WHERE MEN WIN GLORY
The story about Pat Tillman written by Jon Krakauer
Summary and Character Analysis
Pat tillman grew up in Fremont, California. Pat and his three brothers where not like the other kids growing up in the neighborhood, everyday the Tillman brothers would go exploring, whether it be by bike or on foot. While at the end of the day, their family enjoyed to opinionate on current events with their parents. As Pat grew older he found that his skill on the football field, being an eceptional footbal player, could lead to a future in the sport. It eventually did too when Pat decided to play college football and signed with the University of Arizona. He stuggled to get playing time and began to find his new position diffucult but like everything that happened in Pat's life he did not stop, rather he pushed through these obstacles and finally recieved his well deserved time on the field. After his time playing D-1 college football Pat trained nonstop to become an NFL football player. Friends always would say that when Pat set a goal for himself he would do all that he could to get there and then do better the next time. This determination he showed got him a spot on the Arizona Cardnials. Once again, Pat had to fight for a spot on the field and eventually, with hard work, he earned it. He then stayed for the remaing three seasons of his career. On September 11th, 2001 Pat was training for what would be his last season in the NFL however, the events that happened that morning changed the way Pat would look at himself. Through out his life he saw he needed to do something exceptional with his life , do something that made a difference, and so he decided to do this by joining the Army, even if it meant leaving the NFL and his football career behind. On May 31st, 2002 Pat and his brother Kevin Tillman joined the Army. After completeing basic training they went on to join the Army Rangers. After completing this Pat and Kevin where deployed to Iraq. When Pat finally returned to the states, Pat was disapointed in the war so far, he saw very little combat and was eager to get back to regular civilian life and the NFL. Then in April 2004 Pat was deployed to Afghanistan to patrol the Pakistani boarder which is where Pat Tilman was killed and a coverup of his death formulated. The character named Pat Tillman was a complex man, he was adventures, philosophical, and changed the words impossable to possable. Reciving the news that he was not baseball material he traded in his mit and bat for helmet and shoulder pads and when his country needed him he traded in his helmet for a combat helmet and his shoulder pads for a gun. This over whelming amount of love for a cause and determanation to make a difference made Pat Tillman the remembered man that he is today.
Setting
The setting of this book jumps around the globe from Fremont, California where Pat spent his childhood exploring nature and pushing himself to be exceptional , to Iraq where Pat worried about his wife and where he wanted to experience combat from the front lines. From University of Arizona where Pat excelled on the football field and in education , to Fort Lewis where Pat said he trained the hardest he ever had in his life to become an Army ranger. Then to the mountains of Afganistan where Pat met his fate and died for his country.
Review
Review
All in all I enjoyed the book. I thought it was well written and it really was such an interesting story to read of how this man worked so hard to achieve the success that he had in football only to ditch it all for his country. Coming from someone who doesn't normally enjoy reading, I would still recommend this story to pretty much anyone.