Danger Close

by Mike Yon

Anyone who has felt overwhelmed by insurmountable obstacles--and who has not?--may find this book a source of inspiration and reassurance. Danger Close is neither the ordinary compilation of "uplifting" stories, nor an amoral manual on "How to Prevail by Applying Ten Tactics of Highly Successful Terrorists." Though Yon does not hesitate to express his views--forcefully and sometimes controversially--this story is not a sermon. It is, mistakes, misadventures, and all, an object lesson in the value of fortitude, determination, and simple human justice. Danger Close is the sometimes funny, sometimes moving, but always compelling account of a seemingly typical small boy becoming an exceptional young man. It ranges through the ordinary to the appalling, the grim and the joyous, the universally shared and the nearly unimaginable, all held together by the increasingly perceptive insights of the author.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography

Paperback

Published September 1, 2001

Reviews

[Julie Decker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Special Forces soldier Mike Yon takes readers on a circuitous journey through his Florida boyhood, mischievous teen years, Special Forces training, and accusations of murder. You get to know Mike's family, his talented and dangerous friends, his dedication to excellence, and his ability to mix work with pleasure.

Unlike many biographies, it doesn't try to convert you to any philosophy or inspire you in any particular way. It just tells some entertaining stories that will ring true to anyone who's been where he's been, and he also takes you to some places very few have been. Stories about training and triumphing in grueling tests of talent are always really riveting for me, so the Special Forces evaluations were my favorite parts, followed closely by his adventures as a teen taking turns blowing things up and doing nonsensical things to catch others off guard. (One of his friends got an imaginary person elected class president. Mike rode a horse to school and demanded the school be torn down because it was on Indian ground. He and his pal swam into a gator-infested lake in the middle of the night to set off a ridiculous bomb as part of a prank.) But there are moments of seriousness too. When Mike got harassed at a bar, he was eventually cornered and threatened with violence, and when he threw a punch, the guy died. Mike tells you the story of what he did when he found out the man was dead and what happened to him in the criminal justice system. There are photos in the middle so you can see the guy who's been talking to you all this time.

Mike went on after all this to become a very well known writer, spending more time actually in Iraq and Afghanistan than any journalist (though he does not consider himself a journalist, and writes independently). He's a good photographer and his work is not controlled by any media--very unique perspectives come out of his camera and his blog.

For the record, this book was my first full-length professional editing job.

[Scott Corbin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I began reading Michael Yon's blog because my niece was stationed in Mosul, Iraq. Where Mike first began acquiring his fame by being one of the few people telling America the truth about what was happening in that country. When I learned he had written a memoir of his early life and that he had been Special Ops, I couldn't resist and found an autographed first edition on the cheap on line. I proudly gave it to my niece who carried it to Iraq and back again. (Yes, she's safe after a stint as a medic with the Deuce Five, not Col. Kurilla's famous Deuce Four.)
Mike seemed to learn to write during the creation of this book. If you find it hard going at first, stick with it. By the end he picks up the riveting style the devotees of his blog love. He puts you into his less than happy home and how he and his brothers with a select group of friends made rural Florida an interesting place to grow up. Right up to the day as a young Marine, he accidentally takes a man's life with a self-defense punch.
I can't wait for Moment of Truth. Michael Yon is a great American.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's hard to be objective about a book written by a friend but here goes. So much of his story parallels my own life in Florida, and we grew up not too far from each other.
His telling of what it takes to be the consumate soldier is one that is difficult to forget. We sat down to lunch back in 2002 and he asked what I thought of editing the book. He was looking for a serious critique but I won't touch a memoir as long as it stays on track. Everything for this man reflects coming of age, the demons he had to slay at every level of his life, and then the bad break one night on leave that doesn't need to be retold in this review.
I met Mike in the weapons business and he knowledge was impressive and real. He signed a copy of his book for me and we've kept in modest contact. I tracked him down via his Iraq blog and he granted me an interview some time in the future, so I'll update this page on how he feels about the book today. Check out the book and Mike, keep up the good work.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yon's personal story (of how a Florida teenager fresh out of high school makes it through the 18X Program to become a Special Forces soldier) is both compelling and entertainingly told, for the most part. But ultimately, Yon published this book on his own, and it shows. There are many times when he interrupts the narrative line with flashbacks to random stories from his childhood, sometimes with a point, but oftentimes, these episodes are just plain indulgent. He could have used an editor to tighten and focus those parts and to clean up the ending, which read more like it was abandoned than it was carefully crafted. The book is at its strongest when Yon writes about his personal experience going through the Special Forces accessions pipeline, and there are many genuinely laugh-out-loud moments in his story.

[Swankivy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read this book a few times and it's grown on me, but that's because I'm one of its editors. :) (I'm a freelance editor and I worked on the second edition onwards, and the author was nice enough to mention me in the next edition's acknowledgments.)

Mike Yon's a very creative writer when it comes to telling the truth (which is why this is termed "creative non-fiction"). His exploits as a teen playing pranks, his experiences as a child and his relationship with his mom and siblings, and most of all his training in the military and bar-fight-resulting-in-death are sort of exhilarating to read. It skips around a lot in his life, but helps you get to understand the reason why he is who he is. I recommend this for anyone who likes Southern biographies and military stories.

[Bryce Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michael Yon is perhaps the premier citizen war-journalist of his generation. He has spent a phenomenal amount of time in theater throughout the Middle East. This book deals with his biography, inter-weaving between his childhood/coming of age with his time going through Army Ranger training. Oh yeah, he "was" a Green Beret so he knows a thing or two about combat. I found his childhood stories very moving; both the tender moments with his Mom, some shenanigans he got into as a youngster, and of course his wide ranging experimentation with various home-made explosives as a teenager. The "hinge" story arc of this book is his arrest for manslaughter immediately after graduating Ranger School. You'll have to read the book to see why he was arrested and how it all sorted out. Good stuff!

[Mike Furious · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite book are biographies of successful people. This is one.