Where Men Win Glory by Jon Krakauer (nonfiction)
I thought this book was going to be a biography of a football player who walked away from his NFL millions to enlist in the Army. It turned out to be much more than that. I have read two other books by Krakauer and enjoy his writing style. This book, similar to the other two, includes a lot of personal opinion that is slyly incorporated into factual accounts. However, it is clear that Krakauer made efforts to present more than one side of the story.
Read slowly--this book is filled with background on the conflicts in Afghanistan, and many of the names and places are hard to cement in your mind unless you are familiar with the geography and history of the region. (If you've read other books set in Afghanistan like The Kite Runner or A Thousand Splendid Suns, the names of the cities and some of the country's history will be easier to follow.) The invasion of Iraq and removal of Sadam Hussein play a side story in this book which focuses on why Pat Tillman was even in Afghanistan. If the things that Krakauer reports are true, it's difficult not to be disillusioned about how American polictics and the American military intersect. While I believe in the military being run by civilians and having the President as Commander-in-Chief, it is hard to reconcile some of the political influence that bears so heavily on military decisions. Pat Tillman's death was a direct result of poor decisions, both of politicians and of military leaders. Perhaps one of the most disturbing things missing from this book is remorse and regret: none was expressed by those involved in the actual shooting of Pat Tillman nor those involved in its cover-up. The soldier who pulled the trigger was presented in the book as caring more about his career than his culpability in killing another American soldier. And no where does anyone in the upper ranks of the Army admit that the events surrounding Tillman's death were handled poorly.
The cover up about how Tillman died is a direct result of the military trying to point blame elswhere instead of accepting it, and of politicians trying to guide American perception of the war. Many other, less well known Americans, have probably lost their life in "friendly fire." Pat Tillman's death made headlines because of his NFL status.
One of the remarkable things about this book is the citations that Krakauer provides at the end. He gives his sources for each of the 35 chapters and the postscript, then includes over seven pages of formal bibliographical information. If you want, you can disagree with his presentation of facts by tracing his sources. This guy did sound research, including personally visiting the front lines in Afghanistan.
One more thing: on the back of the book jacket is one of the most compelling pictures I have ever seen. It is a head and shoulder shot of Tillman: long sun-streaked hair, high forehead and dark brows, almond shaped deep brown eyes. The photo compells you to remember: this is not a political story. It is about someone's son, husband, brother.
Read slowly--this book is filled with background on the conflicts in Afghanistan, and many of the names and places are hard to cement in your mind unless you are familiar with the geography and history of the region. (If you've read other books set in Afghanistan like The Kite Runner or A Thousand Splendid Suns, the names of the cities and some of the country's history will be easier to follow.) The invasion of Iraq and removal of Sadam Hussein play a side story in this book which focuses on why Pat Tillman was even in Afghanistan. If the things that Krakauer reports are true, it's difficult not to be disillusioned about how American polictics and the American military intersect. While I believe in the military being run by civilians and having the President as Commander-in-Chief, it is hard to reconcile some of the political influence that bears so heavily on military decisions. Pat Tillman's death was a direct result of poor decisions, both of politicians and of military leaders. Perhaps one of the most disturbing things missing from this book is remorse and regret: none was expressed by those involved in the actual shooting of Pat Tillman nor those involved in its cover-up. The soldier who pulled the trigger was presented in the book as caring more about his career than his culpability in killing another American soldier. And no where does anyone in the upper ranks of the Army admit that the events surrounding Tillman's death were handled poorly.
The cover up about how Tillman died is a direct result of the military trying to point blame elswhere instead of accepting it, and of politicians trying to guide American perception of the war. Many other, less well known Americans, have probably lost their life in "friendly fire." Pat Tillman's death made headlines because of his NFL status.
One of the remarkable things about this book is the citations that Krakauer provides at the end. He gives his sources for each of the 35 chapters and the postscript, then includes over seven pages of formal bibliographical information. If you want, you can disagree with his presentation of facts by tracing his sources. This guy did sound research, including personally visiting the front lines in Afghanistan.
One more thing: on the back of the book jacket is one of the most compelling pictures I have ever seen. It is a head and shoulder shot of Tillman: long sun-streaked hair, high forehead and dark brows, almond shaped deep brown eyes. The photo compells you to remember: this is not a political story. It is about someone's son, husband, brother.
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