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Twenty-One Steps of Courage
To have a son adopt his father's dream as his own is rare. But that is exactly what Rod Strong does when in 2006 he enlists in the Army to join The Old Guard. Serving as a Sentinel at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington Cemetery is all his father ever wants, until he dies in the Gulf War. Now Rod decides to honor his father by taking his place.
He forges ahead, naively believing sheer will and hard work is all he needs. As he perseveres through Basic Training and Ranger School at Fort Benning, self-doubt begins to plague him. Still, holding firm to his father's goal, he overcomes hurdles he never anticipates. Finally he reaches the legendary 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment at Fort Myer, the home of The Old Guard, with his goal in sight. Then an unexpected deployment to Afghanistan derails his plans and when a firefight erupts, Rod confronts an overwhelming obstacle that threatens to defeat him completely.
He forges ahead, naively believing sheer will and hard work is all he needs. As he perseveres through Basic Training and Ranger School at Fort Benning, self-doubt begins to plague him. Still, holding firm to his father's goal, he overcomes hurdles he never anticipates. Finally he reaches the legendary 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment at Fort Myer, the home of The Old Guard, with his goal in sight. Then an unexpected deployment to Afghanistan derails his plans and when a firefight erupts, Rod confronts an overwhelming obstacle that threatens to defeat him completely.
- GenresFiction
281 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 31, 2012
8 people are currently reading
44 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Bates
3 books14 followersI worked in advertising for over 20 years, first as a production manager, then as an account executive and finally as an copywriter. After that I free-lanced copywriting. My clients included a book packager, the local chamber of commerce, a travel newsletter and a weekly newspaper where I covered business and schools. I now write fiction full time.
My short fiction has appeared in the Greenwich Village Literary Review, the San Diego North County Times (now the Union-Tribune) and the literary magazine Bravura. I am the author of Twenty-One Steps of Courage, an Army action novel published in 2012 and co-author of the 2005 short story collection, Out of Our Minds, Wild Stories by Wild Women. I was an English Department writing tutor at Palomar College in California for ten years and continue to privately tutor both academic and creative writing students.
I have seven awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, San Diego Pro Chapter, a 2013 Finalist Award, Military Category, Next Generation Indie Book Awards, and am the 2nd Place Finalist in the Unpublished Novel category of the 2015 San Diego Book Awards for The Lost Diaries of Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
My short fiction has appeared in the Greenwich Village Literary Review, the San Diego North County Times (now the Union-Tribune) and the literary magazine Bravura. I am the author of Twenty-One Steps of Courage, an Army action novel published in 2012 and co-author of the 2005 short story collection, Out of Our Minds, Wild Stories by Wild Women. I was an English Department writing tutor at Palomar College in California for ten years and continue to privately tutor both academic and creative writing students.
I have seven awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, San Diego Pro Chapter, a 2013 Finalist Award, Military Category, Next Generation Indie Book Awards, and am the 2nd Place Finalist in the Unpublished Novel category of the 2015 San Diego Book Awards for The Lost Diaries of Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
June 28, 2018
This is the second book I have read by Sarah Bates. The first book was ‘The Lost Diaries of Elizabeth Cady Stanton’, a historical fiction book. Historical fiction is my favorite fiction book genre but lately I have also been enjoying military fiction as well so, decided to read ‘Twenty-One Steps Of Courage’. I am so glad I did!
Rod Strong knew from a young age that he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps. His father died in the Gulf War and was unable to fulfil his goal of joining the “Old Guard”. This is where elite solders stand at the grave of the Unknown Solders in Arlington Cemetery.
Rod kept a list and calendar to keep on track for all of his military goals. He wanted to do all of the training his father did before gaining entrance to his largest goal. His brother was already in Afghanistan so their mother, Donna did not want Rod to join but there was no stopping him. First he joined the army and completed basic training, then advanced infantry training, then Ranger school..Finally arriving for training at the ‘Old Guard”.
There were a lot of challenges along the way and both Rod and the reader didn’t think he would meet his ultimate goal. Of course, I can’t tell you about the obstacles or the outcome, you will have to read it to find out.
It was clear from the very first page that Sarah Bates did a lot of research for this book and she explains a lot about it in the acknowledgements and the preface. The training Rod took seemed endless but not at all boring to the reader. It felt like an adventure I was on with Rod. When he was sore and tired, so was I. I was so immersed in the book that I lost track of time. I started reading it in the bath tub and over an hour later realized the water had gone cold.
