Roger Thompson splits time between writing nonfiction and teaching. His first book, a co-authored Iraq War memoir, was an award-winning best seller that was covered by the New York Times, NPR, the CBC, and many other major media outlets. His most recent book examines the plight of the rarest bears on earth. Living only 50 miles from Rome, the so-called "Italian grizzlies" are on the brink of extinction, and one of their greatest threats to survival is the incursion of the mafia into the Italian park system. Thompson currently serves as Director of the Program in Writing and Rhetoric at Stony Brook University. Previously, he was a professor at VMI for nearly 15 years. He currently lives in NY with his wife and son.