I've Got Things to Do with My Life: The Making of an American Hero [Hardcover]

Mike Towle (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2004

Pat Tillman never backed down from a challenge; in fact, he sought them out his entire life. That life ended tragically and heroically in Afghanistan in April 2004, after Tillman quit the National Football League to join the elite Army Rangers and serve his country in its war against terrorism. I’ve Got Things to Do with My Life is the inspirational story of Tillman’s incredible, heroic journey.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

When Bruce Snyder, Pat Tillman’s football coach at Arizona State University, told Pat he planned to redshirt him as a freshman—extending his eligibility for a year but also necessitating an additional year in college—Tillman said, "You can do whatever you want with me, Coach, but in four years, I’m gone. I’ve got things to do with my life."

And Tillman wasn’t kidding. Through sheer drive and determination, he turned an overachieving college career into a long shot at NFL stardom, becoming a late-round pick by the hometown Cardinals in the 1998 draft. Not only did the rookie make it through his first training camp, he eventually earned a starting role and, over time, became one of the league’s top players at his position.

But Tillman’s will to succeed was not confined to the football field. Deeply affected by the horrific events of September 11, 2001, he turned down a $3.6 million contract offer from the Cardinals, quit the NFL and, with his brother Kevin, enlisted in the army for a nation at war. Not just any army unit, either, but the hardcore, hard-as-nails Rangers, training for dangerous special-ops combat that would eventually put him in harm’s way in the sands of Iraq and, later, in the mountainous terrain of Afghanistan.

Real heroes never think of themselves as heroes. They see themselves as ordinary people performing acts any other right-minded person would do if in their shoes. Save the baby from the burning house. Jump into the foxhole and sprawl across the bodies of your buddies, shielding them from the grenade’s flying shrapnel. Bust down the cockpit door of your hijacked jetliner and dive the plane into the ground before it can crash into the U.S. Capitol. True heroes are ordinary people caught up in extraordinary circumstances.

Pat Tillman was just such an American hero, killed in action on April 22, 2004. I’ve Got Things to Do with My Life is the inspirational story of this exceptionally heroic life of victory and valor.

About the Author

Mike Towle is a Notre Dame graduate and former army officer who has been covering sports since he was 15 years old. Among the publications he has worked for covering major college football and the NFL are the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and The National. Towle has authored more than a dozen books, including works on Johnny Unitas, Ben Hogan, Roger Staubach, Walter Payton, and Vince Lombardi. He lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 190 pages
• Publisher: Triumph Books (September 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572437081
• ISBN-13: 978-1572437081
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #649,893 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars An insult to a great person, December 30, 2004

By 

James Calvert "Remote acquaintance" (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: I've Got Things to Do with My Life: The Making of an American Hero (Hardcover)

This is a re-hashed litany of Tillman's football career, along with comments from others that were mostly in the public domain, with absolutely no insight into the man. It is particualrly trashy to try to make money from the reputation of a true fallen hero.

Tillman did the right thing and kept it to himself, Towle takes advantage for his own (and the publisher's) financial benefit.

There shoud be negative stars in your rating system, because this "book" deserves them.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Tillman book a disappointment, March 8, 2007

By 

S. Higgins - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: I've Got Things to Do with My Life: The Making of an American Hero (Hardcover)

I didn't like the book. First, I was suprised by how thin the book was when I got it.There were not many pages at all.The rough uneven edges of the pages made it appear as if they had all been torn out of some other book making it look very amateurish. The story content was as thin as the book itself. There was only general information on how he died; no detail at all.I was very disappointed with it and do not reccommend it to anyone.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars My Life, August 10, 2010

By 

MICHAEL RASMUSSEN (FARMINGTON, NM, US) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I've Got Things to Do with My Life: The Making of an American Hero (Hardcover)

This book was wrote before much of the factual info on Tillman was out. Still a good read if you know the information surrounding Tillman.