‘Twenty-One Steps Of Courage’ is a fast paced and fascinating read. I highly recommend it for everyone. You do not need any military experience or even be that interested in the military to enjoy it. It even has a bit of romance for those who enjoy that. I also think it would be an excellent book for a book club!
Rod Strong knew from a young age that he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps. His father died in the Gulf War and was unable to fulfil his goal of joining the “Old Guard”. This is where elite solders stand at the grave of the Unknown Solders in Arlington Cemetery.
Rod kept a list and calendar to keep on track for all of his military goals. He wanted to do all of the training his father did before gaining entrance to his largest goal. His brother was already in Afghanistan so their mother, Donna did not want Rod to join but there was no stopping him. First he joined the army and completed basic training, then advanced infantry training, then Ranger school..Finally arriving for training at the ‘Old Guard”.
There were a lot of challenges along the way and both Rod and the reader didn’t think he would meet his ultimate goal. Of course, I can’t tell you about the obstacles or the outcome, you will have to read it to find out.
It was clear from the very first page that Sarah Bates did a lot of research for this book and she explains a lot about it in the acknowledgements and the preface. The training Rod took seemed endless but not at all boring to the reader. It felt like an adventure I was on with Rod. When he was sore and tired, so was I. I was so immersed in the book that I lost track of time. I started reading it in the bath tub and over an hour later realized the water had gone cold.
‘Twenty-One Steps Of Courage’ is a fast paced and fascinating read. I highly recommend it for everyone. You do not need any military experience or even be that interested in the military to enjoy it. It even has a bit of romance for those who enjoy that. I also think it would be an excellent book for a book club!
March 15, 2018
Sarah Bates has authored an excellent military novel for those 99% of American who have no contact with today’s serving military community, and especially those combat veterans. With no military experience of her own, the author embedded with active duty military units at the Fort Irwin National Training Center in California, and the 3rd Infantry, the Old Guard, along with the military health professional at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Her story follows Rod Strong, a California teen who volunteers for the army, intending to serve in the Old Guard, the soldiers who serve the honored dead at Arlington National Cemetery, also to honor his father who was killed in the Gulf War and who is buried at Arlington. The author also follows the difficult story of the war widow, Rod Strong’s mother, who watches silently as her two sons follow in their father’s foot-steps. And for those readers critical of profanity, this author could not have accurately depicted the journey through basic training, along with the rigors of airborne and ranger schools, with a modicum of profanity, most often emanating from the mouths of the motivating drill sergeants. So, the crude language is certainly not gratuitous nor excessive. And from my vantage point as a 40-year military veteran, the language is pretty mild. The author also very accurately depicts the journey of our combat-wounded from the battlefield, through Landstuhl, back to stateside, in this case to Walter Reed Army Medical Center. And, she also describes the very inspiring story of today’s incredibly motivated soldiers, who quite amazingly return to active military duty after traumatic amputation, with high-tech prosthetics. Army GEN Shineski was the first Vietnam vet who returned to active military duty after sustaining a lower-extremity amputation in Vietnam, and rose to four-star rank, fighting the military medical bureaucracy every step of the way, but paving the way for today’s injured warriors. And, lastly this author has created a fitting “sequel” to GARDENS OF STONE, Nicholas Proffitt’s story, 35 years in the past, of the Old Guard during the Vietnam War.
June 30, 2018
Several years ago I had the opportunity to visit Arlington Cemetery and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. I have to say, going into it I wasn't that interested but something about the silent dignity of the tomb and the soldiers guarding it really took me off guard and touched me deeply. Seeing that tomb is a memory that I always cherish and this book brought me back to that day perfectly.
The story revolves around a young man who loses his father in the Gulf War and grows up wanting to be a member of The Old Guard, the soldiers that serve at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The young man, Rod shared this dream with his father before he passed. Rod's need to complete this aspiration of his fathers is palpable and, as I am a military brat myself, it hit close to home for me.
However, things go awry when Rod enlists and finds himself being sent to Afghanistan. What follows is a sometimes grueling account of Rod's time in Afghanistan and how it really feels to be in the military serving overseas.
This novel was so uplifting and so incredibly realistic.
From the togetherness that Rod shared with his fellow soldiers, to the difficulty of being away from friends and family and living with such danger around you all the time I truly felt like I was brought into the world of a soldier.
