Fire in My Eyes: An American Warrior's Journey from Being Blinded on the Battlefield to Gold Medal Victory

by Brad Snyder, Tom Sileo

"I am not going to let my blindness build a brick wall around me. I'd give my eyes one hundred times again to have the chance to do what I have done, and what I can still do."-Brad Snyder speaking with First Lady Michelle Obama

On the night Osama bin Laden was killed, US Navy Lieutenant Brad Snyder was serving in Afghanistan as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal officer with SEAL Team Ten. When he learned of SEAL Team Six's heroics across the Pakistani border, Brad was thankful. Still, he knew that his dangerous combat deployment would continue.

Less than five months later, Brad was engulfed by darkness after a massive blast caused by an enemy improvised explosive device. Suddenly Brad was blind, with vivid dreams serving as painful nightly reminders of his sacrifice.

Exactly one year after losing his sight, Brad heard thousands cheer as he stood on a podium in London. Incredibly, Brad had just won a gold medal in swimming at the 2012 Paralympic Games.

Fire in My Eyes is the astonishing true story of a wounded veteran who refused to give up. Lieutenant Brad Snyder did not let blindness build a wall around him-through tenacity and courage, he tore it down.

Genres: Nonfiction, Military Fiction, Memoir, Biography, Inspirational

272 pages, Hardcover

Published September 6, 2016

Reviews

[JD · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another inspiring story of an injured combat veteran who overcame his injury with a positive attitude and went on to do great things. Brad Snyder was a Naval Academy graduate and also a collegiate swimmer before becoming an Explosive Ordnance Disposal deploying to the combat zones of Iraq and Afghanistan. It was on this latter tour of duty attached to the SEAL's in September 2011 where he was injured by an IED in the face and lost his sight.

After recovering from his wounds and learning to live with his blindness, he was approached by coaches to start swimming again and compete at the 2012 Paraympics in London. After much hard work he went and a year after being wounded he won gold there, which is incredible in my opinion.

The book though is about much more than that. It is also of a young man finding purpose, about finding yourself when you think all is lost and about learning how to accept loss and how powerless you can feel, but still be able to get up and go on. Great read and highly recommendable.

PS: Read this a few weeks after reading Medal of Honor recipient Kyle Carpenter's book, and these two books went great together.

[Barbara (The Bibliophage) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about transformation. A teenager transforms to a Naval Academy cadet, and then to an EOD officer in a combat zone. Brad Snyder has to transform again after an IED explodes in his face and his eyesight is gone. It's beyond inspiring to hear the story from a humble man who defines the term thrive!

I'm not much for military books, but I love to read about people who overcome medical and physical difficulties. Having struggled with my hearing over the last few years, I was also drawn to this memoir because it involves another sense - sight.

Snyder sets a tone I wasn't expecting in this book. Bravery and determination are a huge part of the story. But he tempers these with funny stories about forgetting his ID at a crucial moment, and wearing two left shoes. His second leadership principle is compassion, and it's clear his style works in the way his platoon works together. But Snyder isn't afraid to tell us how he screwed up.

The book tugs at the reader's heartstrings too. He shares how he was affected by the death of fellow soldiers. He shares how it felt when his younger sister came to see him after his injury. He harkens back to what he learned from his dad and grandad.

Using a cane in front of him and a community of people beside and behind him, Snyder lives the way he moves his cane. "Tap, advance."

He says, "I transformed. I had to accept a new set of circumstances, and resolve to thrive anyway. That is what “resilience” means to me. It is the resolution to thrive, no matter what.”

Read this book, and cheer Brad Snyder on as he competes again in the 2016 Rio Paralympics!

