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Warrior Princess: A U.S. Navy Seal's Journey to Coming Out Transgender
Chris Beck played high school football. He bought a motorcycle, much to his mother's dismay, at age 17. He grew up to become a U.S. Navy SEAL, serving our country for twenty years on thirteen deployments, including seven combat deployments, and ultimately earned a Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. To everyone who saw him, he was a hero. A warrior. A man. But underneath his burly beard, Chris had a secret, one that had been buried deep inside his heart since he was a little boy-one as hidden as the panty hose in the back of his drawer. He was transgender, and the woman inside needed to get out. This is the journey of a girl in a man's body and her road to self-actualization as a woman amidst the PTSD of war, family rejection and our society's strict gender rules and perceptions. It is about a fight to be free inside one's own body, a fight that requires the strength of a Warrior Princess. Kristin's story of boy to woman explores the tangled emotions of the transgender experience and opens up a new dialogue about being male or female: Is gender merely between your legs or is it something much bigger?
264 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2013
52 people are currently reading
742 people want to read
About the author
Kristin Beck
1 book29 followersKristin Beck (born Christopher T. Beck, June 21, 1966) is a former United States Navy SEAL who gained public attention in 2013 when she came out as a trans woman. She published her memoir in June of 2013, Warrior Princess: A U.S. Navy SEAL's Journey to Coming out Transgender detailing her experiences.
Beck served in the U.S. Navy for twenty years and is the first openly transgender former Navy SEAL. The Atlantic Wire, Salon, and Huffington Post have speculated that Beck's story may lead the Department of Defense to revisit its policies against transgender people openly serving in the US Military.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Beck served in the U.S. Navy for twenty years and is the first openly transgender former Navy SEAL. The Atlantic Wire, Salon, and Huffington Post have speculated that Beck's story may lead the Department of Defense to revisit its policies against transgender people openly serving in the US Military.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
October 24, 2013
The story that this book wants to tell is fantastic, but unfortunately the writing gets in the way at every single turn. It is a shame, that after all Kristin Beck has done in her life - all the tours of duty, all the fire fights, all the courage that it takes to come out as transgender in the military environment - she has not picked up a better ghost writer or editor. I'm very glad that this book exists, but I wish that more time and effort had been devoted to making it more coherent and less of a mess.
The chapters are short, and strung together in a roughly chronological order. Each contains a variety of errors that really should have been caught and corrected in early drafts of the manuscript - which led me to feel, after awhile, that his was a rough draft hurried to press. Example: "Why do I stay alive when good family men like John dies?" How simple would that be to catch, and fix? Sentences change from present to past tense and back again, words are omitted, and the writing in general is really a shambles.
Not only are many of the themes repetitive, some of the sentences are recycled verbatim from page to page. Page 101: "...Chris didn't feel like he could break away and retire or leave the fight. And that was all about guilt--his survivor guilt." Page 103: "...Chris didn't feel like he could break totally away after retirement or leave the fight. And that was all about guilt--survivor guilt." Page 102: "Chris also kept paying against some unseen debt ledger that could never be satisfied because he was so confused about himself." Page 104: "Chris also kept paying against some unseen debt ledger that could never be satisfied because he was so confused about himself..." It's fine if an author wants to stick with the same image, but not even using different wording is lazy writing and poor to non-existent editing.
The way that the chapters are set up doesn't allow for any real follow through or progression of characters. You hear about Chris marrying his first wife when she gets pregnant, but later on there is a second child without any mention of when he was born, or the circumstances. You also get a chapter where Chris reveals himself to a fellow SEAL by coming over to drink on his boat while wearing a wig and a dress. What happens afterward? Everyone is cool in the moment, but then there is no follow up - does he serve with this guy later on, what is his reaction when Kristin announces her intention to transition to become a woman?
If you can sift through the rubble of grammar destruction and poorly constructed sentences, there are some great stories in here. Kristin Beck has lived one heck of an interesting life, whether making it through rigors of SEAL training, surviving seven combat deployments, or making a high profile gender transition while working in the halls of the Pentagon. There are also a lot of nice family moments that are captured in here - hunting with Kristin's brother Jake, the transformation of his father from a frequently drunken religious zealot to a more mellow and loving old man, and the advice that Kristin's mother - though disapproving - gives her about the height of her heels.
The reactions to Kristin's transition are among the most memorable parts of the book. Her combat experience and engineering knowledge are so unique and valuable that they really seem to force many elements of the defense community to accept her new self much more readily than I would have expected. Also, the idea that she has fought so tirelessly for America's freedom that she has more than earned the ability to live however she wants - that seems to be a typical reaction among the other members of the armed services that was much more open minded than I would have anticipated.
As I write this, I realize that this book may draw a somewhat unusual section of cross readership - those who are interested in LGBT issues and those who are interested in stories about the tough lives of NAVY SEALS. And that is an excellent, broadening thing - just as Kristin Beck's life has been so far. This is what actually kills me about this book, is that it is just brimming with wasted narrative potential.