I won't post any spoilers about how the story ends but suffice it to say that I was satisfied. I will definitely be on the lookout for more books from this author. I loved her prose style and the way she made the more action-packed scenes just descriptive enough without getting bogged down in insignificant details.
5 Stars! I would recommend this book to anyone who knows a soldier.
The story revolves around a young man who loses his father in the Gulf War and grows up wanting to be a member of The Old Guard, the soldiers that serve at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The young man, Rod shared this dream with his father before he passed. Rod's need to complete this aspiration of his fathers is palpable and, as I am a military brat myself, it hit close to home for me.
However, things go awry when Rod enlists and finds himself being sent to Afghanistan. What follows is a sometimes grueling account of Rod's time in Afghanistan and how it really feels to be in the military serving overseas.
This novel was so uplifting and so incredibly realistic.
From the togetherness that Rod shared with his fellow soldiers, to the difficulty of being away from friends and family and living with such danger around you all the time I truly felt like I was brought into the world of a soldier.
I won't post any spoilers about how the story ends but suffice it to say that I was satisfied. I will definitely be on the lookout for more books from this author. I loved her prose style and the way she made the more action-packed scenes just descriptive enough without getting bogged down in insignificant details.
5 Stars! I would recommend this book to anyone who knows a soldier.
February 16, 2018
In Twenty-One Steps Of Courage, author Sarah Bates weaves a riveting military story that follows Rod Strong's journey as he follows in his late father's footsteps and enlists in the Army with the intention to achieve his father's goal to become a Sentinel of the Old Guard.
The author's thorough, realistic and authentic research into the Army process from enlistment to the elite Old Guard Regiment that guards the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery, provides the reader with a captivating story about one man's vow to uphold his deceased father's legacy by achieving the commission as a Sentinel of the Old Guard.
Rod is a driven young man determined to achieve his lofty military goals. From enlisting on his eighteenth birthday through basic, Infantry, Ranger and Old Guard training, the reader can't help but cheer on Rod as he embarks on a personal journey full of courage, determination, pride, and a sense of duty.
Twenty-One Steps Of Courage is a well-written story that flows smoothly from the beginning; it is realistic and full of riveting suspenseful twists and turns that easily draws the reader into Rod's admirable and courageous military journey. I would highly recommend this book for those readers interested in the military literature genre.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author/publisher in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Virtual Author Book Tours.
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...
The author's thorough, realistic and authentic research into the Army process from enlistment to the elite Old Guard Regiment that guards the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery, provides the reader with a captivating story about one man's vow to uphold his deceased father's legacy by achieving the commission as a Sentinel of the Old Guard.
Rod is a driven young man determined to achieve his lofty military goals. From enlisting on his eighteenth birthday through basic, Infantry, Ranger and Old Guard training, the reader can't help but cheer on Rod as he embarks on a personal journey full of courage, determination, pride, and a sense of duty.
Twenty-One Steps Of Courage is a well-written story that flows smoothly from the beginning; it is realistic and full of riveting suspenseful twists and turns that easily draws the reader into Rod's admirable and courageous military journey. I would highly recommend this book for those readers interested in the military literature genre.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author/publisher in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Virtual Author Book Tours.
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...
March 12, 2018
As a military veteran, I can honestly tell you that this novel is about as authentic as it gets (though the time line of events are a bit suspect because things don't move that fast -- the hurry up and wait philosophy certainly applies). All you need to know about this book is the fact that I read it in 1 day and that NEVER happens! Twenty-One Steps of Courage captures the reader from page 1 and doesn't release its hold until you've reached the end. Quick Summary: a young man decides to join the army to carry out the legacy of his father. The novel takes you along for the entire ride from graduating high school, enlisting and all his army adventures. During the process, Sarah Bates includes the attitude of his mother and girl friend. Clearly, the author had some great insight on military life or she could have never pulled this off. Well written, page turner and short chapters (which I found refreshing). Highly Recommended for all -- 10 Stars don't do this one justice.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC copy in exchange for my honest review.
March 19, 2018
I was actually surprised at how much I liked this book.
Twenty-One Steps To Courage was much more than I expected.
It was a book filled with lots or emotion and courage.
Sarah Bates does an incredible job of research which makes this
book a great read.
I would recommend anyone to read it. There is some language
in it but it kind of goes with the territory.
Expect a fast paced and fascinating read as you journey along
with Rod through basic training and then into infantry training
and then Ranger school and ultimately to the 'Old Guard'.