Thanks to NetGalley, Perseus Books Group, and Da Capo Press for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Fred Arshoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I purchased this book used although I never heard of Brad or Tom but I read the inside cover and knew right away this was a book I wanted to read. Also for this book part of the proceeds of the sales goes to help members of the USA Military who get disabled due to the war)s) they fought in. I am extremely happy I brought this book although sad that Brad became blind thus wrote this book but he did win gold in the para Olympics in swimming. This book is a true story. There are photos in this book of Brad as a child and as an adult. I am very surprised that this book didn’t receive any literary awards.
I give this book a solid 5*

[Imcgough2303 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine fighting in the battlefields of Afghanistan. After specializing in explosion demolition, Brad Snyder’s life begins to quite literally blow up in his face, bringing him to an all-time low. However, he preservers through incredible hardship and exhibits heroism, bravery, and courage on and off the battlefield.
In this heroic tale, Brad grew up with a passion for swimming as well as a dream of following in his grandfather’s footsteps of fighting for his country. With advice and guidance from coaches and his father, Brad’s passion brought him to becoming a swimmer for Division I school, the Naval Academy. After putting all his efforts into swimming while at school, Brad could not keep up with his school work. After going through his, “personal dark ages,” consisting of plateauing in his swimming career and watching his grades suffer from spending countless hours in the pool, Brad decided to focus his time on academics. This allowed Brad to raise his grades and ultimately get accepted into the Explosives Ordnance Demolition (EOD) community upon graduation. After being accepted into the academy, he was trained and tested every day until beginning his tour in Iraq. Here, his life was altered dramatically, he lost his best friend, Tyler, in an explosion, his girlfriend committed suicide, his father had deceased, and while attempting to disable an improvised explosive device (IED), Brad made a detrimental mistake resulting in the device exploding and blinding him. After losing his vision, he felt as though his world was crumbling.
While reading about his experiences, I could feel every emotion Brad was feeling. Everything from losing his loved ones to his vision, his experience brought the reader on an emotional roller coaster. Throughout the whole book, you as the reader felt physically and emotionally connected to Brad Snyder as he lived through many high points and many low points. Even at this point in the book I didn't know how he would ever recover from his accident, but he manages to walk away with only his vision lost, but this was bigger than you could ever imagine. When you lose your sight, you lose all sense of where you are, how to navigate on your own and absorb the beautiful environment around you. Brad had a tough time transitioning from his injury through all the countless surgeries and frustration over simple tasks. He was at his lowest point until he struck gold with the Paralympics and found a coach to train him to be in team USA. He went on to win a gold medal at the 2012 Olympics a year after his accident.
After overcoming great hardship and going through many low points, this story is truly inspiring to see as Brad continually displays heroism and bravery on the battlefield. Other reviewers from the website Goodreads, have similar views on the novel to me. For example, Barbara on Goodreads discussed the importance of bravery and determination balanced by his humor. As I explained previously, I agree with Barbara’s points and believe she portrayed the book in a very accurate way. The only complaint I have for the book is that it was a little too short and seemed a bit rushed in certain situations. Overall this book exceeded my expectations. It was truly a fantastic book of bravery, courage, and resilience and I would recommend this to anyone.

[John Maurer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brad Snyder is the definition of an American hero. His story of bravery and sacrifice on the battlefield to his remarkable gold medal victory in the 2012 Paralympic Games is beyond inspiring. His transformation shows true courage and determination while empowering the utmost humility. What an extraordinary journey and incredible book about overcoming heartbreaking obstacles that should be read by everyone. I have the greatest respect for this man and so extremely thankful for his continued guidance and service to our country.

[Jordan Larsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the reclusive world of military special operations, there is a quote that defines the challenges and the daunting dangers an elite few face on the battlefield: “The Only Easy Day is Yesterday.” For a young and ambitious U.S. Navy EOD tech, Lt. Brad Snyder embedded with a Tier-1 unit of Navy Seals, never would that quote become more relevant than on the afternoon of September 7th 2011 outside the wire in Afghanistan. Lt. Brad Snyder’s mission is to disarm deadly Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs); he’s lived by the creed “Initial Success or Total Failure.” Yet, even the best of the best can fall victim to the Coward’s Weapon of Choice and when you defuse danger for a living, everything can change in the blink of an eye.

