Thank You for My Service

by Mat Best, Ross Patterson, and Nils Parker

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The unapologetic, laugh-your-ass-off military memoir both vets and civilians have been waiting for, from a five-tour Army Ranger turned YouTube phenomenon and zealous advocate for veterans
 
Members of the military’s special operations branches share a closely guarded secret: They love their jobs. They relish the opportunity to fight. They are thankful for it, even, and hopeful that maybe, possibly, they’ll also get to kill a bunch of bad guys while they’re at it. You don’t necessarily need to thank them for their service—the pleasure is all theirs.

In this hilarious and personal memoir, readers ride shotgun alongside former Army Ranger and private military contractor and current social media phenomenon Mat Best, into the action and its aftermath, both abroad and at home. From surviving a skin infection in the swampy armpit of America (aka Columbus, Georgia) to kicking down doors on the outskirts of Ramadi, from blowing up a truck full of enemy combatants to witnessing the effects of a suicide bombing right in front of your face, Thank You for My Service gives readers who love America and love the good guys fresh insight into what it’s really like inside the minds of the men and women on the front lines.

It’s also a sobering yet steadying glimpse at life for veterans after the fighting stops, when the enemy becomes self-doubt or despair and you begin to wonder why anyone should be thanking you for anything, least of all your service. How do you keep going when something you love turns you into somebody you hate? For veterans and their friends and families, Thank You for My Service will offer comfort, in the form of a million laughs, and counsel, as a blueprint for what to do after the war ends and the real fight begins.

And for civilians, this is the insider account of military life you won’t find anywhere else, told with equal amounts of heart and balls. It’s Deadpool meets Captain America, except one went to business school and one went to therapy, and it’s anyone’s guess which is which.

• ISBN10: 1524796492
• ISBN13: 9781524796495
• Publish Date: 20 August 2019
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Random House USA Inc
• Imprint: Bantam Dell Publishing Group, Div of Random House, Inc
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 224
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9781524796495

Reviews

[Beth C.]

Well - it's definitely written by a military dude. Plenty of T&A, along with a healthy dose of military tales. I didn't find it as amusing as some will, but that's personal preference - in many ways, I felt like I was back in the bar with my drunk buddies, while they told tales of their conquests (I suppose that's where the "Jackass" comparison I've heard about comes from). What I *did* find interesting was the honesty with which he spoke, and his passion about not only his service - but helping other veterans. His drive, and his work ethic are outstanding, and I have the greatest respect for both. I served, as did my husband (who retired after 26 years), and whether you've had all the same experiences as someone else - it's a lifestyle that is different from what most who have never served can ever imagine. And while I have a sneaking suspicion that Best and I may have very different opinions on many different things - I can agree with him here: that veterans are underappreciated, underutilized, and overdramatized in the minds of civilians. I'll probably not ever become a "fan" of his, but he has my respect and admiration for what he has accomplished.