The psychologist who seems to be the primary ghost writer has selected a stilted third person style, and also elects to use quotation marks around the word "her" when talking about Kristin. She seems to have no real background with gender identity issues, and although she is very understanding and willing to learn, the material really seems like it would have been better served by an author with more experience either with trans issues or writing.
The chapters are short, and strung together in a roughly chronological order. Each contains a variety of errors that really should have been caught and corrected in early drafts of the manuscript - which led me to feel, after awhile, that his was a rough draft hurried to press. Example: "Why do I stay alive when good family men like John dies?" How simple would that be to catch, and fix? Sentences change from present to past tense and back again, words are omitted, and the writing in general is really a shambles.
Not only are many of the themes repetitive, some of the sentences are recycled verbatim from page to page. Page 101: "...Chris didn't feel like he could break away and retire or leave the fight. And that was all about guilt--his survivor guilt." Page 103: "...Chris didn't feel like he could break totally away after retirement or leave the fight. And that was all about guilt--survivor guilt." Page 102: "Chris also kept paying against some unseen debt ledger that could never be satisfied because he was so confused about himself." Page 104: "Chris also kept paying against some unseen debt ledger that could never be satisfied because he was so confused about himself..." It's fine if an author wants to stick with the same image, but not even using different wording is lazy writing and poor to non-existent editing.
The way that the chapters are set up doesn't allow for any real follow through or progression of characters. You hear about Chris marrying his first wife when she gets pregnant, but later on there is a second child without any mention of when he was born, or the circumstances. You also get a chapter where Chris reveals himself to a fellow SEAL by coming over to drink on his boat while wearing a wig and a dress. What happens afterward? Everyone is cool in the moment, but then there is no follow up - does he serve with this guy later on, what is his reaction when Kristin announces her intention to transition to become a woman?
If you can sift through the rubble of grammar destruction and poorly constructed sentences, there are some great stories in here. Kristin Beck has lived one heck of an interesting life, whether making it through rigors of SEAL training, surviving seven combat deployments, or making a high profile gender transition while working in the halls of the Pentagon. There are also a lot of nice family moments that are captured in here - hunting with Kristin's brother Jake, the transformation of his father from a frequently drunken religious zealot to a more mellow and loving old man, and the advice that Kristin's mother - though disapproving - gives her about the height of her heels.
The reactions to Kristin's transition are among the most memorable parts of the book. Her combat experience and engineering knowledge are so unique and valuable that they really seem to force many elements of the defense community to accept her new self much more readily than I would have expected. Also, the idea that she has fought so tirelessly for America's freedom that she has more than earned the ability to live however she wants - that seems to be a typical reaction among the other members of the armed services that was much more open minded than I would have anticipated.
As I write this, I realize that this book may draw a somewhat unusual section of cross readership - those who are interested in LGBT issues and those who are interested in stories about the tough lives of NAVY SEALS. And that is an excellent, broadening thing - just as Kristin Beck's life has been so far. This is what actually kills me about this book, is that it is just brimming with wasted narrative potential.
The psychologist who seems to be the primary ghost writer has selected a stilted third person style, and also elects to use quotation marks around the word "her" when talking about Kristin. She seems to have no real background with gender identity issues, and although she is very understanding and willing to learn, the material really seems like it would have been better served by an author with more experience either with trans issues or writing.
June 9, 2013
I want to give this book two stars for editing and writing, seven stars for bravery, four stars for interest, and eight stars for honesty. This had to be a hard story to tell. She did have an editor, so I don't understand why the sentences were so often poorly formed. It could have been a much tighter and IMO more effective book. Furthermore, when the book quotes directly from letters that Kristen wrote, the letters exhibit better writing style and editing than the book itself.
This book is a fascinating look into both a SEAL's life and a trans woman's life. It is heart breaking and exhilarating on both fronts. I appreciate that the book specifically calls out gender as a societal construct, that it discusses the paths trans people might choose and doesn't call any one out as "the" way to live, and that it discusses the potential influence of both genetics and environment without making any absolute statements.
It also raised a lot of questions for me about how many military personnel might have their own psychological issues, and whether we should be leveraging them to fight our wars. I'm not talking about Kristen being trans per se, but rather her struggle with feelings of inadequacy and worthlessness, the need to be seen as hyper competent, etc. It is gratifying to read how much the VA helped Kristen, but it was all after the fact. Kristen says in the book that no one admits to having PTSD because then they couldn't go back in and keep fighting. This is a problem.
This book is a fascinating look into both a SEAL's life and a trans woman's life. It is heart breaking and exhilarating on both fronts. I appreciate that the book specifically calls out gender as a societal construct, that it discusses the paths trans people might choose and doesn't call any one out as "the" way to live, and that it discusses the potential influence of both genetics and environment without making any absolute statements.
It also raised a lot of questions for me about how many military personnel might have their own psychological issues, and whether we should be leveraging them to fight our wars. I'm not talking about Kristen being trans per se, but rather her struggle with feelings of inadequacy and worthlessness, the need to be seen as hyper competent, etc. It is gratifying to read how much the VA helped Kristen, but it was all after the fact. Kristen says in the book that no one admits to having PTSD because then they couldn't go back in and keep fighting. This is a problem.
