Letters from the Front Lines

Admiral Stuart Platt talked about his book Letters from the Front Lines: Iraq and Afghanistan, published by Granville Island. The book collects correspondence to and from soldiers and their families. At this event Admiral Platt read selected letters and explained the process he used to collect them. In doing so, he described what he considers to be the unique aspects of correspondence during contemporary conflicts, including the impact of electronic mail on censorship, and the role of the blogosphere in his own data collection. He also emphasized the diversity of information received from soldiers' letters, and argued that while the American media may critique the war, the troops abroad maintain a level of professionalism and commitment to their assignment. He responded to questions from the audience. close