The White Donkey: Terminal Lance

By: Maximilian Uriarte

Narrated by: Adam McArthur, Kiff Vandenheuvel, Nick Jones, Maximilian Uriarte, Macleod Andrews, Maxwell Hamilton, John Glouchevitch

Length: 2 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's Summary

New York Times Best Seller

A graphic novel of war and its aftermath.

A powerful, compulsively pause-resisting, vivid, and moving tribute to the experience of war and PTSD, The White Donkey tells the story of Abe, a young marine recruit who experiences the ugly, pedestrian, and often meaningless side of military service in rural Iraq. He enlists in the hope of finding that missing something in his life but comes to find out that it's not quite what he expected. Abe gets more than he bargained for when his journey takes him to the Middle East, in war-torn Iraq.

This is a story about a marine written by a marine, and the print version was the first graphic novel about the war in Iraq from a veteran. The White Donkey explores the experience of being a marine as well as the challenges that veterans face upon their return home, and its raw power will leave you in awe.

Full list of narrators includes John Glouchevich, Grace Lee, Benita Robledo, and Eric Lopez.

©2016 Maximilian Uriarte (P)2016 Hachette Audio

Critic Reviews

"In The White Donkey, a sense of alienation pervades Abe's experience. He endures the tedium of war, the yearning for action to gain legitimacy in the eyes of fellow Marines, and, finally, the horror of combat...all drawn with stylized realism." ( The Wall Street Journal)

"Few books pack the punch of The White Donkey. Uriarte has a genius for details that illuminate the truth and pull you into the story with cinematic fervor. He uses the art form itself to punctuate his pacing and immerse you in the inner reality of a marine's life.... Uriarte puts it all on the page for a story that is hardcore and haunting. A brilliant addition to wartime literature." (JeriAnn Geller, Booktrib)

"Spiked with bitter and obscene humor, this debut and first-ever graphic novel about the Iraq War from a veteran reveals the cynical tedium of daily life in combat and how voluntary service can lead to an existential crisis of self-blame. Compelling." (Martha Cornog, Library Journal)

Hits home

This novel really hits home being a Afghanistan veteran and seeing a lot of truth in this day to day military and relating to it, from the standpoint of coming home from a deployment seeing friends going into depression going on leave and not fitting in anywhere you look showing the touchy subject of ptsd the elephant in the room that no one ever wants to admit or seek help before its too late. highly recommended to anyone and everyone

Amazingly Relatable

An amazing, relatable rendition of one Marine's journey. Uiarte beautifully captures the typical grunt upbringing and persona of the modern infantryman. Abe's experiences give insight to the humor, suspense, frustration, disappointment and patriotic roller coaster of the endless wars.

Thank you for bringing awareness to the silent battle many endure from exposure to combat. A must read for all!

amazing

really leaves you hanging. probably a much better read if you are a veteran or currently serving in the military.

Blown Away

I am at a loss for words. Got this audiobook because it was on the commandant reading list and am glad I got it.

Legit Read!

Max has set the tone for modern Marine literature and the modern DET experience!! This needs to be contracted for a major motion picture; where you at Netflix?!!

Brings back repressed feelings

This certainly brings me back to my deployment a few years back. After getting back, the transition from deployment mode to being home was rough.

best

noone understands noone cares .
those that have will . this story hit too close too home .

Must-read for family of Marines Veterans

Any additional comments?

As the wife of a Marine who was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, this book really helped me understand and connect to my husband in a new way. Of course you can talk about being in the Marines and being deployed, but seeing his experience reflected in this book was huge for both of us. Sounds cheesy, but it gave me some new perspective and some new insight. He loves this book so much, and we got the hard copy after listening and have been passing it around to his family ever since we got it....a bit graphic for the parents but hey, that's part of the point. (The hard copy is a graphic novel (and is AMAZING), but the audiobook it AWESOME too!)

No joke, everyone who knows a modern-era Marines veteran should read this. Don't think you know a Marines veteran? Read/listen anyway because you probably do and don't realize, and even if you somehow don't it's an awesome and important story anyway. Thanks TL.

Great book!

This was a great listen and gives a real life look into what veterans deal with both in and outside of the Marine Corps. He did a hell of a job!

Gripping and deep

Once I started listening, I couldn't stop. This is a fanastic but depressing novel about the realities of war. The narration was very well done, and it was a moving story.