Christy W. Sauro Jr.
Josh Shores’s Counting on Death details his Marine Corps service in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is revealing, riveting and often heartbreaking. His firsthand account of patrolling the market area in Ramadi in a high-back Humvee and the consequences of being at the receiving end of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) is written in such a way that the reader will be able to experience it. Shores excelled in combat and was promoted through the ranks to staff sergeant, yet in his memoir, he often speaks of his mistakes, poor choices, bad behavior and the toll it took on his personal life. His introspective has been years in the making and it took a great amount of courage to tell it in the hopes that future veterans will benefit from it.
Mikael Cook
"Counting on Death is a raw, unfiltered memoir that pulls you into the heart of combat and the quiet, crushing battles that follow. Joshua Shores delivers an unforgettable account of war, trauma, and the cost of survival. Challenging the glorification of war and honoring the complexity of those who fight, this book marks a vital contribution to the war on terror.
Major Fred Galvin
Counting on Death is a raw, unflinching memoir that rips the curtain off showing the brutal realities of war. Through Josh’s unforgettable recollections of heart-pounding raids, narrowly avoiding death, and moments of dark humor amidst the carnage of Iraq and Afghanistan, this book reveals the untold truths of combat. As a retired enlisted Marine and Marine Special Operations Officer, I'm humbled from serving beside America's best whose raw valor and human vulnerabilities tell a story of both extraordinary sacrifice and irreversible change. They fight not just out of duty, but for the unbreakable bond and fierce love they share with their Marine brothers. This is not just a recount of military operations; it’s a tribute to the indomitable spirit of the grunts who fight in the severest crucibles of war.
Johnnie Clark
A dedicated U.S. Marine takes us on a truthful journey through combat and his own search for meaning.
Lt. Col. Thomas Schueman
Counting on Death is not just a war memoir—it is a reckoning. Joshua Shores offers a brutally honest account of his service with Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines in Ramadi, Iraq, and the lingering battles that followed him home. This book lays bare the internal moral injuries that so many combat veterans carry but rarely voice. It is a courageous and unflinching meditation on guilt, brotherhood, survival, and the long road to healing. Shores doesn’t glorify war—he interrogates it with raw clarity, calling us to confront the cost of our decisions in uniform and as a nation. Every Marine, every American, should read this.
author of Life and Death at Abbey Gate Mikael Cook
Joshua Shores delivers an unforgettable account of war, trauma, and the cost of survival. Challenging the glorification of war and honoring the complexity of those who fight, this book marks a vital contribution to the war on terror.”
Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Schueman
This book lays bare the internal moral injuries that so many combat veterans carry but rarely voice. It is a courageous and unflinching meditation on guilt, brotherhood, survival, and the long road to healing. Shores doesn’t glorify war—he interrogates it with raw clarity, calling us to confront the cost of our decisions in uniform and as a nation. Every Marine, every American, should read this.”
