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May 14, 2011

Philip rated it:

The back cover of my book reads, “Pat Tillman walked away from a multimillion-dollar NFL contract to join the army and became an icon of post 9/11 patriotism. When he was killed in Afghanistan two years later, he became a tool for White House propaganda. Thus a legend was born…”

Throughout the book, Krakauer makes multiple references to how Pat Tillman didn’t grant interviews after enlisting, or how he didn’t want, “them to parade me through the streets” to advance a political agend More...

3 comments like (16 people liked it)

Dec 28, 2009

Jason rated it:

I'm active duty military and can partly--partly--understand why Pat Tillman turned down a 3.6 million dollar contract with the Arizona Cardinals, and, instead, enlisted in the Army as a grunt for $1200 per month. I use money as the central metric of Tillman's decision because it's the one most non-active duty military readers will misunderstand. I'll try to explain his decision from our (military) perspective.

Let me start by saying I would not have made the same financial decisio More...

14 comments like (36 people liked it)

Feb 26, 2011

La Petite Américaine rated it:

I wanted a biography of Pat Tillman, not a scathing critique of the Bush administration. While the actions of George W. Bush and his staff regarding the events surrounding Tillman's death are totally relevant to the story, here Krakauer abandons his usual objectivity and jumps head-first into an attack on Bush that leaves the author sounding like nothing more than a pissed-off liberal Seattle-ite. (And I can say that because was a pissed off liberal Seattle-ite.) Ugh. Go cry into your cappuccino More...

0 comments like (8 people liked it)

Dec 21, 2009

Mrs. Roy rated it:

Oh. My. God. He had written another. At long last...ladies and gentlemen, guard your small children and animals on the day this one comes out (September of 2009) - the bullet flying by will be me trying to get to the book store first. Can't wait for the library on this one!

5 comments like (3 people liked it)

Nov 28, 2011

Greg rated it:

Where Men Win Glory does not paint a rosy picture of U.S. foreign policy. In the book, Jon Krakauer explores a breadth of political blunders with his signature sharp eye for detail. He also explores Tillman's personal history in striking depth as well.

Unlike the fables sold to us in the mainstream media, we learn that Pat Tillman was a complex character and truly an anomaly. Krakauer quickly points out that Tillman's tragic death was used as mere political propaganda by conservativ More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Jun 26, 2011

Jeanette rated it:

This book is a modern exploration of the ancient hero archetype, with Pat Tillman's life journey as a well-known example. The narrative also gave me a better understanding of the male need to prove oneself in battle. I still think it's foolish, for I would never intentionally place myself in harm's way. But at least I can now see the primal drive that makes men rush to recruiting offices when war is declared.
There's also a lot of important history here regarding America's friend-enemy More...

7 comments like (1 person liked it)

Mar 30, 2011

Will rated it:

Pat Tillman was a top-notch safety with the Phoenix Cardinals of the NFL. He was an incredibly intense guy, always looking to challenge himself, to push himself past his limits. But he also had a sensitive, emotional side and an intellectual curiosity, exceptional in his chosen profession. He came from a close-knit family that held the military in high regard and was touched deeply when the USA was attacked on and subsequently went to war following 9/11. Setting aside his lucrative football care More...

10 comments like (2 people liked it)

Dec 08, 2011

Cailin rated it:

This biography is as much a modern day odyssey as a story could be; it’s written in Krakauer’s hyperbolic, bombastic style and explores the life and death of an American Hero gone off to war. He leaves his wife behind, leaves a multimillion dollar contract in the NFL to enlist, and is really going to war for principles rather than patriotism. Tillman is an extremely likeable person and very unlike the icon trotted out by the Bush Administration.

Where Men Win Glory goes into the hist More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 03, 2011

Miranda rated it:

When I first started the book, I asked myself if I liked the character of Pat Tillman. I didn't understand why I was having such a problem with him. But my problem wasn't with him, it was with Krakauer and his kiss-assery, if I may. The hero treatment was way too much for me. Although, Tillman is a hero in many people's eyes and an overall good guy, it felt like he just couldn't be any guy. He had to be "unafraid to buck the herd", "defend honor, with fists if necessary", " More...

2 comments like (6 people liked it)

Jan 01, 2010

Julia rated it:

This is at once a biography of Pat Tillman, a history of Afghanistan, the Taliban (they originally formed to stop bandits from shaking down the populace at checkpoints) and the cover up of Tillman’s fratricide.