While rendering aid to an injured comrade in the wake of an IED ambush, Lt. Snyder is seriously maimed by a secondary device designed specifically to kill him. The devastating blast destroys his retinas, leaving a wounded warrior blind for the rest of his life. Lt. Snyder’s life story and inspiring journey to overcome adversity is chronicled in the military memoir “Fire In My Eyes.” Written by Brad Snyder and co-authored by Tom Sileo (Brothers Forever), the reader gets a rare glimpse into the heart and soul of a seemingly ordinary man with an extraordinary life whose final chapter has yet to be written.

Out of the fog of war, Lt. Brad Snyder would find redemption and a renewed purpose in life. Following an arduous recovery, he would learn how to read brail and navigate the world through sound, smell and touch; eventually finding his way to the Olympics and becoming a member of the U.S. Para-Olympic Swim Team bringing home the Gold exactly one year after being injured in the line of duty. Proving to himself and to the entire world that there truly is light at the end of a long dark tunnel. A quote by Rabindranath Tagore illustrates Brad Snyder’s spirit: “Let me not pray to be sheltered from dangers but to be fearless in facing them. Let me not beg for the stilling of my pain but for the heart to conquer it. Let me not look for allies in life's battlefield but to my own strength. Let me not crave in anxious fear to be saved but hope for the patience to win my freedom.”

This book is a wonderful true story of a real Comeback Kid! Brad Snyder holds nothing back, no matter how painful it may be to the reader. Tom Sileo does an excellent job putting Brad’s words in order with immense respect and love for the warrior’s spirit. In a time when honor and praise for America’s heroes is being left by the wayside, “Fire In My Eyes” is a shining example of all that is possible in the human spirit. Showing that life is too important of a race not to finish. “Fire In My Eyes” would make a great movie! A must-read for veterans and civilians alike.

[Victoria Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly one of the best books I’ve ever read!

[Taylissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought it was a good book. It is a good reminder to live in the moment and not pay attention to the future or the past because the future could be changed within a second. It is also a reminder that if your life is turned upside down there is still good that comes out of the situation.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A true and recent recounting of bravery on and off the battlefield. He begins with memories of growing up in his family and school and swimming. After high school, there was Annapolis, where he was to learn that academics was more important than his devotion to physical training with the swimming competition. After graduation his wish came true in the form of acceptance into ordinance demolition school, which was a whole new kind of challenge and a whole new bunch of friends.
Then there was a tour in Iraq, then more training. During this time, a good friend was killed in the war, and his lady from his time at Annapolis, a midshipman assigned elsewhere, gave in to suicide. Life was a real challenge for a while. Just before deployment to Afghanistan, a serious bout of stupidity nearly ended his career. But he and his skills were desperately needed, so his punishment was delayed, and he was deployed.
While on deployment, he was informed that his father had died suddenly, but he needed to put his grieving aside for now.
Then came the day when, at 27, a slight miscalculation resulted in his being seriously injured by an IED. At first, he believed that he had died and was transitioning. Then came the pain, medics, waking in ICU in Walter Reed, hearing his family, learning the extent of his injuries, and more surgery.
Moved to the VAH near his mother's home, he gained strength until able to join two skilled therapists and do a 5 mile marathon. While there, he was visited by an active duty army officer who had married after his injury and had recently had a new baby.
Next it was off to a VAH Augusta, GA with specialized training staff for the newly blind. There he relearned the ordinary aspects of daily life, gained more confidence through mobility training, and became adept in using talking computers. While there, he was contacted by the military outreach coordinator for the US Assn of Blind Athletes who was excited for Brad to begin training and applying for eligibility for the Paralympics. The coordinator then ramrodded everything from paperwork to time for a coach there in Georgia to flying to Colorado Springs to begin the intense training needed to qualify.
Rather than staying in Colorado, he went back east, and shortly was contacted by an entrepreneur offering housing and working towards a new career located in Baltimore. Uncertain of what to do without overdoing, it seemed that he could train full time and work around that. Then it was time to qualify, and he certainly did. He even broke a speed record twice, and became a solid member of team USA.
Actually, his first competition in the Paralympics in London in 2012 was a year to the day from his injury, his Alive Day. Competition was tough, and each meet described well, including times and type. But in the end, he brought home the Gold for Team USA. At the award ceremony, he silently was thankful for all those friends and family who helped him all of his days.
On November 1, 2013, he retired from the Navy medically and with honors.
Over the next two years, he learned how to live independently in his own apartment and got a Seeing Eye puppy. But most importantly, he developed a new outlook and his own coping mechanisms.
This is an excellent book about a man whose bravery is ongoing. He is a fine example of the countless veterans who have proved to be far more than a sum of their losses.

