Where Men Win Glory

The Odyssey of Pat Tillman

By: Jon Krakauer

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 13 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2009 Jon Krakauer (P)2009 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Jon Krakauer has done his job well; Where Men Win Glory is a tough read...[He] has tackled a task that required the distillation and organization of volumes of disparate information. That he has fielded a coherent narrative is a victory. that he has made it compelling and passionate is a difficult blessing...In mining Tillman's life and death, Krakauer uncovers a story much more compelling than anything that could be spun." - The Denver Post

"Krakauer -- whose forenseic studies of the Emrsonian Man in books such as Into Thin Air and Into the Wild yield so much insight -- has turned in a beautiful bit of reporting, documenting Tillman's life with journals and interviews with those close to him...Must be counted as the definitive version of events surrounding Tillman's death." --The Los Angeles Times

"In this wrenching account of the life and eath of NFL star Pat Tillman, killed in friendly fire in Afghanistan in 2004, Krakauer brilliants turns investigative reporter...Krakauer will break your heart recounting how the military lied about Pat's death to his parents and fellow soldier Kevin." -- People

Powerful. Couldn't stop listening.

Powerful, thought provoking, inspiring and sad. Great writing

My only critique is that it seemed biased and bent on a very anti-war, anti-Army, anti George W. Bush agenda.

For sure the facts are damning. But it seemed very lopsided and eager to present a left-wing point of view.

I recommend this book however.

Amazing story...

In the same vein as Alexandre Dumas who lauded the French heroes of his day, the author does an amazing job of weaving the odessey of the everlastingly distinguished Human that is Pat Tillman with the events which intertwined his fate. Having personally spent almost 7 years in the same Theater which overlapped Pat's time in the military, during my career as a former active Army soldier I can attest to learning many of the same lessons Pat Tillman surmised in his few years in the military. I found this story both amazingly inspirational while remaining true to the real account of the events which precipitated the Southeast Asia debaucle we mired ourselves in. It was a frank account of the often rash and unfortunate decisions leaders all the way up the chain made which ultimately led to the unnecessary bloodshed of so many young men...to include the amazing human and inspiration which inspired such a Book to be written. The pace and real accounts of the battles which took place during the story were gripping, startling, and unforgettable. Make no mistake...this is a real book about history and the war which gives keen insight behind the post 9/11 conflicts overseas which the typical American may never have been privvy to unless you were an Intel insider. An amazing historical reference interwoven with the life of a real American Hero.

Fascinating

this was absolutely worth the listen and I had a hard time stopping. what an absolutely fascinating man. well written to boot.

A Must-Read

A wonderfully-written record of an interesting man presented against a riveting backdrop of a shocking expose'
on US government deceit and ineptitude.

Pat Tillman -One of the greatest ever. Thank you.

This book allowed me to understand in much more depth who Pat was, what made him special, and how he tragically died serving us all. I hope Pat is wrong about a God and that I can meet him on the other side post mortal life. Your legacy lives on Pat!

Trust and distrust

Although many believe we can trust our leaders, this shows we need to openour eyes.

Eye-opening

In addition to telling Pat Tillman's unique story, Krakauer does a great job of giving a succinct yet thorough synopsis of the recent history of Middle East conflict as it relates to current circumstances, providing context for his narrative.

The book is also a shocking indictment of the cynicism and disingenuousness of America's military and political leaders, their breech of public and personal trust, and an alarming incompetence of leadership both on the battlefield and in the Pentagon and Dept of Defense.

A tragic and eye-opening story, for sure.

Outdtanding

I love Krakauer books and this was no exception. Pat Tillman was already a hero of mine and this book only served to underscore all that I believed to be true about this amazing young man. I also reminds me of how disastrous the Bush Administration was especially when it came to their efforts to try to "spin" facts about the Iraq and Afghanistan wars to suit their needs. We should never forget how disparate the conduct of the Bush adminstration's and Pat Tillman played out.

Great story that deserves to be told

The storytelling was excellent on the part of the author and the vocalist. Fair reporting on a controversial topic.

Excellent Book

Excellent book about a completely unselfish patriot. Very disappointing how his fellow Rangers and mostly officers contributed to his death and dishonored him and his wishes. Just another example of how jacked up Shrub, Dick, and Rummy were in calling for the most unjust war in our country's history.