What do you think?
Rate this book
No Turning Back: One Man's Inspiring True Story of Courage, Determination, and Hope
An exceptional memoir about one man's truly inspirational outlook on living, no matter the odds. Before you dig into this book, there are a few things I think you should know. First, I was a soldier, and I still talk like one-in other words, I swear. So, if bad words bother you, just squint and pretend you don't see them. I want you to know this book is not about the war in Iraq, and I'm not pushing a political agenda. Even though I'm going to tell you about the day I was wounded and what I went through during rehab, this book's not just some war memoir or a pity party. I just want to share some of my stories with you. This book is not about being wounded. It's not about struggling. This book is about living. It's about life. In this inspiring memoir, Bryan shares his infectious love for life that touches anyone who's faced hardship. No Turning Back is a testament to pure hard work, perseverance, and hope for a better life- no matter what shape it takes.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 2011
19 people are currently reading
134 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
August 7, 2011
I haven't laughed this hard in ages. Bryan's attitude is infectious and makes you realize just how precious every single day is.
The story about 2 GIs going to a bar will make you laugh so hard, you might pee your pants!
I love this book. It's incredible and heartwarming and inspiring and most of all, fun.
The story about 2 GIs going to a bar will make you laugh so hard, you might pee your pants!
I love this book. It's incredible and heartwarming and inspiring and most of all, fun.
July 30, 2012
A little too motivational and preachy for me. I found myself skimming entire pages of why i need to live every day and not just exist. While I agree with the message it was a little bit overkill for me. I could have used more examples from Bryan's impressive recovery and less sermonizing.
December 9, 2013
I don't usually read memoir, but I checked several out of the library for research for my second novel from Carina Press, the story of a Special Forces soldier who loses both legs in an explosion in Afghanistan.
All the other books interested me for about three pages, but Sergeant Anderson's story had me carrying it EVERYWHERE. I was sitting in the bleachers poolside at swim lessons, completely absorbed. I read it while I tried to set the table for dinner (not successful). I read it in the mornings before waking up the kids, lost track of time, and then BAM had to rush everyone around. It's good.
Why?
Well, it has what I guess is a standard narrative structure - like I said, I don't read much memoir, but: bad thing happens, have to go forward, and that involves some explanations and then a mix of success and failure. Sure, standard.
But Sergeant Anderson's VOICE is amazing. I don't know twenty-something guys. I'm a 43-year old mom. Heck, he could be my kid (in theory). But when I was reading this I felt like I was inside his head, seeing through his eyes, as he makes choices I can admire, laugh about, understand, and in the end applaud. (The scene where he and a fellow amputee buddy "break out" of Walter Reed over a long weekend in a rental car ... I've been through enough military gates to totally picture that. Totally. And I was laughing so hard.)
At the time I read this I was struggling to balance a few things - nothing much, but feeling a bit overwhelmed. It had the effect of making me both see the humor in my own life again (if he can laugh about losing both legs and a hand, I can sure laugh about a kid who mimics me saying "Darn it! No wifi AGAIN!" instead of being grumpy about the imitation) and put in perspective the few, small, insignificant challenges facing me.
So - if you want perspective in a way that surprisingly isn't going to break your heart - because I really don't need a memoir that is going to make me SAD - this one. Read it.
(Although, full disclosure, I did skip several of the paragraphs giving advice about life in the middle/second half of the book - I was in too much of a hurry to get back to Sergeant Anderson's actual life - so if I could give a 4.5, I might, b/c I would have condensed some of the advice in favor of his story.)
All the other books interested me for about three pages, but Sergeant Anderson's story had me carrying it EVERYWHERE. I was sitting in the bleachers poolside at swim lessons, completely absorbed. I read it while I tried to set the table for dinner (not successful). I read it in the mornings before waking up the kids, lost track of time, and then BAM had to rush everyone around. It's good.
Why?
Well, it has what I guess is a standard narrative structure - like I said, I don't read much memoir, but: bad thing happens, have to go forward, and that involves some explanations and then a mix of success and failure. Sure, standard.
But Sergeant Anderson's VOICE is amazing. I don't know twenty-something guys. I'm a 43-year old mom. Heck, he could be my kid (in theory). But when I was reading this I felt like I was inside his head, seeing through his eyes, as he makes choices I can admire, laugh about, understand, and in the end applaud. (The scene where he and a fellow amputee buddy "break out" of Walter Reed over a long weekend in a rental car ... I've been through enough military gates to totally picture that. Totally. And I was laughing so hard.)
