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Pat Tillman, Anti-War Hero
Reuters
After his death, the NFL star was portrayed as a warrior jock. But a new biography by Into the Wild author Jon Krakauer depicts a liberal who vehemently disagreed with his mission.
That Pat Tillman’s biographer would turn out to be Jon Krakauer now seems inevitable. Who else to chronicle the short, tragic life of the late NFL star turned U.S. Army Ranger than the bestselling writer who told the tale of Chris McCandless, the idealistic sojourner in Into the Wild? Or the accomplished mountain climber who offered his anguished personal witness to the 1996 catastrophe atop Mount Everest in Into Thin Air?
But Krakauer’s journey with Tillman’s story almost ran aground. It would prove to be his hardest book yet, with singular challenges, including two separate embeds with troops in the Afghanistan combat zone where Tillman was killed in 2004 by friendly fire from one of his fellow Rangers. The writing proved so daunting that the frustrated Krakauer fell far behind his deadline and got so “freaked out” that he withdrew the Tillman book from possible publication at one point. But part of what kept him going was the powerful voice of Tillman, who never publicly discussed his decision to leave the Arizona Cardinals for the Army in the aftermath of 9/11. Tillman’s widow gave Krakauer access to Tillman’s personal journals, and what emerged was a portrait of a complex, smart, sensitive, eloquent, and questing figure far different than the stereotypical hardass football jock portrayed in so much coverage of his life and death.
“He even had a copy of my book, Eiger Dreams, in his backpack when he was killed.”
Krakauer’s Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman (Doubleday 416 pages $27.95) is a riveting examination of another American idealist’s startling path and haunting death, as well as a trenchant recounting of this country’s troubled course amid terrorism and war. Krakauer considers the dual narratives to be a risky approach, but says it reflects how he “wanted not just to write about Tillman, but put him in the context of his day and age.” In one of his few interviews discussing the book, the 55-year-old author spoke to The Daily Beast from his Colorado home.
Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman. By Jon Krakauer. Doubleday. 416 pages. $27.95
What interested you in Pat Tillman as a book subject?
Tillman has always been on my radar as a PAC-10 sports fan who grew up in Corvallis, Oregon. I remember the Rose Bowl where he played for Arizona State. And like everyone else, when Pat Tillman was killed, I was blown away. I also thought, wow, there might be a book in this someday, but it was too soon after my Mormon book (Under the Banner of Heaven) for me to consider it. But Tillman kept coming back to me. I was sure somebody else must have a contract to write about him, but one afternoon, I thought, what the hell. I sent off copies of my books to the Tillman family and got an encouraging response even from his mother, Mary “Dannie” Tillman (who later wrote a memoir of Pat Tillman entitled Boots on the Ground by Dusk).
What was the biggest challenge in writing this book?
There were so many. This was definitely the hardest book to research and write for me. It was challenging to get Tillman’s platoon-mates to talk to me. It was really challenging to be embedded with troops in Afghanistan for five months—that was an education for me, really hard. And the book turned into a big sprawling thing and I didn’t think that would happen.
Pat Tillman’s widow, Marie Ugenti Tillman, cooperated with you. How did that come about?
I first contacted Pat’s mother and she urged me to write to Marie, since she is his literary heir. She had his journals and letters and I would need her permission to quote them. But Marie is a very private, very wary person. I got a huge break when it turned out that Tillman liked my writing. He even had a copy of my book, Eiger Dreams, in his backpack when he was killed. He also liked Under the Banner of Heaven. That got my foot in the door with Marie.
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I look forward to reading the story as Pat Tillman grew up not more than a few miles from where I live and his name is frequently mentioned. No matter what side of the fence you are on in regards to Afghanistan or Iraq the facts most be told and lessons learned.
I never shared in the Pat Tillman as great American hero storyline. In my 4 years in the Corps, I spent nearly 3 full years deployed to other countries or training in other states. I'm also a person that lost his father at a very young age so I understand the profound affect that can have. I always thought it was quite selfish of Mr. Tillman to chase battlefield glory and leave behind a wife and children. I will be interested in reading this book and hopefully finding out why he made such a poor decision.
