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Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman Audiobook
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Publisher Description
The bestselling author of Into the Wild, Into Thin Air, and Under the Banner of Heaven delivers a stunning, eloquent account of a remarkable young man’s haunting journey.
Like the men whose epic stories Jon Krakauer has told in his previous bestsellers, Pat Tillman was an irrepressible individualist and iconoclast. In May 2002, Tillman walked away from his $3.6 million NFL contract to enlist in the United States Army. He was deeply troubled by 9/11, and he felt a strong moral obligation to join the fight against al-Qaeda and the Taliban. Two years later, he died on a desolate hillside in southeastern Afghanistan.
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 wife, other family members, and the American public for five weeks following his death. During this time, President Bush repeatedly invoked 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.
In Where Men Win Glory, Jon Krakauer draws on Tillman’s journals and letters, interviews with his wife and friends, conversations with the soldiers who served alongside him, and extensive research on the ground in Afghanistan to render an intricate mosaic of this driven, complex, and uncommonly compelling figure as well as the definitive account of the events and actions that led to his death. Before he enlisted in the army, Tillman was familiar to sports aficionados as an undersized, overachieving Arizona Cardinals safety whose virtuosity in the defensive backfield was spellbinding. With his shoulder-length hair, outspoken views, and boundless intellectual curiosity, Tillman was considered a maverick. America was fascinated when he traded the bright lights and riches of the NFL for boot camp and a buzz cut. Sent first to Iraq—a war he would openly declare was “illegal as hell” —and eventually to Afghanistan, Tillman was driven by complicated, emotionally charged, sometimes contradictory notions of duty, honor, justice, patriotism, 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.
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.
From the Hardcover edition.
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"Started reading this in the White Mountains while visiting my son. I am halfway through. Of course, I am a Krakauer fan, as he is a journalist turned author. What I found particularly fascinating was his ability to distill and explain the extremely complicated relationships between tribes and political factions in Afghanistan rooted from the ancient past, and how they have come to define what we are seeing now in the continual struggle in that country. He also clearly explains the Soviet war with Afghans and how that has led to much of what we are dealing with that. The story of Tillman is set against this backdrop, as Krakauer weaves us back and forth to help add dimension and texture to the piece. He's done his homework and captures the essence of the man. Worth reading!"
— Lenore (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“In this wrenching account…Krakauer brilliantly turns investigative reporter.”
— People -
“[Where Men Win Glory] reveals a far more complex and emotional character than the mythical American ‘hero.’"
— O, The Oprah Magazine -
“Krakauer’s gripping book about this extraordinary man who lived passionately and died unnecessarily sets the record straight.”
— USA Today -
“In mining Tillman’s life and death, Krakauer uncovers a story much more compelling than anything that could be spun.”
— Denver Post -
“Must be counted as the definitive version of events surrounding Tillman’s death.”
— Los Angeles Times -
“Makes for painful, infuriating, and required reading.”
— Boston Globe -
“By telling Tillman’s personal story and blowing apart the ‘cynical cover-up’ that followed his killing, Krakauer lays bare the best—and worst—of America’s War on Terror.”
— Publisher’s Weekly -
“Will stand as one of the signal books of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a grunt’s-eye view to complement the macroscopic work of Dexter Filkins, Thomas E. Ricks, and George Packer.”
— Outside magazine -
Krakauer's much anticipated, deeply reported, fascinating account of Tillman's lief, death, and afterlife as a political pawn in a failed government propaganda effort...is a page-turner worth any reader's time.
