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Anonymous
Posted August 14, 2001
I bought this book after hearing some people talking about it on the radio and thinking they were probably exagerrating. They weren't! The author is incredibly funny, but also this book scared me a lot. I hope they make a movie out of this!!!
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Posted February 27, 2001
I must admit that I was expecting a different book after first seeing descriptions of Mike Yon's, Danger Close on the website specialoperations.com. In reading the book I expected stories of helping a friendly nation's soldiers learn US tactics, treating a wounded civilian in a battle to win 'hearts and minds', long range patrols behind enemy lines, or gun battles with heroic overtones. What I got was very different. This is a story of a young man confronted with a situation that most of us would never dream happening to them. Mike Yon, a solider who has just passed through the US Army Special Force Qualification Course, is charged with murder in Ocean City, Maryland. Selected for Special Forces training in 1983, Mike, just 18, entered at a time when Special Forces accepted soldiers to apply right after Basic Training. After completion of Special Forces Qualification, and pending charges, Mike performed duties as a junior Tactical Advisor and Counselor, and acting Sergeant. Following that, Mike was assigned to the 10th Special Forces Group. Danger Close is written in Mike's unique style of tying past and present together. It is a book about perceptions, sticking it out through adversity, faith in yourself and others, faith of teammates in you, and most of all, just being human. Danger Close is a book that someone with a military background, or none at all, can read, understand and relate too. I highly recommend this book.
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Posted December 18, 2000
I met the author last month at a book signing and I have spent every free moment reading his book! As you read the book, you are drawn in to the author's life and the further you read the more you feel like you have known him the whole time! Danger Close is a very well written book and if you want to escape your life for a while and put yourself in someone else's shoes, you must read this book! The things he has been through and overcome are just incredible. I can't wait to read his next book... if it is written with the same passion as Danger Close, it is sure to be another good read.
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Posted October 4, 2000
Yon shares an extremely personal space in his heart. His novel leaves you feeling in awe and inspired by the many feats one can accomplish. The strength that he has pulled on can be a lesson to all of us.
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Posted August 30, 2000
In today's society the questions of violence return and re-return. Mike Yon's Danger Close takes a hard look at a life intertwined with that violence, yet leaves us strikingly full of his sense of morals, motivation, and his desire to rise from the ashes of the vioent world (much like a phoenix) and see in it something greater, purer. His anecdotes are humorous, real, painful--leaving us filled with anger, or laughing at things we ourselves have seen or done which are similar. Yet Mike has lived through the hardest experience we can imagine--that of facing death, murder, and his own weapons and Green Beret training. In short, his extreme experiences, and his raw, honest and friendly tone make for an enjoyable and educational read.
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Posted July 22, 2000
In 'Danger Close' the author took events from his Central Florida childhood and expertly wove them into the fabric of a fascinating life story. He achieved a balance that kept me reading continually. His childhood is as fascinating as his Green Beret experience, maybe more so. This book is a must for budding writers and it should be read by anyone who can read at this level. My wife and my brother also read the book and we had discussions about our favorite passages. I can still see him soaking wet on a dark night waiting for a ride that didn't show up and swinging from a rope into a clear Florida spring that was on fire. I can't wait to see the movie. In 'Danger Close' I think Mike Yon will be credited with creating a new writing form.
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Posted June 27, 2000
This is not only the best book I've read in years. It really is a great epic of moral fortitude and a blueprint for a workable ethic of the 21st century. Mike has the approachable can-do attitude that we have all come to admire in great Americans, humility braced with honor and the ability to laugh at himself and cut-away the crud! This book rocks!
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Posted June 17, 2000
Danger Close is a worthy selection for National Public Radio's summer reading list. I was grateful to hear of the book on a recent airing of Talk of the Nation. In a day of manufactured bestsellers, Danger Close is a refreshingly human story. It is an autobiographical account of Mike Yon, a young man accused of murder only hours after graduating from Special Forces training! With great wit, humor, and insight, Yon tells an amazing and heartwrenching story which encompasses not only his military experiences, but also his life growing up in Winter Haven, Florida. This is a well written and one of a kind human interest story. Little wonder that the book received the prestigious William A. Gurley award for creative non-fiction! Regardless of awards, Danger Close is a unique book, and reading it was a thoroughly enjoyable and rewarding experience.
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Posted May 6, 2000
A friend told me to read this book...and I will be forever grateful to him. Like the author, my friend was in Special Forces...altho for 23 years! So his resommendation meant something! This book should be read by every American who cares about this country...and especially those who care about what is happening to our childen, our freedoms and our future. Mike writes coherently and cogently about things we all need to consider and understand. There is laughter and sadness...it is real life...told in a compelling fashion. In the failing light of early evening I had to resort to a magnifying glass to read the last 20 or so pages...and it was totally worth the trouble!!!! Read this book! You will not regret it! Recommend it to your friends! Give it as a present to any young person you know who needs to find his/her way in this life. S(he) will thank you....
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Posted April 23, 2000
I had a chance to chat with Mike a couple of weekends ago at a book signing and he is what this book says- a very intelligent, articulate, postive and all around nice guy. I was hesitant to buy the book at first because I was in the Army and know how those guys can be. After talking with him for a while I figured 'Okay, no problem'. Boy am I glad I did! This book brought up every emotion a person has. I was so sad and angry about how his childhood went after his mom died. I felt apprehension and fear when the Maryland episode happened. The lonliness of being out in woods alone during Phase 3 of SF training and happiness when he made it. The way he wove his Army life with his younger years was great. It's how life really goes and I could feel it. We've all had moments where something is going on in our current lives that take us back to another time. I can honestly say this is one of the top 5 books I've ever read. Meeting and talking with Mike made it even better. Thanks for a wonderful story Mike. I will NEVER forget it or you!
