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A carregar... Ranger Games: A Story of Soldiers, Family and an Inexplicable Crimepor Ben Blum
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Adira ao LibraryThing para descobrir se irá gostar deste livro. Ainda não há conversas na Discussão sobre este livro. This book caught my eye because my son is a Ranger, after reading what it was about I was intrigued to find out what had happened. It is a crazy story! I did find that Blum was over-descriptive at times in areas that did not add to the story and actually took away from the flow of the book. Overall, I'm glad I read it. ( ) *I received an ARC of this book through the Goodreads Giveaway program in exchange for an honest review* This book has been sitting neglected on my "to-read" shelf for far too long, in part because I just had no clue what to expect. I am so glad that I finally took a chance on it because it was a far more complex, thought-provoking and engrossing read than I had envisioned. I won't resummarize the plot/theme as it is likely available in many other reviews, but would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is interested in attempting to understand the intentions, thought processes, and inner workings of an individual. It is fascinating that the author himself had an advanced career in graduate-level mathematics as it can definitely be seen/felt in portions of the book (although some of these more philosophical musings could be a bit difficult to follow at times). Alex Blum had dreams of becoming a Army Ranger, since he was five years old. Growing up in a close-knit family, in Colorado, he was a popular, good-looking kid, who became a hockey star in high school. He joined the Army, immediately after finishing school and was accepted into the elite Ranger program, achieving his lifetime goal. Just before his deployment to Iraq, he entered a personal vehicle, along with two other Rangers, drove into downtown Tacoma, Washington and robbed a bank. Why would Alex participate in this unimaginable crime, just before fulfilling his dream? This question haunted the entire Blum family, for years to come. The author, a first cousin of Alex's, attempts to answer this baffling question, in this excellent exploration of a federal crime and it's crushing aftermath. Was Alex brainwashed? Was he completely swayed by his team leader, Corporal Luke Elliot Sommer and manipulated into joining this crime, under the guise of a “training exercise”? Or was Alex simply lying, covering up the fact that he made a terrible decision? It took Ben Blum many years to write this book and he ended up having a very close friendship with Alex, while Alex was in prison. Ben also had conflicting feelings about Alex and his honesty, making for a very compelling read. sem críticas | adicionar uma crítica
Distinctions
"A gloriously good writer...Ranger Games is both surprising and moving...A memorable, novelistic account."--Jennifer Senior, New York Times Intricate, heartrending, and morally urgent, Ranger Games is a crime story like no other Alex Blum was a good kid, a popular high school hockey star from a tight-knit Colorado family. He had one goal in life: endure a brutally difficult selection program, become a U.S. Army Ranger, and fight terrorists for his country. He poured everything into achieving his dream. In the first hours of his final leave before deployment to Iraq, Alex was supposed to fly home to see his family and beloved girlfriend. Instead, he got into his car with two fellow soldiers and two strangers, drove to a local bank in Tacoma, and committed armed robbery... The question that haunted the entire Blum family was: Why? Why would he ruin his life in such a spectacularly foolish way? At first, Alex insisted he thought the robbery was just another exercise in the famously daunting Ranger program. His attorney presented a case based on the theory that the Ranger indoctrination mirrored that of a cult. In the midst of his own personal crisis, and in the hopes of helping both Alex and his splintering family cope, Ben Blum, Alex's first cousin, delved into these mysteries, growing closer to Alex in the process. As he probed further, Ben began to question not only Alex, but the influence of his superior, Luke Elliot Sommer, the man who planned the robbery. A charismatic combat veteran, Sommer's manipulative tendencies combined with a magnetic personality pulled Ben into a relationship that put his loyalties to the test. Não foram encontradas descrições de bibliotecas. |
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Google Books — A carregar... GénerosSistema Decimal de Melvil (DDC)364.15Social sciences Social problems and services; associations Criminology Crimes and Offenses Offenses against personsClassificação da Biblioteca do Congresso dos EUA (LCC)AvaliaçãoMédia:
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