Friday Freebie: It’s My Country Too by Jerri Bell and Tracy Crow

Congratulations to Nancy Bekofske, winner of last week’s Friday Freebie: the big Summer of Book Lovin’ Giveaway.

This week’s contest is for It’s My Country Too by Jerri Bell and Tracy Crow. Subtitled Women’s Military Stories from the American Revolution to Afghanistan, the book is a vital new member of the military history bookshelf. I thought it would be especially pertinent to offer it as a Friday Freebie this week since we’re coming up on the 4th of July here in America and it’s a good reminder of just how much women have contributed to America’s history, military or otherwise. It’s My Country Too tops my must-read list for this summer; I hope it will be on yours, too. Keep scrolling for more information about the book...

This inspiring anthology is the first to convey the rich experiences and contributions of women in the American military in their own words--from the Revolutionary War to the present wars in the Middle East. Serving with the Union Army during the Civil War as a nurse, scout, spy, and soldier, Harriet Tubman tells what it was like to be the first American woman to lead a raid against an enemy, freeing some 750 slaves. Busting gender stereotypes, Josette Dermody Wingo enlisted as a gunner’s mate in the navy in World War II to teach sailors to fire Oerlikon anti-aircraft guns. Marine Barbara Dulinsky recalls serving under fire in Saigon during the Tet Offensive of 1968, and Brooke King describes the aftermath of her experiences outside the wire with the army in Operation Iraqi Freedom. In excerpts from their diaries, letters, oral histories, and pension depositions--as well as from published and unpublished memoirs--generations of women reveal why and how they chose to serve their country, often breaking with social norms, even at great personal peril.

If you’d like a chance at winning It’s My Country Too, simply email your name and mailing address to

thequiveringpen@gmail.com

Put FRIDAY FREEBIE in the e-mail subject line. Please include your mailing address in the body of the e-mail. One entry per person, please. Despite its name, the Friday Freebie remains open to entries until midnight on July 6, at which time I’ll draw the winning name. I’ll announce the lucky reader on July 7. If you’d like to join the mailing list for the once-a-week newsletter, simply add the words “Sign me up for the newsletter” in the body of your email. Your email address and other personal information will never be sold or given to a third party (except in those instances where the publisher requires a mailing address for sending Friday Freebie winners copies of the book).

Want to double your odds of winning? Get an extra entry in the contest by posting a link to this webpage on your blog, your Facebook wall or by tweeting it on Twitter. Once you’ve done any of those things, send me an additional e-mail saying “I’ve shared” and I’ll put your name in the hat twice.