Fixing Hell: An Army Psychologist Confronts Abu Ghraib

By Larry C. James and Colonel Larry C. James (Ret.) PhD

This is the story of Abu Ghraib that you haven't heard, told by the soldier sent by the Army to restore order and ensure that the abuses that took place there never happen again.

In April 2004, the world was shocked by the brutal pictures of beatings, dog attacks, sex acts, and the torture of prisoners held at Abu Ghraib in Iraq. As the story broke, and the world began to learn about the extent of the horrors that occurred there, the U.S. Army dispatched Colonel Larry James to Abu Ghraib with an overwhelming assignment: to dissect this catastrophe, fix it, and prevent it from being repeated.

A veteran of deployments to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and a nationally well-known and respected Army psychologist, Colonel James's expertise made him the one individual capable of taking on this enormous task. Through Colonel James's own experience on the ground, readers will see the tightrope military personnel must walk while fighting in the still new battlefield of the war on terror, the challenge of serving as both a doctor/healer and combatant soldier, and what can-and must-be done to ensure that interrogations are safe, moral, and effective.

At the same time, Colonel James also debunks many of the false stories and media myths surrounding the actions of American soldiers at both Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay, and he reveals shining examples of our men and women in uniform striving to serve with honor and integrity in the face of extreme hardship and danger.

An intense and insightful personal narrative, Fixing Hell shows us an essential perspective on Abu Ghraib that we've never seen before.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0446509280
• ISBN13: 9780446509282
• Release Date: September 2008
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 1.17 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.3" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Military Psychology at it's best.

Joseph (Dallas, TX) Dr James delivers a captivating account of his experiences and challenges while leading mental health services at Gitmo and Abu G. His efforts to oversee such a difficult set of circumstances should be not only respected but also commended. In his book, Dr James takes you along with him while doing late night rounds at Gitmo and Abu G. In his no nonsense approach, he lets the reader experience some of the sights, sounds, smells, and irrationality of his tour of duty. He also highlights some of the courage, terror and patriotism displayed by some of this nation's youngest leaders. Well done Col James.

A must read for all Army psychologists

I bought this book from Dr. James at a reading he did at my school. His story is very powerful as he discusses his process of working within a broken system. The role of the psychologist in today's military is not always clear and Dr. James' story helps to illustrate the struggle one goes through when trying to define their role to oneself and to others. Anyone considering joining the military as a psychologist should read this book. This book will not give you a clear cut answer on how to balance being both a soldier and psychologist but it may help you in your process of deciding for yourself how to balance the two roles.

Fascinating Read!

Finally, someone who has actually been in Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib is talking. This book addressed many of the controversial issues about the war today, namely psychologists and interrogations and the very uncomfortable topic regarding what happened in Abu Ghraib that led to those horrible pictures. Dr. James doesn't provide the military party line about the current administration and he admits that mistakes were made. He provides information as to the evolution of improvements in the detention facilities, specifically regarding interrogations of terrorist suspects and changes to the leadership and routine at Abu Ghraib. This first hand report was desperately needed. I didn't put this book down - it is no literary masterpiece but it is an incredible read all the same given the value of the information.