Modern Warriors || A Book Review

I am so excited to share my review of this book with you! I had wanted to read this book ever since I first saw it, and on a whim, I picked it up at our local BJ’s! And I am not sorry at all!

Modern Warriors
By Pete Hegseth
(November 24th, 2020)
Content: 3 Stars || Quality: 10 Stars || Personal Enjoyment: 10 Stars || Overall: 8 Stars
(Click here to see How I Rate Books)
|| Amazon ||

About the Author ||

Pete Hegseth is a FOX News contributor who regularly appears on FOX & Friends, The Kelly File, and Outnumbered. An infantry officer in the Army National Guard, he is a veteran of Iraq, Afghani­stan, and Guantanamo Bay who holds two Bronze Stars and a Combat Infantryman’s Badge for his time overseas. He is the former CEO of the veterans advocacy organization Concerned Veterans for America and former Chairman of the pro-victory organization Vets for Freedom. He is also a graduate of Princeton Uni­versity and Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. He writes regularly for National Review and FOXNews.com and is a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

*From Amazon Page*

About the Book ||

After three Army deployments—earning two Bronze Stars and a Combat Infantryman’s Badge—Pete Hegseth knows what it takes to be a modern warrior. In Modern Warriors he presents candid, unfiltered conversations with fellow modern warriors and digs for real answers to key questions like: What inspired them to serve? What is their legacy? What does sacrifice really mean to them? How do they handle loss? And what can civilians learn from this latest generation of veterans?

From the skies over Afghanistan to the seas of the Mediterranean to the treacherous streets of Iraq, these brave men and women take you inside the firefight, sharing the harrowing realities of war. Hegseth uses their experiences to facilitate conversations about the raw truths of combat, including the difficulties of transitioning back home, while also celebrating these soldiers’ contributions to preserving our nation’s most precious gift—freedom.

In addition to the oral history, Modern Warriors presents dozens of personal, rarely shared photos from the battlefield and the home front. Together these stories and images provide an unvarnished representation of battlefield leadership, military morale, and the strain of war. This book is the perfect keepsake and gift for anyone who wants to know what it means, and what it truly takes, to be a patriot.

My Review ||

This book! Where do I start? This book is one I’m sure will be appearing on my 2021 Top 10 Books list next year! I’ve never read a military biography that made me feel like I was sitting down talking with a veteran! Mr. Hegseth took their interviews and just printed them mostly verbatim, only adjusting things or adding notes as needed for context. So, in essence, these veterans are sitting down and telling you what they wish they could say to your face if you gave them half the chance.

Themes like PTSD, finding your mission, helping the next guy, adjusting from military to civilian life, and prejudice was dealt with on a level that tugs at your heartstrings. But at the same time, it challenges you to make an effort to better yourself and lend a hand to those around you!

While this won’t make sense in some ways, I felt like I could understand exactly what they had/were going through. I’ve not been in their shoes; I’m a civilian. But when you really stop to listen, to actually try and understand what they have been through, you’ll find we have a lot more in common than we realize.

Among my favorite interviews were SGT1C John Wayne Walding, SSGT Jeremiah Workman, LT Morgan Luttrell (Brother to Marcus Luttrell, the Lone Survivor), Capt. Sean Parnell, and Rep. Dan Crenshaw. Though to be honest, there wasn’t one that I didn’t enjoy!

I did have to censor some language out of this book. It was less than I anticipated, but still a fair amount. So I would recommend a mature adult going through this book with a fine-toothed comb. It will be worth it, I assure you!

Recommended for Ages 21+, 16+ if censored.

Have you read this book? Have you ever gotten to speak with a Veteran and hear their stories? What books have you enjoyed so far this year?

Have a Blessed Day!
Ryana Lynn
Jude 22