Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman

Jon Krakauer

Sep 2009 · Anchor

About this ebook

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.

Ratings and reviews

The odyssey of Pat Tillman is tragically sad. After 9/11 Mr. Tillman felt he had to make sacrifices for a greater good. He left a loving wife and a lucrative career as a football player to join the military only to die in a friendly fire incident. Tillman was not your typical jock, he challenged himself intellectually as well as physcially. He lived by a set of principles that money or love could not break. Jon Krakauer author of previous bestsellers "Into the Wild" and "Into Thin Air" interweaves the history of the United States adventures in Iraq and Afghanistan with Tillman's life creating a compelling story.

When I read Krakauer's "Into Thin Air," I was mesmerized from the first page. "Banner Under Heaven" was equally compelling. And so, it was with heightened expectations that I sat down to read about Mr. Tillman. Unfortunately, Krakauer was not able to deliver the goods on this one. While an interesting read, it does not seem like it was written by the same man who wrote the former books. This one simply does not have enough meat - too little real substance related to the tragic conspiracy that occurred. If one wants to read a brief bio of Tillman's life balanced against the background of our tumultuous journey in Iraq & Afghanistan, then this book might meet your approval. If you're looking for the classic Krakauer dissection of an explosive topic, then I suggest you look elsewhere.

I am not a football fan, so before I read this book, I just barely recall the story of Pat Tillman in the media. I was touched by this storey. Jon paints a vivid picture of Pat's life and the betrayl of the military after Pat's death to his family. I would recommend this book.

About the author

Jon Krakauer is the author of eight books and has received an Academy Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. According to the award citation, "Krakauer combines the tenacity and courage of the finest tradition of investigative journalism with the stylish subtlety and profound insight of the born writer." 

www.jonkrakauer.com