Having read and been very impressed with Krakauer’s Under the Banner of Heaven, I was expecting – and got— a complex story. As a non-football fan, I don’t know the difference (or if there is one) between a sack and a tackle or a fullback, a free safety and a linebacker. But who More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Feb 03, 2010

Nancy rated it:

Excellent example of government coverup of death of NFL player for war publicity.

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jan 30, 2012

Emily rated it:

Where Men win Glory is a book about a man who is named Pat Tillman. He was a very courageous man. The book starts off by telling about how Tillman grew up. Where he lived, who his parents were, what his values are. Tillman had a very fun and adventurous childhood and growing up to be young adult. When he was even very young he always went after what he wanted and worked hard to get there. His coach told him that he probably wouldn't be able to play football because of his size, so what did Tillm More...

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Jan 15, 2012

Catherine rated it:

I have enjoyed all the Krakauer books I have read. His meticulous attention to detail and curiosity make for compelling writing. I feel like the Pat Tillman topic and the wars abroad were almost too much for him to handle, at times the book got very tedious. However, Pat Tillman was a very interesting person worth getting to know and K does a good job with his life story. The rest of the book will be what you imagine, a detailed censure of the military and government in Krakauer's biting to More...

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Jan 14, 2012

Haley rated it:

Where Men Win Glory by Jon Krakauer is good for what it is: a nonfiction book. This book tells you everything you would want to know about the life and views of Pat Tillman, a professional football player with a lovely wife who gave up all of his luxury to serve his country in the military after the attack on 9/11. Krakaur's obviously very thorough research on this subject really helps you to understand who Pat Tillman was and why he felt called to join the military. Besides excerpts from T More...

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Dec 28, 2011

Valerie rated it:

Where Men Win Glory (Jon Krakauer)
- Highlight on Page 39 | Loc. 590-91 | Added on Friday, March 25, 2011, 03:13 PM

Encouraged to think critically and be skeptical of conventional wisdom, Pat learned to trust in himself and be unafraid to buck the herd.
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Where Men Win Glory (Jon Krakauer)
- Highlight on Page 53 | Loc. 804-7 | Added on Sunday, March 27, 2011, 02:17 PM

The bomb had been assembled, delivered, and detonated by a Kuwaiti named Ramzi Youse More...

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Dec 11, 2011

Tammy rated it:

This book made me sad. And angry. It reveals the details of football player Pat Tillman’s death by friendly fire in Afghanistan and the subsequent cover-up of the details of his death.

Few come off well in this tale. Particularly appalling to me was what appeared as incompetence at best and intentional deception at worst at numerous levels of the government, including the command structure of the Army Rangers. At times, Krakauer also seems appalled; there’s almost a sense that he More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Oct 18, 2011

Jennifer rated it:

It is appropriate to write this book review on the eve of the 10th anniversary of 9/11. After all, if 9/11 hadn’t occurred, this book would have never been written and Pat Tillman would probably still be alive.

Does the name Pat Tillman ring any bells for you? When I first saw the subtitle of the book—The Odyssey of Pat Tillman—the name sounded familiar but I couldn’t place it. Upon reading the book description, I realized that he was the NFL player who had enlisted in the Army after 9/ More...

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Sep 24, 2011

Christine rated it:

Adult or AP/HS level book. It has graphic war violence,alcohol consumption and swearing. Be forewarned that politics is a major part of the book and not everyone is going to like the perspective given. There are many good life lessons in this book for young adults.

Krakauer tells the story of Pat Tillman's life and death. Each chapter of his life is followed by the political situation in Afghanistan. I learned alot about our foreign policy during that time and much of what More...

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Sep 18, 2011

Mycroft rated it:

Like much of Krakauer's work, this is well researched. Unfortunately, this one didn't seem to hang together as well thematically as some of his other work. In this book, the theme seemed to be military mismanagement and the Bush Administration's manipulation of the press as applied to one man's life. The problem with making that the focus is that it makes a lot of the book almost seem irrelevant.

For example, the Bush administration had nothing to do with Tillman's choice of universi More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Sep 06, 2011

Ashley rated it:

I’ve been finished with Jon Krakauer’s Where Men Win Glory for over a week now. But this is one of those books that stirs up emotions, ones like anger and frustration, and it took me some time to figure out what exactly I want to say.

Jon Krakauer has covered in other books a fundamentalist Mormon sect murder, the 1996 Everest disaster, and the story of an Emory University kid trying to make it in the wilds of Alaska. I read and really liked all of those books, so when I saw Where Me More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Aug 04, 2011

Marty rated it:

Yet another excellent book by Jon Krakauer, chronicling the life of Pat Tillman, his life and the circumstances surrounding his death on tour in Afghanistan. I'm admittedly a big fan of Krakauer, as I think his narrative talent is unparalleled, and I imagine he is a pretty personable guy, as I find each of his interviews quite candid with the people involved in the events he writes about, offering interesting insights and touching upon deeper philisophical questions.