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book free for the asking.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

As an aging competitive swimmer who’s trying to get herself to Master’s practices regularly and ready herself for a 5K open water swim, I figured that Brad Snyder’s memoir, Fire in My Eyes, would be just the inspiration I needed. I have vague memories of his swimming performance in the London 2012 Paralympic games, and so when this book popped up in an e-mail from NetGalley I was curious to know more.

Overall, this is a solid memoir, written by Snyder and a co-writer, Tom Sileo. It follows Snyder from his youth in Florida where he discovered competitive swimming to the Naval Academy at Annapolis to his deployment in Afghanistan as an officer in EOD (Explosive Ordinance Disposal) to his near fatal encounter with an IED. It was not the blindly (no pun intended) jingoistic text I was nervous about encountering (re: recent Cannonball Reviews of American Sniper), though Snyder’s pride in his work, in the military, and in the United States are clearly stated. Luckily, they’re also explored and explained. I actually found the details of his military training and deployment interesting and it gave me even more respect for those who do this type of dangerous and complicated work.

However, this is not exactly the swimming or recovering from an injury memoir I expected. Snyder’s injury in a bomb blast and his road to recovery take up only the last third of the book, and it felt a bit rushed and underdeveloped. The book’s subtitle focuses on the journey from being blinded to winning gold, and I think this memoir could have been even stronger if Snyder and Sileo had spent a bit more time on that journey. To go from being an officer in charge of an elite squad to someone who can’t easily put toothpaste on a toothbrush is quite a shift. Snyder titles a later chapter “Tap, Advance” and uses this description of how a visually impaired person navigates with his/her cane as a metaphor for his adaptation to his new life-frustratingly slow. It works well as does his discussion in the Afterward about “The Delta”-the shadowy and dangerous space between what you once were and what you now are, where you can easily get lost. There is so much interesting and nuanced thinking in the Afterward that I wished had been explored in the whole back half of the book. Finally, this book made me wonder about product placement in memoirs. The second time I hit a reference to Yankee Candles and the first time Jimmy John’s was mentioned, I felt like I was watching a CW show.

So is this memoir worth reading? Definitely. Snyder’s story is an inspiring one for anyone encountering obstacles in life and a reminder that what you have can be taken away at any moment. Could it have been better? Yes, and it’s a reminder of how tricky good memoirs can be to write and how amazing they are when you read them—when the story and the writing work together to make the sum better than its parts.

[Phil Pistone]

Brad is a humble man who tells a story of bravery, but also of loss. He overcame medical and physical difficulties after his military service in Afghanistan. He was a Naval Academy graduate and captain of the swim team, and later a member of an elite Explosive Ordinance Disposal. His loss of vision changed his life forever. He overcame life without sight, but knew he had struggles to deal with the rest of his life. One year after his accident, he won the Gold Medal in London at the Paralympic Olympics. That demonstrates his will to live and to persevere.

I liked this book since it tells a true story of bravery. The soldier could have lost his life. Instead he lost his vision. He decides to not give up. He resumes swimming even when blind. Many people would never consider challenging themselves after such a loss. Many people would feel sorry for themselves. This book inspires others with vision lose to be brave and try to new things.

“I am not going to let my blindness build a brick wall around me. I'd give my eyes one hundred times again to have the chance to do what I have done, and what I can still do."-Brad Snyder speaking with First Lady Michelle Obama.