At the time I read this I was struggling to balance a few things - nothing much, but feeling a bit overwhelmed. It had the effect of making me both see the humor in my own life again (if he can laugh about losing both legs and a hand, I can sure laugh about a kid who mimics me saying "Darn it! No wifi AGAIN!" instead of being grumpy about the imitation) and put in perspective the few, small, insignificant challenges facing me.
So - if you want perspective in a way that surprisingly isn't going to break your heart - because I really don't need a memoir that is going to make me SAD - this one. Read it.
(Although, full disclosure, I did skip several of the paragraphs giving advice about life in the middle/second half of the book - I was in too much of a hurry to get back to Sergeant Anderson's actual life - so if I could give a 4.5, I might, b/c I would have condensed some of the advice in favor of his story.)
January 11, 2015
Bryan Anderson's story is an amazing way to look at life, he does have an incredibly positive view of the world that helps him overcome his disabilities and I applaud with him. I don't know many people who can bounce back to life the way he did.
With that said, I hated the book. I get it he's not a writer, but it still sucked. The parts that were meant to be funny weren't funny, he was repetitive, and what was meant to be inspiring just bored me. If you want to hear his story go see him at any opportunity you get, because in person he's funny and inspiring but his charisma doesn't translate well to his written word.
NOTES I had to read this for school part of my Student Life Skills credit, so being forced to read this book didn't make this fun either.
July 24, 2013
If I could rate this book a 6 I would!
I saw Bryan Anderson at the "Support the Troops" concert in 2011 and 2012. At no time did he look like he wanted anyone's sympathy or pity...he was positive and an inspiration.
good lines from the book:
at the time of explosion with the lose of both legs and and arm..."Holy shit dude, Do you think I will ever get laid again"....humor in time of deadly crisis.
Surround yourself with positive people.
Choose to exist or to LIVE!
Courage is about mastering your fear, controlling it instead of letting it control you. Courage is being afraid and doing what you need to do despite knowing that your're scared." Get up!!!!! Don't give up!
"What matters in life isn't what happens to us but how we choose to react to it" we control how we react to events.
"Don't think about what you've lost when someone dies, but about what you gained from knowing the person. Remember the joy, wisdom and the good they brought to your life."
"Smile when you feel depressed" project positive energy! Life is about forward motion.
"Never give into self pity...don't waste time or energy feeling bad about things that have happened to you and that you can't change."
"BE EXCELLENT TO EACH OTHER"
I saw Bryan Anderson at the "Support the Troops" concert in 2011 and 2012. At no time did he look like he wanted anyone's sympathy or pity...he was positive and an inspiration.
good lines from the book:
at the time of explosion with the lose of both legs and and arm..."Holy shit dude, Do you think I will ever get laid again"....humor in time of deadly crisis.
Surround yourself with positive people.
Choose to exist or to LIVE!
Courage is about mastering your fear, controlling it instead of letting it control you. Courage is being afraid and doing what you need to do despite knowing that your're scared." Get up!!!!! Don't give up!
"What matters in life isn't what happens to us but how we choose to react to it" we control how we react to events.
"Don't think about what you've lost when someone dies, but about what you gained from knowing the person. Remember the joy, wisdom and the good they brought to your life."
"Smile when you feel depressed" project positive energy! Life is about forward motion.
"Never give into self pity...don't waste time or energy feeling bad about things that have happened to you and that you can't change."
"BE EXCELLENT TO EACH OTHER"
October 24, 2018
Bryan Anderson lost 3 limbs while serving as MP in Iraq and wants to drop some knowledge on us, utilizing his unique perspective and sense of humor.
This would probably be a solid choice for a reluctant, jaded middle-or-high school reader. Bryan's got a positive life message, a sense of humor, and swears a lot. So many examples of how your attitude is directly related to what you can squeeze out of life, so many examples of how he fights to be independent. He isn't afraid to show how he approaches new situations or how he messed up in life or love. I especially loved his philosophy of using the tools that you have, not rejecting them because you feel proud or self-conscious.
I thought the book's organization was sometimes jumbled, but it's because he would focus on one part of a story, then go back in a later chapter and fill in something else that happened at the same time. His positive message does get repetitive towards the end (or perhaps some of the stories are more repetitive at that point) and there are a TON of actual cliches in most chapters, but his warmth and levity helps keep things lively.
I was super excited to see his ghost-writer/co-writer is the very interesting David Mack, who I remember from my Lunacon days. Need to add his books to my list!
This would probably be a solid choice for a reluctant, jaded middle-or-high school reader. Bryan's got a positive life message, a sense of humor, and swears a lot. So many examples of how your attitude is directly related to what you can squeeze out of life, so many examples of how he fights to be independent. He isn't afraid to show how he approaches new situations or how he messed up in life or love. I especially loved his philosophy of using the tools that you have, not rejecting them because you feel proud or self-conscious.
I thought the book's organization was sometimes jumbled, but it's because he would focus on one part of a story, then go back in a later chapter and fill in something else that happened at the same time. His positive message does get repetitive towards the end (or perhaps some of the stories are more repetitive at that point) and there are a TON of actual cliches in most chapters, but his warmth and levity helps keep things lively.
I was super excited to see his ghost-writer/co-writer is the very interesting David Mack, who I remember from my Lunacon days. Need to add his books to my list!
March 19, 2021
I found myself in a dark place when this book was recommended. I don't normally read non-fiction or biographies (many of which could be listed as fiction). While sometimes a bit redundant, I found Brynn's honest assessment of his situation, combined with humor and an infectious optimism to be motivational on a level I could understand. Very relatable for individuals in all circumstances and would definitely recommend for anyone to read.
September 29, 2024
No Turning Back is one of the most inspirational books I’ve read, but not one of the best autobiographies. I wasn’t happy with the foul language (and a single paragraph where Anderson talks about his sex life). I also don’t agree with everything that he promotes, which is why I only gave it three stars. Still, I do agree with much of what he said, and his story of making the best of his disability is encouraging.
March 10, 2025
What made this book interesting was Bryan’s perseverance. For example, he was smoking inside of a motorized truck so one of the mines in the Iraq city went off and exploded the car. His legs got cut off in the explosion. He used prostetic legs to walk but despite the obstacle of falling over and learning how to walk. He understood that he needed to get this over with to be able to get on. He had to accept the situation which was hard for him but this would make him stronger.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 30, 2019
This story is tender, funny, uplifting. . . Bryan is one of more than seventeen thousand veterans of the Iraq war who were sent home because they were wounded too severely to continue active duty. Yet Bryan today does not see his experience as a tragedy, but as an opportunity to help others, to have a meaningful life, to build a better world, and all the while, to have fun.
October 12, 2020
I felt like I was attending a seminar for some seriously off beat motivational speaker..Every page was infested with attitude issues..It was awful.. I continuied to read hoping it would get better..but it did not.. I guess he has some serious baggage to jettison... Oh well it is what it is !!
July 21, 2018
Very upbeat man.
November 3, 2021
I enjoyed reading about this man's story of resilience. His attitude was inspirational. However, the book was often repetitive.
April 19, 2025
3.5⭐️
October 25, 2023
The first time that I saw a news story on Sgt. Bryan Anderson, I was moved by his strength, resilience and humor. Video clips showed a trim guy in a baseball cap learning to walk on prostheses, wheeling through O’Hare Airport, and hopping onto his kitchen counter to demonstrate how he washes dishes as a triple amputee. I bought his memoir, No Turning Back.
SHIPPING OUT ON 9/11
In his memoir, Bryan explains that he shipped out to Iraq on 9/11/2001 and then, on his last tour of duty, had been “blown up” by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED).
In an instant, the force of the IED’s explosion amputated both of Bryan’s legs and his left hand. Fellow soldiers stemmed the bleeding with tourniquets, evacuated him, and saved his life.
When he woke at Walter Reed Medical Center, his mom asked if he knew what had happened. Then she said, “You know you have basically two options here, right?”
“Yup–move on, or roll over, and die,” he responded.
He was surprised his mom even needed to ask which option he was going to choose.
“I’m moving on,” he said.
A NEW LIFE
In the ensuing months, with emotional ups and downs, he learned adaptations for everyday tasks and achieved his goals, like greeting his Army buddies for the first time since the blast standing upright, and learning to live independently.
Since that time, he’s built a full and rich life. He’s a spokesperson for Quantum Rehab, Gary Sinise Foundation and USA Cares, a motivational speaker, author, an actor who’s been featured in movies like American Sniper, and an athlete in a wheelchair sport appropriately called murderball.
REALITY INSPIRING FICTION
Bryan’s story and those of other wounded veterans inspired me with their can-do attitude to write the Goodbye, Orchid trilogy.
SHIPPING OUT ON 9/11
In his memoir, Bryan explains that he shipped out to Iraq on 9/11/2001 and then, on his last tour of duty, had been “blown up” by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED).
