Dexter the war dog searches for his master Marc after a deadly ambush tears them apart in Afghanistan. Once stateside, Dexter must cross 1,500 miles of dangerous wilderness in his quest to find his lost master. The story begins when Marc. Sergeant Marc Majors, a trainer of military dogs meets the street dog Dexter while having coffee at an outdoor café. The dog enters Marc’s world of intrigue and stealth. Dexter becomes a Special Ops dog. In Afghanistan, Dexter saves Marc’s life during a Taliban ambush by pushing him off an IED just before it explodes. The blast gravely injures Marc. Their connection – the leash – is severed. No evidence of a dog is found on the battlefield. Dexter is captured by the Taliban. A daring special ops night rescue saves Dexter from the Taliban high in the Afghan mountains. On returning stateside, Dexter senses that Marc is alive and begins the quest to find him. Dexter must cross raging rivers, mountains, and deserts. He survives bounty hunters, rattlesnakes, mountain lions, and wolves. Meanwhile, Marc fights PTSD and deep depression. He doesn’t know if Dexter is alive. Only his hope keeps him alive. He thinks that if Dexter can survive, surely, he can as well.
The characters and the setting draw you in and beckons every reader to find their own greatness with this story of determination and heroism. Throughout the book there is a constant message that harkens back to the battle cry of Winston Churchill during the Second World War: “never, never, never give up”.
On the surface, The Epic of Dexter is just one more man and dog story.When the reader delves deeper, however, this epic is more – much more. The core of the story is the bond between a soldier and his War Dog, a theme that hearkens back to Jack London's Call of the Wild.
Within that context are sub themes of war dog training, scenes of combat as seen through the eyes of both man and dog. There is the story of loss and regaining, the adventures of a solitary dog making its – no, HIS way across 1,500 miles of America guided only by his instincts and his will to reunite with his human/his handler/his completion.
Along the way, we also observe the effects of PTSD on a gravely wounded American veteran of the Afghan and the role an animal can play in his recovery. The Epic of Dexter puts the reader inside the mind of an animal the way very few novels can. The author is clearly a man who has spent considerable time around dogs, is intimately familiar with the geography of the American West, and has the ability to place himself (and the reader) inside the mind of an animal.
All in all, Jean Vives has created characters whom you feel you know, a “dog against the world” story, and a vivid description of modern day Colorado.
Best of all, The Epic of Dexter is a great read.
The book was a lot more than just about dogs and soldiers. It really drilled into the training of the dogs and their soldier masters. The book is a great story of determination and the will to survive and succeed following a terrible ambush that leaves dog and soldier injured and separated.A fantastic book! Enjoyable and exciting.
A very readable story of the relationship between a man and his dog, which in this case is a soldier and his Belgian Malinois. This adventure takes us through the dogs struggles to save and eventually reunite with Marc, his friend. One of the reasons I liked this book is because it was mostly seen through the eyes of the dog. A very heartwarming book!
Dexter the War Dog is an endearing story of courage that gripped me from the start. A fast paced story that keeps you turning the pages to find out the next event in the saga, Dexter proves to be man's best friend. He continues to pull out all the stops for his master who befriends him and we are thrilled to follow along to see that he is indeed as loyal as we always imagined. I felt a special connection reading the book as I was taken along with Mark and his dangerous adventures in Afghanistan, with Dexter by his side. The Epic of Dexter is reminiscent of a Jack London tale that stays with you for many gratifying and rewarding reasons. I recommend this book for all ages, because it offers strength, courage and hope for anyone who has experienced life's hardships. As a high school teacher, I will be using this touching and warm-hearted story in my classes to teach life's lessons to my students through real life drama. I am looking forward to more writing by Jean Vives.
It was a touching story of love and loyalty between Dexter and Marc his handler and friend. I for one couldn't put it down and ended up staying awake late into the night reading it. The ending was expected but still perfect, thank you Jean for this heart-warming book.
I had the honor of reading Jean Vives' manuscript just before publication. The story was riveting, and I highly recommend this book for juveniles and adults who love dogs (who doesn’t?). This usually isn’t the type of novel I would read, but once I began, I couldn’t stop. The relationship between this soldier and his dog is beautifully woven throughout, as is fascinating detail about how these “war dogs” and their soldiers are trained and bonded together. The adventures, both the soldier/dog dyad and the dog’s amazing journey are well written and spell binding. A terrific tale that leaves one wanting more!
A book by Jean Vives, "The Epic of Dexter the War Dog: Getting Out of Afghanistan was Just the Beginning" has been published as a Kindle e-book on Amazon. It describes the quest of a war dog to find his master after an ambush in Afghanistan separates them. After returning to the states, Dexter realizes Marc his master is still alive.
This is the story of the 1,500-mile journey of the dog across a vast and dangerous wilderness in search of his master. The book has been described as "inspirational" and "heroic". It is available on the Kindle website: http://www.amazon.com/Epic-Dexter-War-Dog-Afghanistan-ebook/dp/B01BPKEGTE.
