Profile of Pat Tillman - "Where Men Win Glory"

When I first started "This Rugged Life," I promised "interviews, analysis, and reviews of people, events and ideas that push the limits of our mind and body."  That has sometimes (almost always) taken a backseat to my narcissistic urge to write about my own thoughts, ideas and adventures.  That is something of a shame, as there are a huge number of people who are living the kind of life that I merely aspire to.

One such individual was Pat Tillman, the man who gave up a lucrative and comfortable life as a professional football player to enlist in the Army after the 9-11 attacks on New York City.  While this kind of courage and patriotism would be impressive enough by itself, I am even more fascinated by the way Tillman lived his life up until that pivotal decision.  Fiercely loyal, passionate, and a man strong in both mind and body, there is much to be admired in Pat Tillman.

There is something of the modern "Renaissance Man" in Tillman.  He was a voracious reader, but suspicious of any spoon-fed information.  His refusal to accept other people's opinions as his own led him to sharply question the invasion of Iraq months and years before it became popular and socially acceptable to do so.  Tragically, Tillman was gunned down by his fellow soldiers in a case of fratricide during a firefight in Afghanistan. The politics and secrecy that follow his accidental death will infuriate the reader.

Tillman is captured faithfully by his biographer, Jon Krakauer, the author who wrote "Into the Wild," and "Into Thin Air."  "Where Men Win Glory - The Pat Tillman Odyssey," is an excellent mix of a wildly interesting subject matched with an extremely talented author.  If you have not read this book, you should.