SummitPost.org

Has anyone read Jon Krakauer's new book, Where Men Win Glory? What did you think? I think it's excellent. I just posted a short review here.

Nice, looks good. I have heard a lot about Pat T. I would love to read this. Good review by the way!

Thanks for the review; I've added it to my reading list!

I recently read Jon Krakauer's Pat Tillman book. I usually have trouble readng an entire book at home since I am so busy, but I read this book in a couple of days. I found it to be very interesting. A friend of mine asked me what books I would recommend and I suggested this one. Then I remembered that my friend is very Republican. This book was very critical of the Bush administration and how they tried to use Pat Tillman for political gain and to promote their agenda. Anyway...I enjoyed the book and have a great deal of respect for Pat Tillman.

I have read it and would also recommend it.

I read it and thought it was excellent. Tillman was a fascinating subject, which made for a quick page turner! Considering the ongoing war in Afghanistan I appreciated the historical aspects of the book, which gives good food for thought (whether you agree or disagree) for the recent decision to send in additional troops.

I was also fortunate enough to go to Krakauer's talk/book signing in Tempe, AZ (I happened to be in AZ the 1st week in October completing my Grand Canyon R2R hike, when he had this event). He had an interesting presentation - the question and answer period was so/so.

I also found the book hard to put down. Tillman was an impressive guy and Krakauer did an excellent job of pulling things together. The history behind the war in Afghanistan was very interesting. Highly recommended.

Edit: sp

I can't stand Krakauer, but I'll give that book a try. Tillman was a different breed, and I greatly respect him because he has the balls that most of us don't have.

Can't stand Krakauer?

bigbill04 wrote:Cant stand Krakauer??? yea, "oh well I really hate in-depth investigations into, normally harrowing accounts of human nature and the complex histories behind them".

Krakauer is, in my mind, one of the finest journalists of our generation and the fact that many of his articles and books have a climbing theme is irrelevant. His ability to tell a story is unmatched.

Into Thin Air is what I consider to be my first starting point as a climber. After that I wanted to see mountains unlike the rest of the world sees them.

The rest is up to time

Give 'ol JK a break and go find some solace in the fact he's a better climber than you or I.

Agreed!

I hesitated picking this book up recently, but since I had never heard of Pat Tillman, I decided against it. For those who have already read it, is it interesting even if you're not from the US and didn't know about this guy beforehand?

nattfodd wrote:I hesitated picking this book up recently, but since I had never heard of Pat Tillman, I decided against it. For those who have already read it, is it interesting even if you're not from the US and didn't know about this guy beforehand?

I think many of the character traits of Tillman transcend the need to know who he was in order to enjoy the book. Imagine a starting futbol player from the Danish League giving up his contract in order to fight in a war he supports (hopefully that comparison helps considering how people in the US love football akin to how much Europeans love futbol). A good portion of the book is spent dealing with these aspects of Tillman's personality.

The background info on the Afghanistan war I felt was very informative. Not sure how much you'll enjoy all the controversial US political aspects of the book, and a fair amount of the text is dedicated to this. I would consider Tillman's life extraordinary, and if you enjoy reading about such people then it would probably be worth your time. My $0.02.

I've never like JK either actually. He's a great writer and he's done a lot more then I've done in the mountains, but a ton of people have, so big deal.

JK is someone who just seems to be completely in love with himself. That NOVA film where he's in Antarctica on Vinsion with Dave Hahn and others, he just gets under my skin with how much he just seems to hold himself in such high regard. Into Thin Air, while a great read, also gives the same impression, and in Boukreev's The Climb regarding the same event, he was a complete jerk (although I read the book YEARS ago and going from memory here).

That said though, I'll still pick up the book: A good writer, is still a good writer.

Krakauer was sitting in the audience at a slide show I once attended. I cautiously approached him - never sure how celebrities feel about being approached by strangers - and told him I admired his writing. We wound up talking for 5 minutes or so before the show started. He was very personable, even humble. He did not have to take time to talk to a tweeb like me.

The show was given by his friend Ed Webster when Ed released his fantastic Everest book. When he lived in Colorado I used to run into Ed regularly at lectures and book fairs. Great guy.