Downriver: Memoir of a Warrior Poet

"Few war memoirs achieve the level of literary depth and emotional resonance of Downriver." -General David Petraeus, US Army (Ret.) A powerful Iraq War memoir about leadership, trauma, resilience, and the search for meaning after battle. In Downriver: Memoir of a Warrior Poet, Ryan McDermott takes readers from the front lines of the 2003 invasion of Iraq-where he led an infantry platoon in several intense battles, including the Battle for Baghdad, as part of the 3rd Infantry Division-through the collapse of Lehman Brothers during the 2008 financial crisis, and into the private struggles of reintegration, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and fatherhood. This literary memoir explores the emotional toll of combat, the burden of battlefield leadership, and the collapse of identity that follows war and ambition. Told with raw honesty and poetic insight, McDermott examines what it means to survive the battlefield only to face another war at home-with family, with memory, and with oneself. Through vivid storytelling and combat-born poetry, Downriver offers a rare and unflinching account of a modern American warrior's journey-from patriotic idealism to disillusionment, and ultimately to renewal. It speaks to veterans, military families, and anyone who has struggled to rebuild after loss. For readers of: The Long Walk, Redeployment, The Last True Story I'll Ever Tell, and No Easy Day. More than a war memoir, Downriver is a powerful meditation on identity, trauma, and redemption-and a reminder that the hardest battles often begin after the war ends.

About the Author :
Ryan P. McDermott is an executive in the aerospace and defense industry and a former senior Pentagon official, specializing in national security policy, finance, and government relations. A US Army veteran, he served from 2000 to 2006, leading a platoon into combat with the 3rd Infantry Division during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He is a recipient of the Bronze Star Medal and earned the Ranger tab and Combat Infantryman Badge. Following military service, McDermott transitioned to Wall Street and Lehman Brothers before its 2008 collapse.A West Point graduate, McDermott holds an MBA from the Darden Graduate School of Business at the University of Virginia and an MA in security studies from Georgetown University's Walsh School of Foreign Service.

Review :
"Few war memoirs achieve the level of literary depth and emotional resonance of Downriver. And even fewer help us understand the burden of leadership in combat, and the resilience required to forge a new path beyond the battlefield."-General David Petraeus, US Army (Ret.) "This is an epic account of one young man riding the torrents of 21st Century American history, navigating a tumultuous voyage through military and business combat and personal turmoil toward enlightenment and self-discovery."-William Doyle, Author, A Soldier's Dream "A compelling and unflinchingly personal story about his road toward healing."-Kirkus Reviews "Revealing memoir of the Iraq war, the financial crisis, and a soldier's will to succeed."-BookLife Reviews (Editor's Pick) "Libraries and readers interested in life lessons learned on and off the battlefield, poetry, and more will find Downriver enthralling. Packed with tense moments, eye-opening confrontations, and literary history, it embraces bigger-picture thinking about life choices."-D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review "A deeply personal memoir of struggle... a valuable addition to the corpus of veterans' voices in the world reshaped by 9/11."-IndieReader (IR Approved) "Downriver is a search for self that, like a river, makes progress even though the destination may be out of view."-LoveReading UK ("IndieBooks We Love") "A necessary addition to the canon of post-9/11 memoirs... not just a soldier's story-it's a deeply human one."-San Francisco Book Review (5 Stars) "Downriver... will fill your heart with compassion and understanding of a war veteran's struggles."-Manhattan Book Review (5 Stars) "Whether you are a veteran or not, the story will have something to say to you, and may shed light upon a part of the world not familiar enough."-Chicago Book Review (5 Stars)