About the Book

The Effects of War Are Long-Lasting in This Coming-of-Age Novel

Although After the Rush is fiction, the story is based on actual events experienced by the author or his fellow Marines who served in the Vietnam War.

Follow Jack as he travels from a small town in Northern Minnesota to the battlefields of Vietnam and back. Experience the bond between him and his brother soldiers, the horrors and brutality of the war they experience firsthand, and the heartbreak of a forbidden love. Once home, Jack’s biggest desire is to feel the rush he felt in combat. It is only After the Rush that his unrelenting struggle with survivor’s guilt and post traumatic stress leave him needing to once again find the person that he once was. Can you go home again?

This stunning book about the real consequences of war represents author Lanny Martinson’s debut into the literary world. His gritty style leaves little to the imagination in his no-holds-barred account of one young man’s journey into manhood.

“After the Rush: It is real. It is raw. It makes no excuses and does not sugarcoat the Vietnam experience or the all-important aftermath of war. It is obvious this story was not written to shock and awe … It is written as the simple truth of war through the eyes and experiences of one soldier. While others do not or will not share their personal atrocities of war, this book provides insight into the difficulties and suffering of our silent warriors. To say it is gut wrenching does not do the story justice. Lanny Martinson basically, pen in hand, gutted the Vietnam experience. Lanny skillfully brought the Vietnam War and aftermath to life from the perspective of many, not just those who lived through the horrors of war, but those affected by the war, and the warriors. After the Rush is certainly the appropriate title for this book. This does not read like fiction and it is not a book that can be put down or set aside until the story is complete. Thank you, Lanny, for insight into a world rarely spoken about, yet continues to affect so many people all these years later.” – Barnes & Noble reader

About the Author

Lanny Martinson was raised in Two Harbors, Minnesota. He retired from construction management and is now a portrait artist and master woodcarver. “It wasn’t easy recalling many of the things from the war. There were many times when I would be typing with tears running down my cheeks. I think finishing it was a bit of closure, but I hope at the same time it brings understanding to others as to the cause and effects of PTSD.”