When Lieutenant Matt Gallagher began his blog with the aim of keeping his family and friends apprised of his experiences, he didnt anticipate that it would resonate far beyond his intended audience. His subjects ranged from mission details to immortality, grim stories about Bon Jovi cassettes mistaken for IEDs, and the daily experiences of the Gravediggersthe code name for members of Gallaghers platoon. When the blog was shut down in June 2008 by the U. S. Army, there were more than twenty-five congressional inquiries regarding the matter as well as reports through the military grapevine that many high-ranking officials and officers at the Pentagon were disappointed that the blog had been ordered closed. Based on Gallaghers extraordinarily popular blog, Kaboom is at turns hilarious, maddening, and terrifying, providing raw and insightful snapshots of a conflict many Americans have lost interest in (Washington Post). Like Anthony Swoffords Jarhead, Gallaghers Kaboom resonates with stoic detachment and timeless insight into a war that we are still trying to understand.

Author Biography

Matt Gallagher joined the U.S. Army in 2005 and received a commission in the armored cavalry. Following a fifteen-month deployment in Iraq, Gallagher left the army in 2009. Originally from Reno, Nevada, he now lives in New York City.