Where Men Win Glory
The Odyssey of Pat Tillman
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4.3 • 362 Ratings
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A "gripping book about this extraordinary man who lived passionately and died unnecessarily" (USA Today) in post-9/11 Afghanistan, from the bestselling author of Into the Wild and Into Thin Air.
In 2002, Pat Tillman walked away from a multimillion-dollar NFL contract to join the Army and became an icon of American patriotism. When he was killed in Afghanistan two years later, a legend was born. But the real Pat Tillman was much more remarkable, and considerably more complicated than the public knew.
Sent first to Iraq—a war he would openly declare was “illegal as hell” —and eventually to Afghanistan, Tillman was driven by emotionally charged, sometimes contradictory notions of duty, honor, justice, and masculine pride, and he was determined to serve his entire three-year commitment. But on April 22, 2004, his life would end in a barrage of bullets fired by his fellow soldiers. Though obvious to most of the two dozen soldiers on the scene that a ranger in Tillman’s own platoon had fired the fatal shots, the Army aggressively maneuvered to keep this information from Tillman’s family and the American public for five weeks following his death. During this time, President Bush used Tillman’s name to promote his administration’ s foreign policy. Long after Tillman’s nationally televised memorial service, the Army grudgingly notified his closest relatives that he had “probably” been killed by friendly fire while it continued to dissemble about the details of his death and who was responsible.
Drawing on Tillman’s journals and letters and countless interviews with those who knew him and extensive research in Afghanistan, Jon Krakauer chronicles Tillman’s riveting, tragic odyssey in engrossing detail highlighting his remarkable character and personality while closely examining the murky, heartbreaking circumstances of his death. Infused with the power and authenticity readers have come to expect from Krakauer’s storytelling, Where Men Win Glory exposes shattering truths about men and war.
This edition has been updated to reflect new developments and includes new material obtained through the Freedom of Information Act.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
We expect any American soldier killed in the line of duty to be honored for their sacrifice, but, as this true story shows, that’s not always the case. Part biography, part investigation into the U.S. military’s deceptions, Where Men Win Glory details the life of Pat Tillman, a pro football player who gave up a lucrative career to serve his country in the wake of 9/11. When Tillman was accidentally killed by friendly fire while serving in Afghanistan, the truth about his death was actively covered up by embarrassed authorities. Best-selling investigative journalist Jon Krakauer (Into Thin Air) uses Tillman’s personal journals to paint a sensitive, warmhearted portrait of the soldier before diving into how he was betrayed by his country. Krakauer artfully shifts between Tillman’s personal story and the broader geopolitical events that led to his death, from the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan to the Iraq War. Leaving no stone unturned, Where Men Win Glory is a fascinating and surprisingly emotional look at the true costs of war.
Customer Reviews
When Men Win Glory
The book was not just about Pat's brief life and how his philosophies on life did not match society's expectation of a NFL player. It also discusses the realities of war. War is messy! Bad things happen, especially Friendly Fire. What is more astonishing is how our government covered up failures and atrocities to benefit a cause. The behavior is similar to what would be expected from a dictator.
Political hack job
I’m a huge fan of Jon Krakauer, own all of his books and have read all of them for or five times each, including this one. I finally deleted it from my audiobook collection because it’s such a political piece that I have a hard time even finding out about Pat Tillman, which is what I’m interested in. Rather than celebrate his life, Krakauer spends vast majority of the book lambasting everyone in the Bush administration and the military chain of command.
Another great Krakauer read!
I've devoured nearly every book Krakauer has written. He is a superb wordsmith and story teller. This book was compelling and informative. I couldn't put it down.