Each of these authors brings a unique perspective to the discussion. Doug Stanton's book, Horse Soldiers, is the dramatic account of a small band of soldiers who secretly entered Afghanistan following 9/11 and rode to war on horses against the Taliban. Philip Caputo's memoir, A Rumor of War, documents his experience as a infantry lieutenant in the Marines in the Vietnam War; he has also explored the personal impact of war in his fiction. Benjamin Busch is an actor, writer, and photographer who served two tours of duty with the Marines in the second Iraq War. Not only has he written about his experience in the war, he portrayed a Marine in the HBO series "Generation Kill," which focuses on the initial American assault on Baghdad in 2003.

The authors have ties to Michigan: Doug Stanton lives in Traverse City; Benjamin Busch lives in Reed City; Philip Caputo's novel, Indian Country, focuses on a troubled Vietnam veteran who comes to terms with civilian life in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

Special Reception (6 - 7:30 pm at the Hannah Ccommunity Center).  RECEPTION IS SOLD OUT.

Meet and mingle with Benjamin Busch, Phlip Caputo, and Doug Stanton. Learn about how your investment supports critical public humanities programs statewide.  Enjoy ample wine and delectable catering.  Reception price includes entrance to the public presentation at 8 pm in the Hannah Community Center theater.

Made possible by the Michigan Humanities Council, with support from: Lynne Brown & Ann Hill, Perspective2; National Endowment for the Humanities; Meijer; Citizens Bank-Saginaw; Eva Evans; Jan & Ron Fedewa; i2Integration; Maner Costerisan; Public Policy Associates, Inc.; Sharp Designs; Wendi Tilden & James Clift.

Photographs, audio recording, and video recording are prohibited.

About the Authors

Benjamin Busch was born in Manhattan and grew up in rural New York State. He graduated from Vassar College in 1991 with a major in Studio Art, and soon thereafter accepted a commission as an infantry officer in the United States Marine Corps. The images in his photographic exhibits “The Art in War” (2003) and “Occupation” (2005) are from his two combat tours in Iraq.  He has appeared on Homicide, The Wire, Generation Kill, and several other television shows as an actor, and his first film as a writer/director, Sympathetic Details, was released in 2008 along with a new exhibit of photographs, “Abstract Matter.”  His images from Iraq have been featured in Five Points, War, Literature, & the Arts, and Photography Quarterly.  His memoir, "Bearing Arms," recently appeared in Harper’s and his newest essay,"Growth Rings," is in the Michigan Quarterly Review.  He lives on a farm in Reed City, Michigan with his wife and their two daughters.

Philip Caputo shared a Pulitzer Prize in 1973, when he was a reporter for the Chicago Tribune. A Rumor of War, a memoir of his service during the Vietnam War as a marine lieutenant, has become a classic with more than two million copies sold since its publication in 1977. Philip Caputo's most recent novel is Crossers. He is also the author of 12 other books, including Indian Country, which features a troubled Vietnam veteran's transition to civilian life in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. He currently lives in Connecticut.

Doug Stanton is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Horse Solders and In Harm's Way. A former contributing editor at Esquire, Sports Afield, and Outside, Stanton is now a contributing editor at Men's Journal and has written on travel, entertainment, and adventure. Stanton lives in his hometown of Traverse City, Michigan, where he is a member of the advisory board of the Interlochen Center for the Arts' Motion Picture Arts Program and a trustee of the Pathfinder School. He also coordinates the National Writers Series, which brings leading writers to Northern Michigan to engage the public and support scholarships for high school students. 

About the Michigan Humanities Council

The Michigan Humanities Council, founded in 1974, is an independent, non-profit organization funded in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities. For additional information on the Michigan Humanities Council, please visit: www.michiganhumanities.org or call 517-372-7770.