Official Review: Bad Infidel by Natividad Ruiz

Please use this sub-forum to discuss any non-fiction books such as autobiographies or political commentary books.
Forum rules
Authors and publishers are not able to post replies in the review topics.
Post Reply
User avatar
Jgideon
Posts: 667
Joined: 03 Apr 2018, 03:37
Favorite Book: Gates to Tangier
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 253
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-jgideon.html
Latest Review: Sundays with Sister ssj by Anthony Happy LaRiccia

Official Review: Bad Infidel by Natividad Ruiz

Post by Jgideon »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Bad Infidel" by Natividad Ruiz.]
Book Cover
3 out of 4 stars
Share This Review


Natividad Ruiz is one of the American soldiers who were on the front line during the war in Afghanistan. Bad Infidel is his memoir in which he recounts his experiences during the war. He gives a detailed account of the things that he did, with a special focus on his family in the war zone (his platoon). He also uses the book to give his opinion about leadership within the military. It has 300+ pages.

Someone once said, “Sometimes, the nicest people are covered with tattoos.” In this case, I would say, “Sometimes, the nicest books are loaded with F-bombs.” I almost gave up reading this book after I met the first one (F-bomb) in the first paragraph of the first chapter. Yes, in the first paragraph, but I am glad that I chose to read it. I ended up being glued to its pages as I read more about what Ruiz and his platoon (The Black Sheep) went through during the war. I was particularly upset with their First Sergeant who treated them as if they were not good enough. He was always looking for new opportunities to make them feel like pieces of trash. He behaved as if it was fine to walk all over his fellow human beings. After an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) explosion, the platoon’s lieutenant (Lt. Osborne) and another soldier (Sgt. Roesch) were injured and had to leave. The First Sergeant (Dicks) did not care that The Black Sheep, which was already disadvantaged in terms of numbers, needed some additional soldiers. He even went ahead and made it the assault unit. Ruiz noted, “We were less than twenty-six soldiers, and for some reason made the f****g assault for a “TASK FORCE.” No officer, no hero with bells and whistles.” Just to give you a clearer picture, the ideal platoon for the task was “twenty men stronger” and was better equipped.

I loved the author’s brevity, loyalty, and sense of humor. When the lieutenant left the platoon after the accident, Ruiz took the leading role. Just ‘walking’ and ‘staying’ with him as he did his job, especially disarming IEDs, gave me chills. He always looked out for his soldiers and ensured that they were always safe. He even confronted the First Sergeant on several occasions to protect the wellbeing of the platoon. Can you imagine that at some point, he found himself in the middle of a heavy crossfire, and he describes that as the perfect moment of his life? I could not believe it when he said, “ So here Wynell and I go running up the f****g road, past the bombs, and bullets coming toward us, no sh*t, at us, and I think, “This is the most perfect time of my life.” This moment right here, bombs, guns, bullets, and I’m running to the sound of the guns and my men, The Black Sheep. No matter how long I may live, I will never reach this perfect feeling of person, place, and time again.” That’s beyond amazing.

This is a book that I would recommend to the whole world: If not for Ruiz’s sense of humor and his ability to loosen up the tension of thick situations with his tactful use of words, then for the lessons that we need to learn about war and politics. It also gives a perfect picture of the challenges that soldiers go through during times of war. The mainstream media journalists will also learn how lame their one-sided reports can be. Those who love books with a paranormal aspect (in real life) will also love it.

It was not professionally edited. Sadly, I gave it 3 out of 4 stars because I had to deduct a star due to the several grammatical errors that I noted. The author has such an amazing personality and a great sense of humor that made me not to give the book a lower rating.

******
Bad Infidel
View: on Bookshelves
User avatar
Falconcrest
Posts: 440
Joined: 23 Jun 2019, 13:09
Currently Reading: Brass Rail
Bookshelf Size: 200
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-falconcrest.html
Latest Review: Killing Abel by Michael Tieman

Post by Falconcrest »

This sounds like an amazing story. The effects of war can be brutal and it is always a blessing to be able to get some first-hand insight from the boots on the ground. When you come to think of it, it's always the politicians that start wars and not the soldiers. Thanks for an extraordinary review.
User avatar
Wamakima
Posts: 350
Joined: 04 Nov 2017, 01:36
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 69
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-wamakima.html
Latest Review: Creating Literary Stories: A Fiction Writer's Guide by William H. Coles

Post by Wamakima »

When I am reading, I like to think that I am having a conversation with the book and its characters. So I can't imagine having a conversation with someone who swears at every sentence. The book sounds nice but I think I will skip it. Great review!
But the path I’ve chosen has always been the right one, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. :)
User avatar
Nisha Ward
Previous Member of the Month
Posts: 2311
Joined: 04 Feb 2019, 15:00
Favorite Author: Garth Nix
Favorite Book: Binti Home
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 321
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-nisha-ward.html
Latest Review: Fear Not, Dream Big, & Execute by Jeff Meyer
Reading Device: B0794RHPZD
fav_author_id: 4351

Post by Nisha Ward »

So, I'll be honest. I don't seek out books about war. They're hit or miss for me. With that being said, the look into life during the Afghanistan war and the ups and downs of life on the line seems like a fascinating thing to read about, particularly since it also involves a lot of the things that you don't hear about within army life.
"...while a book has got to be worthwhile from the point of view of the reader it's got to be worthwhile from the point of view of the writer as well." - Terry Pratchett on The Last Continent and his writing.
kdstrack
Previous Member of the Month
Posts: 6473
Joined: 10 May 2017, 19:49
Currently Reading: The Savior
Bookshelf Size: 530
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-kdstrack.html
Latest Review: How To Be Successful by M. Curtis McCoy

Post by kdstrack »

A true soldier and an amazing patriot! I enjoyed your inspiring review. Thanks for finishing the book and offering this outstanding recommendation.
Post Reply

Return to “Non-Fiction Books”