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Walk in My Combat Boots: True Stories from America's Bravest Warriors Hardcover – February 8, 2021
James Patterson (Author) Find all the books, read about the author, and more. See search results for this author |
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Walk in my Combat Boots is a powerful collection crafted from hundreds of original interviews by James Patterson, the world’s #1 bestselling writer, and First Sergeant US Army (Ret.) Matt Eversmann, part of the Ranger unit portrayed in the movie Black Hawk Down.
These are the brutally honest stories usually only shared amongst comrades in arms. Here, in the voices of the men and women who’ve fought overseas from Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan, is a rare eye-opening look into what wearing the uniform, fighting in combat, losing friends and coming home is really like. Readers who next thank a military member for their service will finally have a true understanding of what that thanks is for.
- Print length416 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherLittle, Brown and Company
- Publication dateFebruary 8, 2021
- Dimensions6.45 x 1.6 x 9.5 inches
- ISBN-100316429090
- ISBN-13978-0316429092
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Walk in my Combat Boots | The Defense Lawyer | E.R. Nurses | The Last Days of John Lennon | The House of Kennedy | Filthy Rich | |
Broaden your horizons with James Patterson's nonfiction books | The stories America needs to hear! | Undefeated. 12 Years in a row. | James Patterson uncovers the world of America's true medical heroes! | The world's most famous true crime story, brought to life by James Patterson. | The House of Kennedy is a revealing, fascinating account of America's most storied family. | Get the full shocking story about billionaire Jeffrey Epstein. |
Editorial Reviews
Review
"This book will take your breath away, break your heart, and leave you in awe of the hard work, raw courage, ingenuity and resilience of the men and women who wear the boots. You'll hear them say why they do it, and how they deal with triumph, tragedy and living with the legacy of their service. Every American should read it." ―President Bill Clinton
"James Patterson is one of America's great storytellers. He is a also a first-rate reporter. He and Eversmann have collected stories of brave men and women who have defended our country. Each one is a profile in courage. Read this book and you will have even greater respect for those who serve in our military." ―Chris Wallace, anchor, FOX News Sunday
"Combat is hard to make sense of. Probably because, in many ways, it makes no sense. James Patterson and Matt Eversmann's unvarnished portrayal of soldiers is right on. Each of these stories of the personal experience of combat is unique, homespun, and honest. God bless them, one and all." ―Brigadier General Peter Dawkins, US Army (Ret.)
“A vivid and authentic portrait of life in the modern military … Powerful. This edifying collection captures the highs and lows of the military experience.”―Publishers Weekly
“Urgent and full of suspense. . . In this wide-ranging, consistently absorbing collection, the authors cover the entire spectrum of American military action during the last 50 years, from Vietnam to the ongoing conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq . . . A gripping account of American military members’ experiences before, during, and after wartime.”―Kirkus, starred review
“Extraordinarily well-written . . . Walk in My Combat Boots should be mandatory reading for every American citizen. These stories demonstrate that ‘the greatest generation’ is not confined to the World War II era. Those who currently wear the military uniform are worthy successors to those American soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who have shed their collective blood on the altar of freedom throughout our nation’s history.”―Army magazine
About the Author
James Patterson is the world's bestselling author. The creator of Alex Cross, he has produced more enduring fictional heroes than any other novelist alive. He lives in Florida with his family.
Matt Eversmann retired from the Army after twenty years of service. His last assignment was as an Infantry Company First Sergeant in the 10th Mountain Division during the surge in Iraq. He spent almost half of his career in the 75th Ranger Regiment and was a member of Task Force Ranger, the unit immortalized in the film Black Hawk Down. Matt and his family live in West Palm Beach where he runs his own consulting company, Eversmann Advisory.
Chris Mooney is the international bestselling author of fourteen thrillers. The Mystery Writers of America nominated Remembering Sarah for an Edgar Award. He teaches creative writing at Harvard.
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Product details
- Publisher : Little, Brown and Company; 1st edition (February 8, 2021)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 416 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0316429090
- ISBN-13 : 978-0316429092
- Item Weight : 1.41 pounds
- Dimensions : 6.45 x 1.6 x 9.5 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #11,302 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2 in Iraq History (Books)
- #4 in Vietnam War Biographies (Books)
- #8 in Vietnam War History (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

JAMES PATTERSON is one of the best-known and biggest-selling writers of all time. His books have sold in excess of 375 million copies worldwide. He is the author of some of the most popular series of the past two decades – the Alex Cross, Women’s Murder Club, Detective Michael Bennett and Private novels – and he has written many other number one bestsellers including romance novels and stand-alone thrillers.
James is passionate about encouraging children to read. Inspired by his own son who was a reluctant reader, he also writes a range of books for young readers including the Middle School, I Funny, Treasure Hunters, Dog Diaries and Max Einstein series. James has donated millions in grants to independent bookshops and has been the most borrowed author of adult fiction in UK libraries for the past eleven years in a row. He lives in Florida with his wife and son.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2021
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And I used to read James Patterson books… thirty-three in all… but stopped a few years ago… because my life and interests were through with so-called “beach reads”. I was also extremely disappointed with an earlier Patterson attempt at non-fiction crime drama also. At this stage of my life… the so-called “Golden-Years” that were either falsely promised… or described incorrectly… I find that the memories of what transpired during my military service… won’t ever be truly shared in intricate detail. Some because of habit of retaining security levels and procedures… and also… because so few people really pay attention with their heart as well as their mind when you perhaps… prematurely start (even after in some cases waiting fifty-years to share your experience… horror… and camaraderie!) to open up your relentlessly defended secret vault within.
This book’s stories… told by a myriad of Honorable Veterans… of varied ages… sexes… and dates of service… was an absolute treasure trove of riches to me… as story by story… which boomed out at the speed that bullets would fly… if you propped up a fifty-pound- concrete-block on the trigger of an automatic machine gun on FULL-AUTO! Unlike many other books based on “THE-VETERANS-TRUE-VOICE”… and don’t get me wrong… some are very good. They usually plod out of the gate with detailed life experiences of the veteran’s prior life before service… again… it’s not entirely bad… but this book… literally EXPLODES off the page at supersonic speed. Within a few blinks of the eye… you are in the meat of each veteran’s story. There is no sneaking up on the intent… target… and aftermath. What is so unbelievably exciting and entrancing to me… is that I share so many of the MOTIVATIONS… DESIRES… GOAL REACHING… CHALLENGES… FEARS (fear is part of life for heroes… the only difference is… heroes recognize their fear… and still move forward!)… Tears… frustrations… and in many cases… the realization that it’s time to get out of the military… no matter how many things you believed in and accomplished. Some of our Veteran Heroes never get to make that decision.
What I truly find so exhilarating… Yes! I find it exhilarating… is that there is no author or editors… pre-conceived message point… no company/author/publisher… overall agenda and/or point to prove… or smash down a specific political party’s throat. The reader will be caught unknowingly in a split second career change… or life or death… or simply here’s how I want to finish my life decision by the individual veteran. There are times such as a when a female medical attendant gets put on a cargo plane that has the front filled with heroes in coffins… a little further up are wounded veterans who the medical team were told prior to boarding… are all going to die.. But they want to get them back to America to die there… and intermingled in between all of them are family members of the dead… the dying… and the medical team personnel who regardless of which military branch they may be in… I am telling you from the deepest part of my heart… they ALL have wings… whether you can see them or not. If you don't get choked up and fight back tears you're not human!
As willing as my fellow veterans are to give their lives… and in some cases almost as bad or worse... not dying… but having to make up their mind and soul… if they can… or want to survive and exist in a “new-normal”… so gloriously laid out on these superbly touching… feeling… pages that are dripping with emotion… you will be so impressed… and depending on your age… you should also become challenged to make more of yourself and serve something way greater than oneself. The heroes on these pages were told in many… many… cases they could not make or qualify… for the elite jobs… in the elite divisions… on the elite teams… and damn it… they paid the price… and they did!
The one negative to me personally that these true gripping tales of our American Heroes… is a promise/demon that it has reawakened in me… is the deathly fear of what I would do… even at this stage of my life… if I came across someone trying to burn the American Flag.
Thank you to all my fellow veterans… G-d Bless America… and thank you to James Patterson for truly rising above with this book!

Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2021
And I used to read James Patterson books… thirty-three in all… but stopped a few years ago… because my life and interests were through with so-called “beach reads”. I was also extremely disappointed with an earlier Patterson attempt at non-fiction crime drama also. At this stage of my life… the so-called “Golden-Years” that were either falsely promised… or described incorrectly… I find that the memories of what transpired during my military service… won’t ever be truly shared in intricate detail. Some because of habit of retaining security levels and procedures… and also… because so few people really pay attention with their heart as well as their mind when you perhaps… prematurely start (even after in some cases waiting fifty-years to share your experience… horror… and camaraderie!) to open up your relentlessly defended secret vault within.
This book’s stories… told by a myriad of Honorable Veterans… of varied ages… sexes… and dates of service… was an absolute treasure trove of riches to me… as story by story… which boomed out at the speed that bullets would fly… if you propped up a fifty-pound- concrete-block on the trigger of an automatic machine gun on FULL-AUTO! Unlike many other books based on “THE-VETERANS-TRUE-VOICE”… and don’t get me wrong… some are very good. They usually plod out of the gate with detailed life experiences of the veteran’s prior life before service… again… it’s not entirely bad… but this book… literally EXPLODES off the page at supersonic speed. Within a few blinks of the eye… you are in the meat of each veteran’s story. There is no sneaking up on the intent… target… and aftermath. What is so unbelievably exciting and entrancing to me… is that I share so many of the MOTIVATIONS… DESIRES… GOAL REACHING… CHALLENGES… FEARS (fear is part of life for heroes… the only difference is… heroes recognize their fear… and still move forward!)… Tears… frustrations… and in many cases… the realization that it’s time to get out of the military… no matter how many things you believed in and accomplished. Some of our Veteran Heroes never get to make that decision.
What I truly find so exhilarating… Yes! I find it exhilarating… is that there is no author or editors… pre-conceived message point… no company/author/publisher… overall agenda and/or point to prove… or smash down a specific political party’s throat. The reader will be caught unknowingly in a split second career change… or life or death… or simply here’s how I want to finish my life decision by the individual veteran. There are times such as a when a female medical attendant gets put on a cargo plane that has the front filled with heroes in coffins… a little further up are wounded veterans who the medical team were told prior to boarding… are all going to die.. But they want to get them back to America to die there… and intermingled in between all of them are family members of the dead… the dying… and the medical team personnel who regardless of which military branch they may be in… I am telling you from the deepest part of my heart… they ALL have wings… whether you can see them or not. If you don't get choked up and fight back tears you're not human!
As willing as my fellow veterans are to give their lives… and in some cases almost as bad or worse... not dying… but having to make up their mind and soul… if they can… or want to survive and exist in a “new-normal”… so gloriously laid out on these superbly touching… feeling… pages that are dripping with emotion… you will be so impressed… and depending on your age… you should also become challenged to make more of yourself and serve something way greater than oneself. The heroes on these pages were told in many… many… cases they could not make or qualify… for the elite jobs… in the elite divisions… on the elite teams… and damn it… they paid the price… and they did!
The one negative to me personally that these true gripping tales of our American Heroes… is a promise/demon that it has reawakened in me… is the deathly fear of what I would do… even at this stage of my life… if I came across someone trying to burn the American Flag.
Thank you to all my fellow veterans… G-d Bless America… and thank you to James Patterson for truly rising above with this book!

There are four parts: A call to duty; On training; In country and On the home front. Each section contains numerous interviews with service members. If you have never served in the military, you will gain an insight into the trials and tribulations that these veterans have gone through...and, yes, the memories linger with them long after their time expires in uniform.
For me as a USN Chief Petty Officer, Ret., the book emphasizes many things...the most evident is love of country and dedication to duty...are common themes throughout these interviews. Honor, commitment, and personal responsibility are also right at the top of the list.
One thing I really appreciated as a reader was that it is always okay to seek help for those 'nagging' and horrific memories... Feeling sad, angry, or upset is a reaction to the 'in theater' missions. Please ask for help, if needed.
The interviews were with both male and female veterans and cover a wide variety of aspects of their service to this great country of ours. Respect...one thing that I feel is missing lately in our society. Military members...active and retired.. still have is respect for each other. As civilians, the military comradery is always missing... but the respect is still present.
When I retired, I opted not to have a department ceremony. I opted instead for a very small gathering in the conference room with close Chiefs in attendance. I remember saying that I would never have a feeling of accomplishment like I had serving my country. Nothing has ever compared to it...after nearly 30 years in civilian life, I still miss the US Navy.
Well done to the authors for compiling these powerful and poignant stories...This is a must read for those who want to learn about the military life. The good and the bad, the ups and the downs, the reasons one enters the military and so much more..
And, as stated in the book.... Thank a veteran when you encounter one. It means the world to hear those words...
Most highly recommended.

Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2021

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