The story is a familiar one: vigorous, hard-hitting NFL defensive back Pat Tillman walked away from a multi-million dollar contract to enlist in the army after 9/11. In 2004, while on patrol in a canyon in Khost Province, Afghanistan, with his unit of Army Rangers, Tillman was killed by what was then reported as a group of Taliban fighters.

In the immediate aftermath of his death, the government hailed Tillman as a hero, as the prime example for American patriotism. But a few weeks later it was discovered that Tillman had died in a terrible incident of friendly fire, and that his own commanders and senior officials in the Bush administration had suppressed the truth in order to inject some sad but inspiring news into an otherwise discouraging story.

The book follows Tillman through significant events in his life, from his childhood in California to his NFL days, from his development into a free-thinking bookworm to his reaction to 9/11, all of it paving the way for his extraordinary decision to reject a $3.6 million contract offer from the Arizona Cardinals and join the military. But what is most engaging about this book is the way it is structured; part biography, part historical study, serving together as a thorough examination of an alarming, critical period of modern history.

Jon Krakauer seems to have become our de facto reporter of disturbing, “against the grain” events, and he succeeds as a journalist here, weaving history, a host of interviews, and a compelling biography together to make a very good book. ~Jared