"Steve Valley's Inside the Fortress should be required reading by anyone who wants to understand the often tense and contentious relationship between the military and the media. It's an easy read, a straightforward, sometimes breezy account of Valley's time in Iraq, including his many complaints about, and occasional praise of, the "MSM" (Mainstream Media)." Jamie McIntyre Former CNN Pentagon Bureau Chief
"Inside the Fortress is a fascinating read. Steve Valley relays the day to day life of the war in Iraq and provides insights that are not learned in our daily newspapers and TV news reports. Every American should read this soldier's story and gain a better understanding of the great work being done by the men and women who serve our country in ways we cannot even imagine. I have been to Iraq and visited with the troops ... because I had that experience, I can tell you that his words are vivid and precise. Thanks for serving and thanks for sharing Steve." - Bob Delaney Author of Covert...My Life Infiltrating the Mob
Inside the Fortress is a humorous and eye-opening book that offers readers a frank, in your face assessment of the successes and failures of the military's public affairs and media missions. It's an informative, easy-to-read book that should be required reading for anyone that questions the media's coverage of modern combat operations.
"Steve Valley was shelter from the storm of insanity and frustration that drove any reasonable person to run screaming from the Green Zone. He gave what information he could, straight up - if he didn't know he was honest about that as well. Combined with his invincible good humor; that made Valley an uncommonly good resource amid the madness." Quil Lawrence, NPR Middle East Correspondent
"Steve Valley was a go-to guy who got things done for journalists working with CPIC. He had an exceptional understanding of the news value of specific events and the significance of the numerous agencies vying for the most essential media embed opportunities." Jim MacMillan Associated Press Photographer - Pulitzer Prize Winner
"Steve Valley's sense of humor, Red Sox fever, and endless appetite for conversation earned him a loyal following in the Baghdad press corps. He navigated with good cheer the often bizarre and almost always conflicting demands of reporters and of the US military. Steve is no ideologue, and served with a human touch. His account of life in the Green Zone is packed with true-to-life details about the struggles both petty and grand that shaped the work of the US military's public affairs operation in Iraq. He spares no embarrassment, evoking the efforts and shortcomings of the military men and women who worked in the Baghdad Palace and the Convention Center during the early years of the war in Iraq." Thanassis Cambanis Former Boston Globe Baghdad Co-Bureau Chief
"Inside the Fortress is a must read for military and media buffs, or anyone who wants a unique and refreshing perspective of the Iraqi conflict. You will laugh at the antics of Valleys unit and cry at the personal conflicts that are as much a part of war as the battle against the enemy." Don Germaise WFTS-Action News 28 Tampa, FL
"Inside the Fortress is a FANTASTIC read; simple, to the point, and very funny. Yeah, its like the 'inside baseball' stuff to me, but I can guarantee that you will be amazed at some of the stuff that went on behind the scenes there." John Wagner Blacfive.net Contributing Writer OIF Veteran
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