In an instant, the force of the IED’s explosion amputated both of Bryan’s legs and his left hand. Fellow soldiers stemmed the bleeding with tourniquets, evacuated him, and saved his life.
When he woke at Walter Reed Medical Center, his mom asked if he knew what had happened. Then she said, “You know you have basically two options here, right?”
“Yup–move on, or roll over, and die,” he responded.
He was surprised his mom even needed to ask which option he was going to choose.
“I’m moving on,” he said.
A NEW LIFE
In the ensuing months, with emotional ups and downs, he learned adaptations for everyday tasks and achieved his goals, like greeting his Army buddies for the first time since the blast standing upright, and learning to live independently.
Since that time, he’s built a full and rich life. He’s a spokesperson for Quantum Rehab, Gary Sinise Foundation and USA Cares, a motivational speaker, author, an actor who’s been featured in movies like American Sniper, and an athlete in a wheelchair sport appropriately called murderball.
REALITY INSPIRING FICTION
Bryan’s story and those of other wounded veterans inspired me with their can-do attitude to write the Goodbye, Orchid trilogy.
October 28, 2015
this amazing man has been through so much with his recovery, but he hasn't let him get him down. except for a few times early on he is completely unstoppable, overcoming the loss of 3 limbs (that lets face it would floor most of us)he has relearnt how to do many things he did before as well as learn how to do other things as well. adapting or modifying things like the seat on his quad bike, so he doesn't fall off. I have watched all his videos on how he manages the day to day stuff we all take for granted, he also speaks out to help others and is working to get more help for those that need it. Bryan loves life and that shows throughout his book, he wasn't just going to sit back and say "that's it i've done my bit". reading gives not only insite into this courageous man and what keeps him going, it inspires us to be better people. all I can really say is everyone should read this book and take note. i'm British but if I was American and Bryan ran for office I would be one of the first in line to vote. Bryan if you read this review I would like to say "Thank You"! not just for serving your country and the sacrifice you made by doing that, but for this book and truly inspiring me to do better.
October 12, 2012
No turning back was a good, inspirational, front forward, book.
It’s a memoir of a mans story about what he did after he got blown up.
But it does have a few charters such as Bryan Andersons’ friends really I can’t remember many names but I know one of his friends is Gray Sinse. This book has a plot and setting and it just changes a lot and the conflict is that he lost his legs and his hand, and what he will do with out them.
In total I really liked the book because its like Bryan never gives up and what I believe what he once said you can do anything if you try your best. It’s really inspirational for someone who wants an inspirational book to pick up their sprits.
I would give it 4 stars.
It’s a memoir of a mans story about what he did after he got blown up.
But it does have a few charters such as Bryan Andersons’ friends really I can’t remember many names but I know one of his friends is Gray Sinse. This book has a plot and setting and it just changes a lot and the conflict is that he lost his legs and his hand, and what he will do with out them.
In total I really liked the book because its like Bryan never gives up and what I believe what he once said you can do anything if you try your best. It’s really inspirational for someone who wants an inspirational book to pick up their sprits.
I would give it 4 stars.
June 7, 2013
This is a great inspirational/motivational book. If you are having problems with life, read this book. Motivational and helps you get a better bigger picture. This is not a war story, it is how Brian dealt with adversity. Remember you can either roll over and die or live life.
December 13, 2014
His story was really inspiring and he makes some very great points about life. The reason I gave the book three stars, it was a little cliched and preachy at times. I would have loved to read more about his rehab, than all of the awesome things he did and popular people he got to meet.
January 16, 2012
Very inspirational. Lots of great motivational sayings.
July 10, 2012
Very inspiring!!!
July 14, 2014
I had to read it for uni, and I see why they wanted us to. Very inspirational story of perseverance and positivity.
November 15, 2016
As a wounded warrior myself Bryans story is sound and inspirational. He continues to do the work to live a meaningful life. Nice job!
January 30, 2017
Had a very good message about living. It was motivational.
April 29, 2017
"My life can't be defined by an explosion or the fact that I survived it." This succinct statement comes from triple amputee author Bryan Anderson whose body was blown up in Iraq. One can't help but think he should have been overwhelmed by his new track in life. Nothing of the sort happened. As a matter of fact, I was the one who was overwhelmed as I learned of his intensely positive way of viewing his world. Besides taking care of his personal self, he has also reached out to others to help them lift their burdens. He is one amazing soldier!
May 9, 2019
Some parts interesting, some parts egotistical boasting.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews