The Unforgiving Minute: A Soldier's Education

Mullaney, Craig M.

ISBN 10: 1400111560 ISBN 13: 9781400111565

Publisher: Tantor Audio, 2009

Synopsis

Craig M. Mullaney's education had been relentlessly preparing him for this moment. The four years he spent at West Point and the harrowing test of Ranger School readied him for a career in the Army. His subsequent experience as a Rhodes scholar at Oxford couldn't have been further from the Army and his working-class roots, and yet the unorthodox education he received there would be surprisingly relevant as a combat leader. Years later, after that unforgettable experience in Afghanistan, he would return to the United States to teach history to future Navy and Marine Corps officers at the Naval Academy. He had been in their position once, and he had put his education to the test. How would he use his own life-changing experience to prepare them?

The Unforgiving Minute is the extraordinary story of one soldier's singular education. From a hilarious plebe's-eye view of the author's West Point experience to the demanding leadership crucible of Ranger School's swamps and mountains, to a two-year whirlwind of scintillating debate, pub crawls, and romance at Oxford, Mullaney's winding path to the battlegrounds of Afghanistan was unique and remarkable. Despite all his preparation, the hardest questions remained. When the call came to lead his platoon into battle and earn his soldiers' salutes, would he be ready? Was his education sufficient for the unforgiving minutes he'd face? A fascinating account of an Army captain's unusual path through some of the most legendary seats of learning straight into a brutal fight with Al Qaeda in Afghanistan, The Unforgiving Minute is, above all, an unforgettable portrait of a young soldier grappling with the weight of his hard-earned knowledge while coming to grips with becoming a man.

About this title

About the Author:

A native Rhode Islander, Craig M. Mullaneytrained with the Army's 10th Mountain Division and deployed to Afghanistan where he led an infantry rifle platoon in combat along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. He is currently a member of the Obama-Biden Transition Project.

From AudioFile:

In simple but intelligent language, an Army officer shares his physical and mentally maturing experiences at West Point and Army Ranger school. Listeners can decide if those lessons in obedience, discipline, and conformity prepared him for leadership as a platoon leader in Afghanistan. Todd McLaren adapts his narration to the situations Mullaney describes. He assumes a raspy, gruff voice for orders from the Lieutenant's superiors and a somber one for occasional introspective moments. McLaren's subtle treatment avoids exaggeration while preserving the emotional moods the author intended for his memories of romance, combat, and death. McLaren capitalizes on the author's military brevity in describing war and captures his softer side as Shakespearian poetry punctuates his recollections of courting his wife during postgraduate study at Oxford. J.A.H. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine

About this edition

• Publisher: Tantor Audio
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 1400111560
• ISBN 13: 9781400111565
• Binding: Audio CD