June 10, 2013
Subject matter, five stars. Courage, SIX stars. Writing...two stars. Kristin didn't write this herself, she had an author whose style is pedestrian. The Kindle version was full of typos as well.
That aside, this is a necessary book about a Navy SEAL, the toughest of the tough, living with the secret that he's a woman. It goes far to explaining why Kris herself had this internal conflict and how badly his family reacted. It also explains how being a SEAL ensured that Chris would have the necessary courage and strength to come out as Kristin.
The book is also very recent, touching upon events from a month or so ago when the SEAL who claims to have taken down bin Laden complained about not getting retirement benefits.
The glossary at the back will be useful to non-military. Kris's life as a SEAL is almost as interesting as her transition.
That aside, this is a necessary book about a Navy SEAL, the toughest of the tough, living with the secret that he's a woman. It goes far to explaining why Kris herself had this internal conflict and how badly his family reacted. It also explains how being a SEAL ensured that Chris would have the necessary courage and strength to come out as Kristin.
The book is also very recent, touching upon events from a month or so ago when the SEAL who claims to have taken down bin Laden complained about not getting retirement benefits.
The glossary at the back will be useful to non-military. Kris's life as a SEAL is almost as interesting as her transition.
June 26, 2013
I really wanted to like this book. In short, it was a really interesting story that was not very well told. There's no doubt that Kristin is basically the toughest person in America for serving as a SEAL for ~20 years and then coming out as transgender, but that alone won't make a book a good read.
The book was written in the third person, and I assumed for the first half that this was because it was primarily written by Anne…until Anne was introduced in the narrative, still in the third person. It gave the book an almost inauthentic feel, like someone was telling the story from the outside instead of recounting their own experiences. The first half of the book was tough to get through, with a lot of speculation about what other people were thinking and why. A lot of times, things were explained with long passages of "Kris was thinking this" or "Anne was thinking that," and again, the third-person perspective was really clunky in this passages. I would have preferred to read "This is what *I* was doing at the time and what was going through *my* mind," but instead it all felt speculative and disconnected. I expected to read Kristin's account of her time the military, the difficulties of living as a transgender woman, the experience of coming out. Those stories were there, but it never felt like it was being told in her voice, and they were buffered with accounts of meeting the girls at the bar or hanging out on the patio. This may have just been a side effect of telling the story from the third person, and the desire to fill in the gaps with interesting dialog.
Furthermore, there were a lot of odd punctuation errors and unusual grammar structures. I'm willing to chalk some of this up to the Kindle, as I have seen oddities in books converted to digital, but it was too common to ignore or write off as technical difficulties. Other times, two adjacent paragraphs would contain very similar sentences, like the author finished writing for the day and came back in the morning thinking, "Oh right, I wanted to mention this."
Honestly, I feel bad giving this only two stars. I really did want to love this book, and maybe that's why I found it so disappointing. I suspect there may have been a rush to get the book out the door after Kristin did come out, because it really could have been a great one if written and edited with more care.
The book was written in the third person, and I assumed for the first half that this was because it was primarily written by Anne…until Anne was introduced in the narrative, still in the third person. It gave the book an almost inauthentic feel, like someone was telling the story from the outside instead of recounting their own experiences. The first half of the book was tough to get through, with a lot of speculation about what other people were thinking and why. A lot of times, things were explained with long passages of "Kris was thinking this" or "Anne was thinking that," and again, the third-person perspective was really clunky in this passages. I would have preferred to read "This is what *I* was doing at the time and what was going through *my* mind," but instead it all felt speculative and disconnected. I expected to read Kristin's account of her time the military, the difficulties of living as a transgender woman, the experience of coming out. Those stories were there, but it never felt like it was being told in her voice, and they were buffered with accounts of meeting the girls at the bar or hanging out on the patio. This may have just been a side effect of telling the story from the third person, and the desire to fill in the gaps with interesting dialog.
Furthermore, there were a lot of odd punctuation errors and unusual grammar structures. I'm willing to chalk some of this up to the Kindle, as I have seen oddities in books converted to digital, but it was too common to ignore or write off as technical difficulties. Other times, two adjacent paragraphs would contain very similar sentences, like the author finished writing for the day and came back in the morning thinking, "Oh right, I wanted to mention this."
Honestly, I feel bad giving this only two stars. I really did want to love this book, and maybe that's why I found it so disappointing. I suspect there may have been a rush to get the book out the door after Kristin did come out, because it really could have been a great one if written and edited with more care.
July 2, 2013
The courage it took to share this story is worth 5 stars, but it was a painful read through poor writing and an incoherent storyline.
The story is amazing- a Navy Seal, married two times and having spent most of his life in war torn countries has hidden the truth about himself- he identifies as a woman. The pain and truth and power in Kristin's voice are evident on every page.
There are moments that are not given enough attention; showing up to have beers with a Seal buddy while wearing a dress. That entire scene could have been fleshed out so much more. Why did she feel safe? Why then? What was their relationship like after?