I knew Pat since the age of 5, he and my son were best friends. Pat left no children, sadly, just Marie. His decision was one made at an early age with his younger brother. The attack on 9/11 helped him make the final decision to join. Pat was someone who wanted challenge and thus he took joining the Rangers as the ulitmate..his was nat to chase battlefield glory, but to repay his Country for the freedom he and all of us live under.
I'd love to read this book. Pat Tillman should be looked up to as an inspiration for every person in America.
I cry "BS" on this whole article and the book in general admitting that I haven't read it.
Folks, close your emotions and just read what is written. Nowhere here does the author offer any reason for Tillman to loathe the war, the President who puts us there, the Army, and hate being away from his wife. Why on earth would anyone do everything they hate, don't believe in, and abhor AND be away from their family when they could have left???
BS...total BS.
I would encourage to read the book in order to find those answers out. That is, if you really care.
From my understanding, he did what he did out of a sense of duty to his country, regardless of his political views. That's what made him a remarkable human being. The lack of those traits make you an egomaniacal critic.
>"Why on earth would anyone do everything they hate, don't believe in, and abhor AND be away from their family when they could have left???"<
Obviously you missed the part about how complex Tillman was. Your inability to understand his motivation for joining the Army doesn't surprise me. You're more accustomed to the phoney patriotism from the right. The obsession with "lapel pins" and the packaged patriotism that you substitute for the real thing. When you see the real thing and the real sacrifice, you can't understand it. So...you call it BS. Not because it is...but because it's simply beyond your understanding, and anything you don't understand...must be BS.
Read the book dumba&#. I bet that had Pats parents been bible thumping after his death proclaiming that he died for Christ you would think he was a hero. I'd bet a thousand dollars you are shallow, stupid republican. Probably a big Sarah Palin fan and think that Joe the Plumber is a hero!
Unselfish hero.
It's 2:42 am and I just finished this book. A pageturner that got me so angry I couldn't sleep two nights in a row. It is yet another story of the big lie machine known as the Bush Administration. Thankfully, Pat Tillman is the ray of hope in this engrossing story.
Pat Tillman was a liberal leaning, marshmallow hearted macho jock athiest with poetic tendencies and intellectual curiosity. His was multi-dimensional. He was deep. He still joined the Rangers. He still signed up. He wanted to contribute to something big. Unfortunately, his death was handled by small people, all in an effort to spin an illegal war with complete disregard for the people who fight in it.
He knew they would use him in death as they tried to use him in life. When Pat died he was unable to keep the Bushie's propagandist tactics at bay which including covering up the true cause of his death for years and blaming his family's lack of religious affiliation for their inability to "let it go." AKA "Searching for the truth about Pats death in a deeply entrenched system of lies and liars."
WMD, Valerie Plame, We Will Be Greeted as Liberators,Jessica Lynch, Abu Ghraib, Mission Accomplished, Enhanced Interrogation Methods, Pat Tillman the list goes on and on....and this is the stuff we KNOW about....
Pat Tillman was exactly the type of man the Sarah Palins of the world would call an elitist...yet he gave his life. He thought it was for a noble cause, I wish it would have been.
Just finished reading the book. Amazing, well worth the hardcover price. This was a man who could not be summed up in a convenient adjective, and the narrative is cleverly split between big-picture history and personal biography.
Also, unlike some books about specific actions, this one has VERY clearly labelled maps and diagrams of the various events so I could follow along easily. It really helped me visualize it.
I'll be interested to see the updates I hope this book will inspire in the paperback version!
I enjoyed the book about Tillman, he was truly an inspiration, however I was disappointed the author chose to inject his politics into the book.
I did not to rehash how the author feels Bush stole the election, what relevance did that really have in this story?
I had no idea Krakauer's politics or opinions on "this so called war on terror". but now I do, but I shouldn't.
A good non-fiction book should be void of author opinion, IMHO
Tiillan walked away from money fame and glory, why shouldn't the president of the US recognize this, why is that propaganda?
For all of you who wish to make liars of the military, how many times during WWII do you think a soldiers CO embellished a soldiers death for the benefit of the family? I feel for the Tillman family, but I really believe Pat Tillman would not have liked how his family acted upon his death. Dying by friendly fire is no less noble or diminishes the scarafice than dying at the hands of an enemy, but more frustrating on the family.
Thank you.
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