I just finished reading “The Unforgiving Minute” by Craig Mullaney. The story chronicles a Rhodes Scolar/Army Ranger’s learning curve from West Point, to Oxford and then Afghanistan. It’s a compelling read, and I was definitely driven to finish the book quickly.
At times Mullaney can be trite and bit cliche in his descriptions of the events that occured in his life, and I was often questioning the depths of some of the relationships he describes. However, he was still able to create an incredible sense of empathy for his position and the hard decisions he was faced with, not only as a powerless “Plebe” but as an itellectual exploring the depths of a unique college experience, as a man learning the ins and outs of a multi-cultural relationship, a platoon leader faced with the responsibility to protect the lives of his own men, and a son fighting for an identity in the eyes of a unapproving father.
As a civilian its always been tough for me to understand the nature of a someone who has seen battle. ”The Unforgiving Minute” put into perspective the change that occurs in a person when they put themselves aside and willingly step into the path of danger for someone else.
Considering my politcal position with regard to our involvements in the Middle East, it was somewhat out of character for me to pick up a book like this. Having read it, I have to say thank you to Craig Mullaney, because he took a concept that is utterly personal, and explained it without involving the, at best, dicy politics that surround it.