Other parts are drawn out slog with a lot of input from a researcher, Anne Speckhard, who shows up in the end of the book and is never really fully introduced. I had to cobble together she was a PTSD researcher, but honestly! This wasn't a PTSD issue. He suffered from it, but he was self-identifying at 6 years old with being a woman. Speckhard blows into the story drinking wine at a military briefing, she then becomes Kristin's BFF, then the story starts to vacillate between SPeckhard's voice, Chris' voice, and Kristin's voice. It gets all kinds of messy. Is Speckhard Kristin’s therapist? Friend? Hanger-on? I have no clue, except all of a sudden she is the expert of the situation. I never get the feeling Anne is really that interested in Kristin. My sense is Speckhard is savvy enough to know this is a helluva story and Anne wants to tell it- and she told it poorly.
In the book after a terrible run-in with her drunken sister, Kristin feels a mad rush to come out to everyone. That same frantic mad rush can be felt in this book. I hope Kristin seriously considers a re-write in the future without Dr. Speckhard.
The story is amazing- a Navy Seal, married two times and having spent most of his life in war torn countries has hidden the truth about himself- he identifies as a woman. The pain and truth and power in Kristin's voice are evident on every page.
There are moments that are not given enough attention; showing up to have beers with a Seal buddy while wearing a dress. That entire scene could have been fleshed out so much more. Why did she feel safe? Why then? What was their relationship like after?
Other parts are drawn out slog with a lot of input from a researcher, Anne Speckhard, who shows up in the end of the book and is never really fully introduced. I had to cobble together she was a PTSD researcher, but honestly! This wasn't a PTSD issue. He suffered from it, but he was self-identifying at 6 years old with being a woman. Speckhard blows into the story drinking wine at a military briefing, she then becomes Kristin's BFF, then the story starts to vacillate between SPeckhard's voice, Chris' voice, and Kristin's voice. It gets all kinds of messy. Is Speckhard Kristin’s therapist? Friend? Hanger-on? I have no clue, except all of a sudden she is the expert of the situation. I never get the feeling Anne is really that interested in Kristin. My sense is Speckhard is savvy enough to know this is a helluva story and Anne wants to tell it- and she told it poorly.
In the book after a terrible run-in with her drunken sister, Kristin feels a mad rush to come out to everyone. That same frantic mad rush can be felt in this book. I hope Kristin seriously considers a re-write in the future without Dr. Speckhard.
April 22, 2015
Story was great, but the writing was horrible.
August 10, 2013
The content of this book is amazing, but you must overlook the poor writing of repeating themes, confusing sentences, (as examples) as well as the many grammatical errors there are throughout the reading. I also read it on a Kindle. If I was rating was for the content alone, I'd rate it more than 5 stars. It almost feels like a rush job of writing and lack of an editor.
The book is separated into the 3 lives that Kris has been through...the first being his home life as Chris, the second is Chris again, living through the 13 deployments as a Navy SEAL in combat, earning all sorts of awards including a Purple Star and a Bronze Star with a "V". The third life introduces Kristin, a much happier person full of even more bravery and empowerment. All three lives are full of incredible hurt and pain, leading to the most risky situation in Kris' life.
I enjoyed reading this book, and learned some important things about what it is like to be transgender. There was a small section discussing children who are in elementary school and the need to have a bathroom for dual use, including a handicap toilet. Even discussions on hormone therapy, finding the right clothing etc, was all though provoking.
While I don't typically enjoy reading about life as a soldier, I was touched by the psychological issues of dealing with survivor's guilt and the concept of not feeling pain. I was pleased that Kris received support from so many people, including his/her brotherhood.
The quote that summed it up for me was this "Despite our culture attributing it to masculinity, it isn't really about male or female -- it's about mindset, bravery, loyalty, training, and never giving up."...read this book and live it.
The book is separated into the 3 lives that Kris has been through...the first being his home life as Chris, the second is Chris again, living through the 13 deployments as a Navy SEAL in combat, earning all sorts of awards including a Purple Star and a Bronze Star with a "V". The third life introduces Kristin, a much happier person full of even more bravery and empowerment. All three lives are full of incredible hurt and pain, leading to the most risky situation in Kris' life.
I enjoyed reading this book, and learned some important things about what it is like to be transgender. There was a small section discussing children who are in elementary school and the need to have a bathroom for dual use, including a handicap toilet. Even discussions on hormone therapy, finding the right clothing etc, was all though provoking.
While I don't typically enjoy reading about life as a soldier, I was touched by the psychological issues of dealing with survivor's guilt and the concept of not feeling pain. I was pleased that Kris received support from so many people, including his/her brotherhood.
The quote that summed it up for me was this "Despite our culture attributing it to masculinity, it isn't really about male or female -- it's about mindset, bravery, loyalty, training, and never giving up."...read this book and live it.
June 21, 2013
I read this book quickly. I decided to read this book after seeing an interview with Kristen on television. Three chapters in I began to feel frustrated with the writing. With a story such as Kristen's involving the topic of transgender it was disappointing that much of the writing leaves the reader feeling like they are browsing Kristen's thearpy notes. The book should bave been written in Kristen's voice to convey the magnitude of her journey and the pain and joy that she experienced as she tried to match the outside to what she felt on the inside.