— Boulder Daily Camera
Awards
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An iBooks bestseller in Biographies
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New York Times bestseller
Where Men Win Glory Listener Reviews
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" This book answered so many questions about things I wasn't aware of and it makes me hate the Bush administration even more. Pat Tillman was an incredible patriot and American. "
— Tim, 2/13/2014 -
" At turns surprising and enraging (at the Bush administration and military brass, no at the author) but, in the end, felt like it could have been a better long magazine feature. It just didn't sustain from cover to cover. "
— Mike, 2/1/2014 -
" I think I like Jon Krakauer on tape better. He has a habit of going on these long, factual digressions, which are chock full of good info, but sometimes you just want to get back to the story. I found Under the Banner of Heaven the same way, but listened to that one on tape, and it just made it more digestable. "
— Katie, 1/23/2014 -
" Fascinating portrait of a complex man and frustrating and maddening expose of the secrets our government keeps and the lies it tells. "
— Christy, 1/14/2014 -
" The author does a nice job with the story. I would have preferred to keep the liberal slant out of it but it couldn't be helped. What you leave with is the kind of person Tilman was- what an American. "
— Jim, 1/12/2014 -
" Krakauer does an amazing job of chronicling the life of Pat Tillman while in parallel he covers the history of Afghanistan from the Soviet occupation until the two meet. It's moving, alarming and disturbing. This is Krakauer at his best. "
— Peteloaf, 1/9/2014 -
" Hard to read about the war but the Russian history in Afganistan was interesting. "
— Nminnig, 12/10/2013 -
" Great book. Much more than a story about Pat Tillman. Although, a very thorough and well researched account of the tragedy. I always love how Krakauer takes on a tough topic. "
— Jim, 11/13/2013 -
" Everyone should read this tragic tale. "
— Janellen, 10/24/2013 -
" it was alright. i thought that it was a little drawn out and long. the author talks a lot more about politics and government than it does about Pat Tillman. "
— Adam, 9/1/2013 -
" As with Krakauer's other books, this one was a real page turner! Krakauer provided valuable background/history into the Taliban and the Al-Queda. "
— Dianna, 5/25/2013 -
" I like Mr. Krakauer...this was good! "
— Eric, 5/9/2013 -
" I don't care who you are, this is a must read... "
— Dean, 2/18/2013 -
" I couldn't handle his anti war, bush, govt bias. It was too much. Made me angry every time I sat down to read. "
— Rachel, 12/31/2012 -
" Very interesting book, although deeply disturbing account on the life and death of Pat Tillman. The US military does not come off very well in this book. "
— Sandy, 5/4/2012 -
" Krakauer can tell any story and I'll listen. Typically I wouldn't be drawn to a book about politics and military and combat and the NFL, but krakauer brings such life to his subjects that I was at times captivated. This was no exception. "
— Corinne, 2/12/2012 -
" Thorough, engaging and hard to put down. Timelines Tillman and Afghanistan equally with plenty to compare and contrast. "
— Eric, 1/19/2012 -
" Pretty moving. For me, Pat Tillman set the bar for role models. "
— Chris, 12/8/2011 -
" Krakauer does it again. This book is eye opening and sad. It is something everyone should read to get a sense of just how much we don't always know, and what people have sacrificed for perception. "
— Monica, 11/24/2011 -
" SUCH a good and eye opening book!! I will never look at our government quite the same. "
— Jen, 7/14/2011 -
" A must-read- the life & death of Pat Tillman "
— Debbie, 5/24/2011 -
" Well-written book about Pat Tillman's life and death and the aftermath of his death. "
— Susan, 5/23/2011 -
" I'll read anything by Jon Krakauer...anything. This however is my least favorite of his. I found myself having to re-read passages just to stick with the story. Maybe I'm not up on my military lingo? "
— Jennie, 5/20/2011 -
" Was this a story about Pat Tillman or was Tillman an excuse for Krakauer to air his hate for the army, the government and conservative politics? You can glean a lot of interesting reading about Tillman but it's a wade. "
— Gina, 5/17/2011 -
" Fantastic history of an interesting life, a tragic death, and the intrigue and cover-up that followed. Krakauer sure knows how to tell a story.<br/> "
— Maria, 5/16/2011 -
" Really sad and all the deaths in Afganistan and Iraq seem so pointless after reading this book. Really made me angry and frustrated with our government and the press. "
— Heather, 5/15/2011 -
" you will cry your eyes out and want to bring our boys home from war immediately "
— Jennie, 5/15/2011 -
" Oh my god! Very well-written. It made me furious, and sad and disillusioned (even more than I thought I was already). Wow, this was a great, great book! "
— Susie, 5/14/2011 -
" One more time, it's the writer, not the subject matter that attracted me. A good, factual account of a topical subject that Krakauer develops well and details comprehensively. "
— Brenda, 5/13/2011 -
" I love the Pat Tillman story, and when he was talking about him it was a great read. However the book was blatantly anti war in Iraq and at times felt almost anti America. "
— Aaron, 5/5/2011 -
" Sent chills up my spine just learning more about how undermining our government actually can be. "
— Jillian, 5/4/2011
About Jon Krakauer
Jon Krakauer is the preeminent writer of narrative nonfiction. His numerous bestsellers include Under the Banner of Heaven, Into the Wild, and Into Thin Air. He is editor of the Modern Library Exploration series.
About Scott Brick
Scott Brick, an acclaimed voice artist, screenwriter, and actor, has performed on film, television, and radio. He attended UCLA and spent ten years in a traveling Shakespeare company. Passionate about the spoken word, he has narrated a wide variety of audiobooks. winning won more than fifty AudioFile Earphones Awards and several of the prestigious Audie Awards. He was named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine and the Voice of Choice for 2016 by Booklist magazine.