veteran affairs, reporting from war zones in Afghanistan and Iraq, among other places.
List of Brian Mockenhaupt Books, Works, Study Guides & Essays
1. Three Days in Gettysburg: An Intimate Tale of Lost Love and Divided Hearts at the Battle That Defined America (2013) – Non-fiction Book
To commemorate the battle of Gettysburg, the largest battle ever fought on American soil, journalist Brian Mockenhaupt pens a moving and cinematically descriptive tale of the events of the war through the eyes of both the soldiers who fought and died in the chaos and the experiences of residents and non-combatants.
2. The Living and the Dead: War, Friendship, and the Battles That Never End (2012) – Non-fiction Book
A tale of modern 21st-century combat and the consequences it has on the lives of those who fight it, Mockenhaupt relates the grippingly true story of three close friends – Tom, Ian, and Jimmy, who are fighting in the Afghanistan countryside with the knowledge that their lives could come to end at any time. Described as a powerfully moving account of bravery, friendship, struggle, and sacrifice for the country in the face of unimaginable tests, the writer uses his excellent narrative sense to bring the experience of the battlefield to life.
3. The Stolen-Valor Detective – Article on the December 2016 Issue of The Atlantic
Brian Mockenhaupt writes about Staff Sergeant Anthony Anderson’s investigations into a form of lying that has come to be known as stolen valor. This happens when civilians fib about military service, or veterans decorate their records with false claims of battlefield medals and missions with elite units.
4. World War I: 100 Years Later – Article on the June 2016 Issue of Smithsonian Magazine
In this piece, Mockenhaupt writes about where the most treacherous battle of world war I took place, the Italian mountains – high peaks of the Dolomites range.
5. The Other Side of The Mountain – Article for Outside online in March 2011
The article talks about how the United States military has excelled in building modern combat equipment and training soldiers but has failed in helping the actual people who fight the war adjust to life after the battlefield. Trying out a new and promising postwar therapy of adventure, Mockenhaupt joins 11 combat veterans on their journey in Nepal as they try to get their lives back on track.
6. The Sports Shrink: Michael Gervais, Psychologist to the Stars – Article for Outside Online in January 2013
Brian Mockenhaupt has a look into the extraordinary ability and work of Los Angeles sports psychologist Michael Gervais, who is known to have brought elite athletes like Olympic volleyball gold medalist Kerri Walsh and daredevil spaceman Felix Baumgartner out of a slump.
7. A Car for the Everyday Man – Article on the January 2009 Issue of The Atlantic
This piece is about a Chinese car maker who appears at the North American International Auto Show and is looking to build and sell affordable, gas-free vehicles in America. See Also: 10 Must-Read Oliver Sacks Books and Literary Works
8. Is Nature the Key to Rehabilitating Prisoners? – Article for Outside Online in September 2016
Due to the fact that the United States is a world leader in incarceration, there are a huge number of people who have had to spend time behind bars and are having challenges with getting their lives back on track – getting a job, a place to live, and breaking the cycle of bad friends and habits that can lead them back to prison. Brian Mockenhaupt explores a new call by activists and scientists that says nature can play an essential role in helping ex-convicts build a new life.
9. What It Feels Like to Lie Face Down and Let a Wildfire Burn Over You – Article on the May 2014 Issue of The Atlantic
The writer here explores what it feels like to be fighting a wildfire when the blaze suddenly turns and begins to head in your direction with the only chance of survival being to lie face down on the ground, cover yourself with a thin aluminum shelter, and let the fire burn over you.