Although the writing can be frustrating I encourage you to read this book as it tells a story of an amazing person.
Although the writing can be frustrating I encourage you to read this book as it tells a story of an amazing person.
July 12, 2013
Have to agree with some others, in that it is a remarkable and brave story. The grammar and writing was tough to swallow at times and the errors often distracted me from the story, mostly because I am a little OCD when it comes to those things.
Amazing journey and bravery throughout the lives of both Chris and Kris.
Amazing journey and bravery throughout the lives of both Chris and Kris.
Read
December 13, 2013As a copy editor, I'm not sure I'll be able to get through this book. Spelling errors, punctuation errors, and such are driving me to distraction.
... I didn't finish it. Returned to the library. It's too bad: good story, but not a good book.
... I didn't finish it. Returned to the library. It's too bad: good story, but not a good book.
August 18, 2013
I read this book for my Multicultural Resources for Diverse Communities class.
Beck, K. & Speckhard, A. (2013). Warrior princess. McLean, VA: Advances Press.
Hardcover | $19.99 | ISBN-13: 978-1-935866-42-8 | 220 pages | A Fiction
Not many books receive the attention of ABC, CNN, the Huffington Post, and other mainstream media outlets within days of publication. Usually these books are written by celebrities, but in this case what makes the book newsworthy is its subject’s seeming impossibility—the author is both a Navy SEAL—a member of a brotherhood of elite warriors—and a woman.
Kristin Beck was born Chris Beck to religious Christian parents who had clear distinctions between what was appropriate for their three daughters and two sons. Kristin spent her childhood failing to keep up with her athletic brother and wishing that she was like his sisters, who never got scolded or paddled the way he did. After college she joined the Navy SEALs, got married, and tried to be the man society expected her to be while struggling with her internal female gender identity. Kristin pushed herself to her physical and mental limits as a Navy SEAL, but ultimately she could not escape who she is. Rather than becoming “normal,” she drove herself into depression. After retiring from the SEALS, Beck finally began to accept her inner woman and transition towards life as a woman. Kristin calls these three periods her “three lives,” and the book follows her journey through all three of them.
Warrior Princess portrays the struggle and fear that comes with being a transgendered person. The reader follows Kristin from childhood through transition and relives each step of the process with her, from her childhood troubles through family rejection, fear of losing her job, and getting beat up on the street. The book is very raw and repeats emotions and internal dialogue frequently, giving the reader a sense of how constant the feelings and the struggle were to Kristin. The book would have benefited from a good copyeditor, as there are frequent punctuation errors which trip up the reader, but in a way this adds to the authenticity of the story. This is Kristin’s attempt to tell her story, not a professional writer spinning a tale.
Kristin writes that her primary reason for writing Warrior Princess is “to reach out of all of the younger generation” because the suicide rate among transgendered individuals is almost 50% (p. 5). The struggles portrayed in this book are sure to resonate with transgender readers, but the graphic scenes of war may not be suitable for young adult readers. Readers who are not part of the GLBT community may find the book confusing, as the authors use “Chris” and “he” throughout the book and only use Kristin’s true gender towards the end, where it is used in addition to the male name and pronouns. This does not portray the fact that Kristin was born female in a male body, but rather suggests that at some point Kristin became female. In addition, Kristin’s wish to be like his sister as a child in order to be spared his father’s wrath may confuse readers into thinking that Kristin’s transgender identity is a result of parenting rather than a serious condition that she was born with. A better book for introducing readers to the transgender experience would be Jennifer Finney Boylan’s She’s Not There, which is less confusing and better written.
Boylan, J.F. (2003). She’s not there. NY: Crown.
Ferran, L. (2013). Transgender Navy SEAL ‘warrior princess’ comes out. ABC News. Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/transge...
Hadad, C., Chun, S., & Ford, D. (2013). Former Navy SEAL comes out as transgender: ‘I want some happiness.’ CNN. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/07/us/tran...
Sieczkowski, C. (2013). Kristin Beck, transgender Navy SEAL, comes out in new book. Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06...
Beck, K. & Speckhard, A. (2013). Warrior princess. McLean, VA: Advances Press.
Hardcover | $19.99 | ISBN-13: 978-1-935866-42-8 | 220 pages | A Fiction
Not many books receive the attention of ABC, CNN, the Huffington Post, and other mainstream media outlets within days of publication. Usually these books are written by celebrities, but in this case what makes the book newsworthy is its subject’s seeming impossibility—the author is both a Navy SEAL—a member of a brotherhood of elite warriors—and a woman.
Kristin Beck was born Chris Beck to religious Christian parents who had clear distinctions between what was appropriate for their three daughters and two sons. Kristin spent her childhood failing to keep up with her athletic brother and wishing that she was like his sisters, who never got scolded or paddled the way he did. After college she joined the Navy SEALs, got married, and tried to be the man society expected her to be while struggling with her internal female gender identity. Kristin pushed herself to her physical and mental limits as a Navy SEAL, but ultimately she could not escape who she is. Rather than becoming “normal,” she drove herself into depression. After retiring from the SEALS, Beck finally began to accept her inner woman and transition towards life as a woman. Kristin calls these three periods her “three lives,” and the book follows her journey through all three of them.
