“A BOOK BY PHOTOGRAPHER BEAU SIMMONS AND ARMY RANGERS DAN BLAKELEY AND TOM AMENTA, SPEAKS VOLUMES ABOUT THE COURAGE, SELFLESSNESS, CREATIVITY, AND RESILIENCE OF THOSE WHO SERVED WITH ENORMOUS DISTINCTION OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS.”
- DANA JOSEPH - EDITORIAL DIRECTOR, COWBOYS & INDIANS
Being a cowboy, says photographer Beau Simmons, is in his blood. Photography is too. So it was just a matter of time before his passions aligned and he quit covering the fashion scene, as high-profile as his work was, to chase something more meaningful. Taking to the road to renew his spirit, he immersed himself in the Western lifestyle and the American landscape, training his lens on classic Americana, especially cowboys and life on the land. On one of his cross-country journeys, Simmons came across the nonprofit Heroes and Horses, a group that uses equine therapy to help veterans cope with PTSD and traumatic brain injuries.
His experiences with that organization eventually led to his first feature photo book, The Twenty-Year War (Ballast Books, 2021), dedicated to veterans of the war on terrorism. With former combat-tested 2/75 Army Rangers Dan Blakeley and Tom Amenta, Simmons captured veterans’ stories from all branches of the U.S. military. The 71 profiles and accompanying portraits and deployment photos reveal the realities of service and combat, post-military challenges, “and what it’s like to find purpose and meaning after hanging up their uniform.”
The book passes serious military muster for its authenticity and keen observation. Former CIA director Gen. David Petraeus (U.S. Army, Ret) declared, “The stories in The Twenty-Year War speak volumes about the courage, selflessness, creativity, and resilience of those who served with enormous distinction over the past 20 years. All Americans should read this book; those who do will conclude, as I have, that the people who raised their right hands