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Posted April 2, 2000
I laughed (a lot), and I cried (thankfully less than I laughed!). The story was enthralling. I loved the inside look at the Special Forces selection process, and the family stuff was riveting. Mike Yon has a very interesting story to tell and a very interesting way of telling it.
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Posted March 28, 2000
Mike Yon shows a new side of the Green Beret. He shows you that they too feel fear, heartbreak, sorrow and joy. This book gives you an insider view of the unknown world of our elite American soldiers and is a compelling story of a boy who becomes man. I would recommend this book for everyone.
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Posted March 1, 2000
I have read some books by some very skilled authors and Danger Close is the best book I have ever read. This is because it is not only a great comedy , it is also has a great coverage of SF training. I commend Mike Yon and I give this book 5/5-stars.
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Posted February 20, 2000
My business partner¿s mom once told me something particularly pithy, funny, and useful: ¿Listen to what everyone has to say and just ignore the stupid stuff¿. It is amazing how much stupid stuff we are told, and even more amazing is how much of it we listen to. Michael Yon¿s new book, Danger Close, is the story of a young man with the compassion to listen, the guts to ignore the stupid stuff, and the passion to tell us about it. Listen to Mike. Danger Close will relate to everyone on many levels. It is a good solid story, but the deeper meaning is the heart and soul of the book. It is about justice, the search for personal worth and about finding one¿s place in the sun-- it is about common decency and dignity. It is about the struggles and the costs of holding one¿s head up and declaring membership in the human race. This book is about winners, not the hyped, over stated ones we are told to cheer and adore, but the common, unnamed heroes of everyday life: a kind grandparent, a loving mother, an understanding teacher, or a strong mentor. Michael Yon celebrates his life by celebrating his relationships with the heroes he has had the luck to happen across. Mike listened to them and is better for it, and so are we. I¿ve never been in the military, and after reading Danger Close, I am glad I was born in a relatively peaceful time. However, I can relate to several of the messages in the book. I am currently an elected official of a small town in Alachua County, Florida; I have many, too many, opportunities to see people at their worst. I think of politics as a form of war, we do horrible things to one another on a regular basis. Where the military makes no apologies for it, we politicians tend to whine that this ad was unfair, that policy opportunist, but we never take responsibility for our actions. The Danger Close is in America. Many are too quick to blame, too apathetic to care, and too judgemental of others and not of themselves. A Democracy, the one that people like Mike defend, cannot survive for long as a selfish, materialist nation. Politicians need to step up, take courage in the example of the common heroes, and endorse the independent, free-spirited citizens. I will be advising everyone I know in public service to read Danger Close as a primer on leadership, on taking charge, on taking responsibility and suffering the consequences, and on recognizing that this great nation still has heroes and great men, like Michael Yon. Read this book¿and listen.
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Posted February 19, 2000
When I started reading this book I had no idea how interesting it would turn out to be. I was pleasantly surprised. Everyone can get something out of this book. You wont regret buying it, you wont be bored, it isn't 'macho' stuff, it isn't just military stuff...You'll experience the tragic death of a mother, misfortune, mischeif and triumph over adversity. It truly is a touching and adventurous story told by a good-hearted, moral, sensitive, and determined individual. I can't wait to read his next book.
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Posted February 13, 2000
I met mike at a book signing and as an impulse buy, I purchased his book. I am still reading but in just a couple of pages I knew this was the best purchase I could make that day. I feel as though I know the people and the events first hand. Very well written and told. I highly reccommend this book.
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Posted February 10, 2000
What to get my son for a gift...What do you buy someone who is in the army? I overheard Mike Yon discussing his book at a signing.I thought of my son who is in Ranger training now. I wanted to know more of what our soldiers go through. My mother and I agreed we would read the book before giving it to Mike, my son. We couldn't put it down. Similarities in life can be amazing. The fact that the author and I went to the same high school.(different years) My son has flat feet and has proved like the author, what can be done with dedication and determination. This book can be an inspiration to anyone who reads it. You don't have to be military and you don't have to be a man. It can be appreciated at any age. Well written andflows with energy and ease. I know his mother is as proud of her son as I am of mine. I salute the author.
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Posted January 29, 2000
What can i say...outstanding. I couldnt put the book down at all. once i started to read it i just kept going till i finished it & that only took me a day & a half.I had to order it from the states because i live in Australia. I was an inspiration to know that when u do put your mind to do something you will acomplish it. having spent time in the military & seeing how fast they are to wash their hands of anything they dont like, its good to see that some units stick by their people no matter what. Im just hopeing that michaels next book is just as good. I have lent the book to other members op my platoon to read...(its now in th platoon library). I think words cant discribe it...u just have to read it your self & see what u think. One last word...Mr Yon thanks for for your inscription..& i hope the weather gets better for you & theirs no frost on the windscreen
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Posted January 24, 2000
This is not a book I would normally read.He seems to write with little effort and comes across with truisms, one after another. At the top of each page I wrote my thoughts. 1.Don't chase Quitters.2.Use the energy for your strength.3.Never ever quit. 4.Strategy is important. 5.Think first then act don't react? He has a most profound mind as well as the best story I've read. Please hurry with the next one. You are truly a best seller.
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Posted January 24, 2000
I purchased this book and called my sister to come and meet the author at his book signing. We knew his family and he portraited the events so accurately.Mike showed a shadow photo of Jamie,my son also a dedicated body builder and now a successful businessman in the same town.Mike put his dedication and stoic determination in his life as well as his writing. I can't wait for the next book.He is a delight to speak with and a spirit driven young man.His desire to win is shown over and over in each chapter.I will quit reading fiction. This book was exciting from the first chapter to the last page. I woke up wanting to finish this book.
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