Warrior Princess portrays the struggle and fear that comes with being a transgendered person. The reader follows Kristin from childhood through transition and relives each step of the process with her, from her childhood troubles through family rejection, fear of losing her job, and getting beat up on the street. The book is very raw and repeats emotions and internal dialogue frequently, giving the reader a sense of how constant the feelings and the struggle were to Kristin. The book would have benefited from a good copyeditor, as there are frequent punctuation errors which trip up the reader, but in a way this adds to the authenticity of the story. This is Kristin’s attempt to tell her story, not a professional writer spinning a tale.
Kristin writes that her primary reason for writing Warrior Princess is “to reach out of all of the younger generation” because the suicide rate among transgendered individuals is almost 50% (p. 5). The struggles portrayed in this book are sure to resonate with transgender readers, but the graphic scenes of war may not be suitable for young adult readers. Readers who are not part of the GLBT community may find the book confusing, as the authors use “Chris” and “he” throughout the book and only use Kristin’s true gender towards the end, where it is used in addition to the male name and pronouns. This does not portray the fact that Kristin was born female in a male body, but rather suggests that at some point Kristin became female. In addition, Kristin’s wish to be like his sister as a child in order to be spared his father’s wrath may confuse readers into thinking that Kristin’s transgender identity is a result of parenting rather than a serious condition that she was born with. A better book for introducing readers to the transgender experience would be Jennifer Finney Boylan’s She’s Not There, which is less confusing and better written.
Boylan, J.F. (2003). She’s not there. NY: Crown.
Ferran, L. (2013). Transgender Navy SEAL ‘warrior princess’ comes out. ABC News. Retrieved from http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/transge...
Hadad, C., Chun, S., & Ford, D. (2013). Former Navy SEAL comes out as transgender: ‘I want some happiness.’ CNN. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/07/us/tran...
Sieczkowski, C. (2013). Kristin Beck, transgender Navy SEAL, comes out in new book. Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06...
June 25, 2013
I give this book four stars for content and two stars for writing -- hence the three star average rating. This is a good book about gender dysphoria even though it was repetitive at times. It's too bad that an editor did not catch the many spelling and grammar errors not to mention the difficult transitions from para to para. I often found myself having to read sentences more than once to figure out what was really going on. That being said, it's worth the read to expand one's knowledge about a subject that is difficult to understand. Bravo to Kristen for having the courage to live her life authentically.
August 23, 2013
Ok, I have very mixed feelings about this book. Clearly, the author had lived a fascinating life, filled with pain and resilience and flaws and strengths. She is remarkable. So, as a life story it is worth the read. You have to be willing to overlook a couple things. First, it is poorly written and edited. The psychologist-writer involved needed an editor, and didn't get one, I think. Second, you have to overlook some mixing up of sexual identity and gender identity (though she mostly gets this right) and one reference to "human fetal child suffering" that made me nauseous.
November 5, 2013
I liked that this book was about the difficulties of being transgender and coping with that at every stage of life, rather than about difficulties being transgender in the military.
Sadly the book isn't edited or structured at all well so it's pretty hard to get the most out of it.
But the aims and themes of the book were great and I hope someone takes another crack at editing it at some point.
Sadly the book isn't edited or structured at all well so it's pretty hard to get the most out of it.
But the aims and themes of the book were great and I hope someone takes another crack at editing it at some point.
January 21, 2016
This book has been denounced by the author. She has stated: 'The book 'Warrior Princess' is not the real story. It was a manipulation of my emotions, PTSD, and my duress from SEAL teams and transition into my new life.'
I too, agree the book is poorly written and inaccurate.
I too, agree the book is poorly written and inaccurate.
March 31, 2020
There are many things that can be said about this book. I'll just stick to this: It's a good thing this book was published, and I think everyone slightly interested, should definitely read it. Also, I wish Kristin and everyone in a similar situation all the best!
June 14, 2021
It was a hard book to get into .
July 29, 2013
Kristin Beck's life story is 5 stars and worth knowing, but the book's writing as done by the Anne Speckhard, who supposedly has a PhD, should have done better justice for this incredible human being. Kristin Beck's tale was fascinating, touching, heart-wrenching, and educational.
June 23, 2017
I agree with most of the reviews: excellent content, horrendous writing and editing. Would love to see the story retold in more of a memoir format. But it is important this book is out there.
June 17, 2013
Great story, very inspiring. The writing itself felt a bit rushed and the eBook had typos.
July 6, 2013
Fascinating and courageous subject matter but the book was poorly written.
September 17, 2013
My god. I am speechless with joy and sorrow. In lieu of a review I may have to blog about this....The 4 stars are for content NOT writing style--yowza.
