About the Author

Salvatore A. Giunta retired from active duty in 2011. Prior to that, he was responsible for the health, welfare, morale, training, and accountability of the soldiers in his company in the Army, working to ensure all unit family members were well taken care of while their spouses were deployed in Afghanistan. He is one of the few living persons to ever be awarded the Medal of Honor, and he was presented the award by President Obama in a White House ceremony on November 16, 2010. Giunta has also received numerous other commendations, including the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal and the Purple Heart. He lives in Colorado with his wife, Jen, and their daughter.

Award-winning journalist and bestselling author Joe Layden has written more than thirty books for adults and children, including the critically acclaimed title, The Last Great Fight and the #1 New York Times bestseller The Rock Says. He lives in Saratoga Springs, New York, with his wife, Susan, and their two children.

Reviews

“More than anything, it’s his genuineness and humility that will make you appreciate Giunta’s spirit and his memoir. If we as a nation are still capable of producing young men like him, we’re doing okay.”
*Time Magazine*

"Candid, confessional...a simply told account that reminds us of the awesome weight accompanying this signal honor."
*Kirkus Reviews*

"An adept observer of human nature, Giunta's portraits of his comrades-in-arms are full of wit and warmth about their foibles and admiration for their combat skills...With clarity and maturity, Giunta shows he understands the complexities of contemporary Afghan society."
*Publishers Weekly*

In this autobiography, Medal of Honor recipient Staff Sergeant Giunta chronicles his life and time on duty in Afghanistan. Listeners will follow Giunta's journey from Subway "sandwich artist" to receiving the highest honor possible for a U.S. solider. Sparing no details, Giunta recounts the abject horror of daily life in Afghanistan, showing how easily one can come to view human lives as "worthless." The author shares the "worst day of his life" with a detailed account of the battle that merited him the commendation. This work features striking realism, very strong language, and content about casualties that is not censored. Narrator Keith Nobbs is brilliant; listeners will feel as if they are hearing Giunta himself sharing war stories. Verdict Best for fans of nonfiction works about war and military life.-Sean Kennedy, Cleveland State Univ. Law Lib (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.