This was also yet another bo More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jul 28, 2011

Dave added it

Mediocre effort from Krakauer. He is normally one of my favorite authors (with the exception of "Under the Banner of Heaven," which is terrible), but I get the feeling that he can't figure out how to address this topic. The book is almost written in three parts: a very brief---and inadequate---history of Afghanistan and the run-up to the 2001 invasion, an odd, out-of-place history of John Walker Lindh (in juxtaposition with Pat Tillman), and Pat Tillman's life and eventual tragedy. More...

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Jul 28, 2011

Casey added it

Incredible and moving story, your heart breaks for the Tillman family. I love Krakauer's books, they are always riveting, deeply researched and informative, but I think he lets his dislike of the Bush Administration shine through just a little too much that I had a hard time fully trusting his assertions. His premise would have benefitted from a little more objectivity, but thats just m personal opinion. That said, the evidence of a coverup and the deliberate misleading of the Tillman family More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jul 10, 2011

Colleen rated it:

The only thing that kept me from throwing this book across the room in utter disgust with how the military handles fratricide was the thought that McChystal was fired. Sure, he was fired for something totally unrelated, and probably not the most culpable in the Tillman cover-up, but it’s really the only comfort available. I also didn’t think that I could be any more disgusted by the Bush administration, but this book proved that wrong. I wasn’t interested in Pat Tillman; I read it because K More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jun 29, 2011

Rebecca rated it:

I have always enjoyed reading Krakauers' books, and for me, this one did not disappoint. This is the story of Pat Tillman, the NFL star-turned-army ranger. He turned down a 3 million dollar contract to play for the Arizona Cardinals, and signed up to become an army ranger in 2002. He didn't do it as a publicity stunt, or because he necessarily believed in the war effort. He felt like he needed to contribute, and do something that to him "really mattered". He died in April of 2004, in a More...

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Jun 03, 2011

Nikitabanana rated it:

“Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman” made my heart hurt. While reading it, it reminded me of Ishmael Beah’s book “A Long Way Gone” because they were both books that I would have preferred to be fictional. Today, most people know the story of Pat Tillman, through the media reports, the congressional hearings and the recently-released documentary, “The Tillman Story.”

Pat Tillman was an iconoclastic character. He was a football player who wanted to meet Noam Chomsky. That More...

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Mar 17, 2011

Beth rated it:

Because Jon Krakauer’s last book, UNDER THE BANNER OF HEAVEN, about Mormon fundamentalism, was so riveting, I preordered his latest book, WHERE MEN WIN GLORY, so I could read it soon after it came out. I expected to read details about Pat Tillman’s experience and that this book would be as well written as UNDER THE BANNER OF HEAVEN.

Pat Tillman, for those who many have been living in a tunnel a couple of years after 9/11, was the NFL football player who gave up a $3 million job to joi More...

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Mar 08, 2011

Stephanie rated it:

I'm not sure how to review this book. It was a lot of things. It was the story of Pat Tillman, this incredible human being that seemed too good to be true. And I don't know whose problem that is. Or if it is a problem. I think the author wanted to tell the story of this kid, but instead of making him relatable, he made him seem like a god. Who is not relatable in the least. And I'm not sure if that's maybe because a lot of people can't relate to dropping out of the NFL to join the ARMY..I More...

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Feb 24, 2011

Ethan rated it:

Pat Tillman, it appears, is everyone's political platform. Krakauer decries the use of Tillman's life and death for political ends, then goes on to use Tillman to preach about the evils of the Bush administration. By the end of the book, I wondered if this was more about Pat Tillman's life or Krakauer's hatred of Bush.

There's even a whole chapter about the Bush-Gore election. I'm not sure why.

Outside of the political screed, I was a little irritated by the obviousness of K More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Feb 08, 2011

Steven rated it:

The prose is sparkling, as always. Few people can delineate a chaotic action sequence quite like Krakauer, which serves him well both in a recapitulation of the disastrous opening moments of the battle of Nasiriyah, as well as his synopsis of the circumstances surrounding Tillman's death by friendly fire in a narrow canyon scant miles from the AfPak border.

The problems in the narrative arise primarily from Krakauer's closeness with his subject: Tillman the football star; Tillman the au More...

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