August 8, 2017
Kristin Beck was a Navy SEAL named Chris Beck who had gender identity disorder and PTSD. Anne Speckhard, Ph.D. is a psychiatrist and an ambassador's wife who ran across Chris at some event. Chris recruited Anne into helping him write his book about his life in the military, his struggles with gender identity disorder, and his transition into becoming Kristin Beck. Anne was interested in how veterans dealt with PTSD. In the book, Chris was referred to as Chris with male pronouns before the transition and as Kristin and with female pronouns during and after the transition. I will try not to make a mess of it, but I will probably screw it up.
There are a lot of typos where words are missing from the text. I checked a copy of this book out of the library and someone had penciled in a couple of corrections here and there, but there were so many of these mistakes throughout the book.
I had hoped that the first part of this book would be a detailed war story like Bravo Two Zero, but it wasn't. In a way, I felt that this did not build up the remarkable accomplishment that it is to become a Navy SEAL enough. That part of the story was treated almost like a suicide wish when it really wasn't. Becoming a Navy SEAL is a lot of dangerous work and a very important part of Kris's history and identity. Kris spent 20 years in the Navy before retiring and transitioning. Wikipedia has all the awards and decorations listed.
In the beginning of the book, Anne writes about telling Kris's story. I don't think that she actually interviews anyone outside of the people that Kris invites her to meet. She rarely gets the perspective of other people outside of people that they are having a meal with at the moment. I thought that this was a shortcoming of the book. In the GQ interview "Kristin Beck: A Navy SEAL in Transition," the journalists actually spoke to Kris's colleague Mike about one of Kris's first forays into living an authentic life. That interview also mentions a person who I am assuming to be Kris's third wife.
The writing in the book gets much better around the chapter titled "Briefing with the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense & Meeting Anne."
I thought that the material covered in this book was interesting, but I wanted this to be a better book than it was.
There are a lot of typos where words are missing from the text. I checked a copy of this book out of the library and someone had penciled in a couple of corrections here and there, but there were so many of these mistakes throughout the book.
I had hoped that the first part of this book would be a detailed war story like Bravo Two Zero, but it wasn't. In a way, I felt that this did not build up the remarkable accomplishment that it is to become a Navy SEAL enough. That part of the story was treated almost like a suicide wish when it really wasn't. Becoming a Navy SEAL is a lot of dangerous work and a very important part of Kris's history and identity. Kris spent 20 years in the Navy before retiring and transitioning. Wikipedia has all the awards and decorations listed.
In the beginning of the book, Anne writes about telling Kris's story. I don't think that she actually interviews anyone outside of the people that Kris invites her to meet. She rarely gets the perspective of other people outside of people that they are having a meal with at the moment. I thought that this was a shortcoming of the book. In the GQ interview "Kristin Beck: A Navy SEAL in Transition," the journalists actually spoke to Kris's colleague Mike about one of Kris's first forays into living an authentic life. That interview also mentions a person who I am assuming to be Kris's third wife.
The writing in the book gets much better around the chapter titled "Briefing with the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense & Meeting Anne."
I thought that the material covered in this book was interesting, but I wanted this to be a better book than it was.
June 12, 2023
I wanted to understand what a transgender person's life was like, so read this book to get insights. Chris struggled with gender dysphoria and did his best to live an honorable life. 13 tours of duty is an incredible sacrifice for one's country. Unfortunately, one of the reasons he did so was to escape the gender struggle warring inside. Chris's struggles lead him down a path toward something he thought would make him happy: to transition to a woman. The book made me very sad for Chris on many levels. I googled his name when finished with the book to see what became of him/her. I learned that "Kristen" transitioned back to Chris after getting the counseling he needed. He said the VA quickly pushed him towards sex hormones which lead him to live a hellish life for 10 years. While this book did not have a happy ending, I was glad to learn the rest of the story: Chris has found the peace that he searched for his entire life.
The reason for my 2 star review was not based on the content, but rather on the writing. The book was repetitive and needed editing. I hope Chris writes another book to update his story, but with a a different co-author.
The reason for my 2 star review was not based on the content, but rather on the writing. The book was repetitive and needed editing. I hope Chris writes another book to update his story, but with a a different co-author.
May 30, 2018
It's incredibly difficult to rate this book. Kristin Beck is a massively impressive person. Her achievements and strengths manage to come across even in this awful book. Her story is fascinating.
However, she met Anne Speckhard at a vulnerable point in her life, and agrees to let her write this book. I'm no psychiatrist, but Speckhard comes across as a deluded narcissist. She displays no understanding of gender or gender issues, she can't write or organise thoughts, she has weird little psychobabble theories which she imposes on the narrative, and she writes about herself as an intuitive, empathetic, knowledgable, supportive individual, while repeatedly demonstrating that she is none of these things.
The book is also under-edited, the cover badly designed and executed (cover design is by someone with the surname Speckhard, so I suspect nepotism), with unfocused photos and colour choices for text and background so poorly thought out that it's difficult to read. It looks like the book was carelessly rushed out. Kristin Beck deserves better.
However, she met Anne Speckhard at a vulnerable point in her life, and agrees to let her write this book. I'm no psychiatrist, but Speckhard comes across as a deluded narcissist. She displays no understanding of gender or gender issues, she can't write or organise thoughts, she has weird little psychobabble theories which she imposes on the narrative, and she writes about herself as an intuitive, empathetic, knowledgable, supportive individual, while repeatedly demonstrating that she is none of these things.
The book is also under-edited, the cover badly designed and executed (cover design is by someone with the surname Speckhard, so I suspect nepotism), with unfocused photos and colour choices for text and background so poorly thought out that it's difficult to read. It looks like the book was carelessly rushed out. Kristin Beck deserves better.
July 9, 2019
Totally awesome!
This book was so stupendous.I could not put the book down! It's been so well written and fully understandble. When are people going to wake up and realize that transgender people are not going away.. Why can't society get a grip and understand that people are real and this disorder is real. God did not put these people here on earth to be tormented. They deserve a life just as much as anyone else does. Until the hatred and disrespect goes away, there is nothing that will change. God bless all transgender people. Carry on with your lives and be who you are. And those unwilling to love all that God put on this earth shame on you. Your day of judgement will come.
This book was so stupendous.I could not put the book down! It's been so well written and fully understandble. When are people going to wake up and realize that transgender people are not going away.. Why can't society get a grip and understand that people are real and this disorder is real. God did not put these people here on earth to be tormented. They deserve a life just as much as anyone else does. Until the hatred and disrespect goes away, there is nothing that will change. God bless all transgender people. Carry on with your lives and be who you are. And those unwilling to love all that God put on this earth shame on you. Your day of judgement will come.
August 10, 2020
If I could rating the editing/writing of the book and the story it told separately I would.
This is such an important story for the world to hear and I'm so happy that Kristin chose to share this with the world. She showed tremendous bravery and courage over the course of her lifetime and I am amazed by her. However the writing of this book made it very difficult for me to continue reading. The editing and structure of the book were extremely poor and at times it seemed like the co-author was more interested in getting her own 2 cents in rather than using her knowledge to expand and add to Kristin's story.
Overall I still encourage everyone to read this book so that you can hear Kristin's story, which is truly amazing.
This is such an important story for the world to hear and I'm so happy that Kristin chose to share this with the world. She showed tremendous bravery and courage over the course of her lifetime and I am amazed by her. However the writing of this book made it very difficult for me to continue reading. The editing and structure of the book were extremely poor and at times it seemed like the co-author was more interested in getting her own 2 cents in rather than using her knowledge to expand and add to Kristin's story.
Overall I still encourage everyone to read this book so that you can hear Kristin's story, which is truly amazing.
November 4, 2023
A very I nteresting story but not a great book
Overall I found Chris Beck’s story fascinating. It was especially interesting reading the book, which somewhat understandably often comes across as activism, in light of the more recent revelation that Chris Beck has “detransitioned” and has said transitioning ruined his life. One of the first things that jumped out at me at the beginning of the book was the line “…they were a large part of the forces that created the situation.” The line acknowledges that family issues and trauma drove the gender identity disorder and yet this is largely glossed over.
As for the writing itself, it is a bit disjointed and is punctuated (See what I did there?) with a huge overuse of exclamation points.
Overall I found Chris Beck’s story fascinating. It was especially interesting reading the book, which somewhat understandably often comes across as activism, in light of the more recent revelation that Chris Beck has “detransitioned” and has said transitioning ruined his life. One of the first things that jumped out at me at the beginning of the book was the line “…they were a large part of the forces that created the situation.” The line acknowledges that family issues and trauma drove the gender identity disorder and yet this is largely glossed over.
As for the writing itself, it is a bit disjointed and is punctuated (See what I did there?) with a huge overuse of exclamation points.
March 28, 2018
Awe Inspiring
I have a grandchild who at 14 has come out as a transgender male. I am relieved for him that he has the emotional strength to do so, the emotional battles he has waged with himself have been difficult to watch.
Warrior Princess is the first book I have read about the journey of a transgender person. I am so thankful to Kristen Beck for allowing her readers to see into her heart and soul. Ms. Beck's book has given me insights that will help me be a better grandparent to my grandson. He already knows he has my support and love, now I can extend more understanding of his journey.
Kristen, I hope you find all the happiness and love you so richly deserve.
I have a grandchild who at 14 has come out as a transgender male. I am relieved for him that he has the emotional strength to do so, the emotional battles he has waged with himself have been difficult to watch.
Warrior Princess is the first book I have read about the journey of a transgender person. I am so thankful to Kristen Beck for allowing her readers to see into her heart and soul. Ms. Beck's book has given me insights that will help me be a better grandparent to my grandson. He already knows he has my support and love, now I can extend more understanding of his journey.
Kristen, I hope you find all the happiness and love you so richly deserve.
January 2, 2025
This book was reccommended to me by one of my in-laws. I think it is a really interesting story about a transgender person coming to understand themselves whilst being a part of the US Military. The only critique I have is that some of the language used in its writing very much date the book in a particular time period, where some of the language used today is more inclusive in how we speak to binaries and gender identity. Not a purposeful misstep, I'm sure the language available at the time of this writing was thoughfully used and that to release a book of that nature at that time is a very brave thing to do.
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