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natalieba's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
2.5
I struggled throughout my read of this book and likely would have put it down altogether if I hadn’t been listening to it aloud with my husband on a long car trip. There were two main things that caused this for me - one is that I (apparently) don’t like war books and the other is that the premise of this book is show how Pat Tillman’s death was “spun” for political purposes but the author uses this book to lambast the Bush Administration. It’s (of course) the author’s right to have his opinions and voice them, but for a book ostensibly about the harm caused by propaganda to feel like propaganda itself was hard to read. He makes generalizations and assumptions that didn’t seem warranted or earned - one particularly egregious one was about the man who is most likely to have taken the shot that killed Tillman. Krakauer summarized his five page letter in response to his release from the Rangers as him claiming to be the victim, not Tillman, which is not how I read what Krakauer shared and made me want to read the man’s full letter.
There were other things that bugged me, but this villainizing was laced throughout the book and honestly seemed like something Tillman himself would have (by the author’s own portrayal of him) hated. Tillman (I learned) didn't want to be part of anyone propaganda machine, yet that is exactly where he ended up in Krakauer’s book.
There were other things that bugged me, but this villainizing was laced throughout the book and honestly seemed like something Tillman himself would have (by the author’s own portrayal of him) hated. Tillman (I learned) didn't want to be part of anyone propaganda machine, yet that is exactly where he ended up in Krakauer’s book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, and War
tiffanyg's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and War
akswaneee's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
fast-paced
5.0
As always, Krakauer approaches this story with thoroughness and curiosity. He presents every facet of Pat Tillmans life, to the point that, upon finishing this book, you cannot help but feel the impact of his loss. This is a necessary read, especially for those, like myself, who do not know enough about the Iraq War.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and War
c2llanes's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
this is definitely a jon krakauer book. if you don’t like his whole deal, you probably won’t like this one either. but i like football and i like history and i do like krakauer’s whole deal, so it hit for me. i think other reviews have criticized krakauer’s details on pat’s life as being redundant to the story, but i think they paint a compelling picture of who he was and certainly made me wish i could’ve gotten to know him. years later, the details of how the military lied to and treated the tillman family and so many others are still sickening, and it’s worth it to get that picture. it’s also very striking to read this book decades later knowing how pat tillman’s name and image are being used in ways he’d probably have hated.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, and War
Moderate: Islamophobia
hesticht's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, and War
Moderate: Gore and Injury/Injury detail