Synopses & Reviews
Lt. Michael Patrick Murphy, a Navy SEAL, earned the Medal of Honor on 28 June 2005 for his bravery during a fierce fight with the Taliban in the remote mountains of eastern Afghanistan. The first to receive the nation's highest military honor for service in Afghanistan, Lt. Murphy was also the first naval officer to earn the medal since the Vietnam War, and the first SEAL to be honored posthumously. A young man of great character, he is the subject of Naval Special Warfare courses on character and leadership, and an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, naval base, school, post office, ball park, and hospital emergency room have been named in his honor.
A bestselling book by the sole survivor of Operation Red Wings, Marcus Luttrell, has helped make Lt. Murphy's SEAL team's fateful encounter with the Taliban one of the Afghan war's best known engagements. Published on the 5th anniversary of the engagement, SEAL of Honor also tells the story of that fateful battle, but it does so from a very different perspective being focused on the life of Lt. Murphy. This biography uses his heroic action during this deadly firefight in Afghanistan, as a window on his character and attempts to answer why Lt. Murphy readily sacrificed his life for his comrades. SEAL of Honor is the story of a young man, who was noted by his peers for his compassion and for his leadership being guided by an extraordinary sense of duty, responsibility, and moral clarity.
In tracing Lt. Murphy's journey from a seemingly ordinary life on New York's Long Island, to that remote mountainside a half a world away, SEAL of Honor will help readers understand how he came to demonstrate the extraordinary heroism and selfless leadership that earned him the nation's highest military honor. Moreover, the book brings the Afghan war back to the home front, focusing on Lt. Murphy's tight knit family and the devastating effect of his death upon them as they watched the story of Operation Red Wings unfold in the news. The book attempts to answer why Lt. Murphy's service to his country and his comrades was a calling faithfully answered, a duty justly upheld, and a life, while all too short, well lived.
Review
"Snyder-Hill offers a moving and insightful epitaph to a destructive policy."and#8212;Publishers Weekly
Review
and#8220;Stephen Snyder-Hill has written a compelling account of his experience as a closeted gay soldier in the era of and#8216;Donand#8217;t Ask, Donand#8217;t Tell.and#8217; It is at once a heart-wrenchingly intimate look at the corrosive consequences of being forced to live a double life, a love story, and a profile in hard-won courage. The book chronicles his journey from fear and secrecy to an unforgettable moment on the national stageand#8212;and beyond.and#8221;and#8212;Christopher Goffard, author and staff writer for the
Los Angeles Timesand#160;and#160;
and#160;
and#160;
Review
and#8220;Here is the tale of an eagle who awakes to find himself shackled. He beats his wings and struggles mightily until his chains give way and heand#8217;s allowed to soar skyward. But listen and hear the rasp in his cries for freedom. Look and see his mighty wings are torn, his proud legs bloodied. Who dared enslave this majestic creature? Read his story and know the price paid for intolerance and the limitless joy of triumph.and#8221;and#8212;Harvey Fierstein, Tony Awardand#8211;winning actor and playwright
Review
andquot;[Soldier of Change] is an important story to read if you need to know where LGBT rights have been and whose brought them forward. Itandrsquo;s also one to enjoy if you want an informal, easy-to-like memoir. Even in this post-DADT time, Soldier of Change is a book to call for.andquot;andmdash;Terri Schlichenmeyer, Washington Blade
Review
andldquo;Read [Snyder-Hillandrsquo;s] story and know the price paid for intolerance and the limitless joy of triumph.andrdquo;andmdash;Harvey Fierstein, Tony Awardandndash;winning actor and playwright
Synopsis
Lt. Michael Patrick Murphy, a Navy SEAL, was the first to receive the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military honor, for service in Afghanistan--also the first naval officer to earn the medal since Vietnam and the first SEAL to receive it posthumously. Williams charts his extraordinary sense of duty, responsibility, and honor.
Synopsis
When and#8220;Donand#8217;t Ask, Donand#8217;t Tell,and#8221; the official U.S. policy on gays serving in the military, was repealed in September 2011, soldier Stephen Snyder-Hill (then Captain Hill) was serving in Iraq. Having endured years of this policy, which passively encouraged a culture of fear and secrecy for gay soldiers, Snyder-Hill submitted a video to a Republican primary debate held two days after the repeal. In the video he asked for the Republicansand#8217; thoughts regarding the repeal and their plans, if any, to extend spousal benefits to legally married gay and lesbian soldiers. His video was booed by the audience on national television.
Soldier of Change captures not only the media frenzy that followed that moment, placing Snyder-Hill at the forefront of this modern civil rights movement, but also his twenty-year journey as a gay man in the army: from self-loathing to self-acceptance to the most important battle of his lifeand#8212;protecting the disenfranchised. Since that time, Snyder-Hill has traveled the country with his husband, giving interviews on major news networks and speaking at universities, community centers, and pride parades, a champion of LGBT equality.and#160;
About the Author
STEPHEN SNYDER-HILL joined the military in 1988 and served nearly three years on active duty in Germany and fought in the first Gulf War in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Kuwait before his honorable discharge in 1996. He reenlisted in 2001 and was deployed to Iraq in support of Operation New Dawn in 2010. Throughout his military career Snyder-Hill received numerous awards and decorations, including the Meritorious Service Medal. GEORGE TAKEI is an actor, social justice activist, and author of Oh Myyy! There Goes the Internet. He is best known for his portrayal of Sulu in the Star Trek television series and movies.