21 Steps to Courage is filled with love of country/family.
You'll find strength and courage portrayed but very strong characters.
Whether your a fan of military books or not you need to give this one a chance.
I received a complimentary copy.
Twenty-One Steps To Courage was much more than I expected.
It was a book filled with lots or emotion and courage.
Sarah Bates does an incredible job of research which makes this
book a great read.
I would recommend anyone to read it. There is some language
in it but it kind of goes with the territory.
Expect a fast paced and fascinating read as you journey along
with Rod through basic training and then into infantry training
and then Ranger school and ultimately to the 'Old Guard'.
21 Steps to Courage is filled with love of country/family.
You'll find strength and courage portrayed but very strong characters.
Whether your a fan of military books or not you need to give this one a chance.
I received a complimentary copy.
May 31, 2018
Rod Strong enlisted in the army with the objective of becoming a member of the Old Guard Sentinels, the soldiers who guard the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers. With war raging in the Middle East, though, he’s required to do his deployment. An injury makes it seemingly impossible for him to fulfill his dream, but Rod is determined to live up to his surname.
Twenty-One Steps of Courage by Sarah Bates is the story of courage and determination that follows Rod through war, recovery, and the intensely hard work of trying to achieve an impossible dream. The author has done a fairly good job of showing aspects of a soldier’s life that seldom make it into popular media, or even the mass media.
A well-written story that will stay with you long after you stop reading. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review. I give it four stars.
Twenty-One Steps of Courage by Sarah Bates is the story of courage and determination that follows Rod through war, recovery, and the intensely hard work of trying to achieve an impossible dream. The author has done a fairly good job of showing aspects of a soldier’s life that seldom make it into popular media, or even the mass media.
A well-written story that will stay with you long after you stop reading. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review. I give it four stars.
May 8, 2018
I'm pro-military and support our troops 100% so I was excited when I came across the opportunity to read this book. There are some topics that come across our sphere that just humble us, The Tomb of The Unknown Soldier is one of those topics (and places) that humbles me. The author, Sarah Bates, uses her skilled talent of storytelling and articulation to compose this adventurous narration that is completely compelling and pretty darn authentic. The story is smooth, fast-paced, enticing, and brave. I loved the research that Bates clearly used in writing this story. I look forward to reading more from Bates in the future.
http://bookjunkiemom.blogspot.com/201...
http://bookjunkiemom.blogspot.com/201...
February 6, 2018
Moving, emotional story about a boy who grows into a man following a dream of honoring his father and becoming a Sentinel.
July 18, 2012
I won this on a giveaway and was so excited to read it. I may have bought it if I didn't skim through it well but I am glad I didn't have to.
The book was informative and well-researched. The story was quite interesting. However,the story did not totally led from one situation to another all the time. It jumped a little too much.
Although I know vulgar language seems to be approved in society, it tends to ruin a story for many of us.
It is ironic that so much foul language is used in the military because in the military bi-laws, profanity is not accepted. My husband laid a complaint several years ago and all his co-workers had to abide it around him or get written up.
It would have taken a few more words but Sarah could have eliminated the profanity and the readers would still have caught the main drift of cussing.
The book was informative and well-researched. The story was quite interesting. However,the story did not totally led from one situation to another all the time. It jumped a little too much.
Although I know vulgar language seems to be approved in society, it tends to ruin a story for many of us.
It is ironic that so much foul language is used in the military because in the military bi-laws, profanity is not accepted. My husband laid a complaint several years ago and all his co-workers had to abide it around him or get written up.
It would have taken a few more words but Sarah could have eliminated the profanity and the readers would still have caught the main drift of cussing.
May 25, 2012
This story of honor, courage, love, and sacrifice is about a young man who enlists in the Army pursuing a dream to honor his father by joining The Old Guard serving as a Sentinel at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a dream his father was once in pursuit of until he is killed in the Gulf War. The basis of the story is thoroughly researched, yet still profoundly moving. The author does a great job expressing the sheer bravery and the sacrifices that are made, not only by soldiers, but by the military families that love, support, and endure. Appropriate for teen and adult audiences, a really good read.
I received this free copy through Goodreads First Reads!
I received this free copy through Goodreads First Reads!
July 28, 2012
I Really like this book And I plan on reading it again.
I give it a 4.5.
I give it a 4.5.
January 1, 2025
excellent book
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews