House to House: An Epic Memoir of War

David Bellavia

Jan 2006 · Blackstone Audio Inc. · Narrated by Ray Porter

About this audiobook

This is the personal side of battle, where emotion, courage, and strength are stretched to the limits.

Bringing to searing life the terrifying intimacy of hand-to-hand infantry combat, House to House is far more than just another war story—it is one of the most compelling combat narratives ever written. Populated by an indelibly drawn cast of characters, it develops the intensely close relationships that form between soldiers under fire. Their friendships, tested in brutal combat, would never be quite the same. What happened to them in their bloody embrace with America’s most implacable enemy is a harrowing, unforgettable story of triumph, tragedy, and the resiliency of the human spirit.

Staff Sergeant David Bellavia, army infantry platoon leader, gives a teeth-rattling, first-hand account of eleven straight days of heavy house-to-house fighting during the climactic second battle of Fallujah. His actions in the firefight, which included killing five insurgents in hand-to-hand combat, earned Bellavia the Bronze Star, the Silver Star, and New York state’s highest military honor, the Conspicuous Service Cross. He has been nominated for the Medal of Honor and for the army’s second highest combat medal, the Distinguished Service Cross.

Ratings and reviews

Good book! My only problems were that in some places of the book , it just seems to drag on. Also Sergeant Bell seems overly emotional and freaks out frequently throughout the book. Rated: 4/5

as someone who is new to the military, I found this book to be riveting and eye opening. the book is more flippant than other books I've read on the Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns, but I feel like the flippant nature is needed in order to showcase the raw brutality that is war. Bellavia beautiful draws the reader in and truly takes you "house to house." I found myself hanging on to each word as Bellavia describes each fire fight. Definitely one of the best military books I've read!

Great real life, first hand story on the Battle of Fallujah. Awesome narration brought to life by Ray Porter. This is a must listen.

About the author

Staff Sergeant David Bellavia spent six years in the U.S. Army, including some of the most intense fighting of the Iraq War. He has been awarded the Silver Star and Bronze Star for his actions in Iraq, and recommended for the Distinguished Service Cross and Medal of Honor for his actions in Fallujah. In 2005, he received the Conspicuous Service Cross (New York State's highest award for military valor) and was inducted into the New York State Senate Veterans Hall of Fame. He is the cofounder of Vets for Freedom, an advocacy organization of veterans concerned about the politicization of media coverage of military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. His writing has been published in The Philadelphia Inquirer, National Review, The Weekly Standard, and other publications. He lives in western New York.

John R. Bruning is the author or coauthor of more than a dozen nonfiction books, including the critically acclaimed Shadow of the Sword and House to House. He lives in Oregon with his wife and two children.

Ray Porter is a prolific voice actor that has recorded for over 100 audio books and dozens of television series, video games and video shorts. Among his wide variety of audiobook credits are The Silver Linings Playbook, The Black Hole War, and the Joe Ledger series. He claims, “With every book I’ve done, I have found that the author has a voice and if I can just do my best to stay out of the way of that voice, then the writer will convey what he’s trying to put across. So for me, it’s really more about enabling the text and what the author is trying to say.”