Little did Lieutenant Synder know that while admiring a beautiful sunrise while on duty in Afghanistan in 2011 it would be the last sunrise he would ever see.

At age 5 he dove into Weeki Wackhee Springs in Florida to try to pick up a conch shell at the bottom of the water. It was then that he realized the pressure and danger of the water. He rose to the surface in a panic. His Dad said the only way to conquer fear was to acknowledge it and to embrace it. They went back together to the sandy bottom and the author picked up the shell he wanted. The mermaid’s hair was the algae and the sea monsters imagined did not appear. The author felt a great feeling of success in retrieving the shell from his imaginary monsters. His Dad taught him a great lesson to not give up no matter the circumstances.

His Grandpa served in the Navy (a torpedo man during WWII). He was in the epic Battle of the Midway that took place six months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. His Grandpa quickly became his hero when he learned of how he was the only surviver of an airplane crash off the coast of New York (training soldiers). He spent 4 years recovering from his injuries and fell in love with his nurse. His Grandpa inspired him to serve his country.

Exactly one year after losing his sight, Brad heard thousands cheer as he stood on a podium in London. Brad won a gold medal in swimming at the 2012 Paralympic Games. Synder’s story is a reminder of just how much people sacrifice for America and how much they love their country.

[Emma B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overcoming adversity and Living Life to the Full

This motivational memoir is about Brad Snyder’s life from approximately 5 years old through to his 30s, during which time he experienced enormous life changing events, including losing his eyesight.

The US Naval Academy, and explosives disarming training was riveting. The emotions of being out in Iraq and Afghanistan really showed through. The narrative – all from Brad’s perspective – focuses on what he feels is important (his family features often), so does not dwell on the downbeat parts of his life, but rather uses them as a time of learning to enable him to move on. There are times of heart racing drama, times of deep sorrow as friends and team members are lost and poignant moments that brought tears to my eyes.

The first half of the book follows Brad’s fascinating life before the moment when he loses his eyesight in an explosion. The second half is about getting to grips with being blind, like how to do the washing up, and working out a strategy to overcome these problems instead of just getting frustrated and despondent about them. The books takes the reader up to Brad’s hopes of competing in Rio de Janeiro in the 2016 Paralympics.

The message of the book (to my mind) is about learning to live with what you have, not what you don’t have, and Brad uses his life experiences to illustrate this. This is not a book about how awful life can be, but about how to overcome life’s problems one tiny step at a time.

At the end of the book Brad sums up his philosophy on life. This is a section I shall read again and again to put my world back into perspective, and learn from his motivational attitude.

Buy this book, immerse yourself in the story, and wonder at the moral and mental strength of Brad. Then re-read it.

Thank you Brad (and Tom) for your wonderful story.

[Blue North · Rating 5 out of 5]

How does a family get use to the idea that their father, son or brother is working far away in a foreign country with explosives? They must worry constantly. This is the job of one American who is written about in Fire In My Eyes. I'm writing down his whole job title, or I would never remember it. It is US Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) officer.
When I think of dangerous explosives, I am reminded of Princess Diana. One of her concerns was unexploded explosives lying in residential areas, on beaches where children, teens and other people might walk not expecting to meet their death. I also think of a fictional character in The English Patient. He did the same kind of dangerous work. Since Fire In My Eyes is a true account, I am looking forward to learning more about the lives of these heroes. The setting is Afghanistan.

[Colleen Lahey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A true American Hero. What a positive attitude.

[Richard Guerrero · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me start out by saying I read this book because even though it was not in war, I lost my site in a tragic way similar. There was a portion in the book when he did lose his sight and they had the doctors explain what was going on, it was almost the exact same situation I was in. They had to remove my left eye to try to save my right eye and reattach my retina. The book had so many similarities to my own personal situation and growth. Even though it has been years since his tragedy I am glad I did find this book. I lost my sight at the age of 23 and 1995. My dad was a Purple Heart in Vietnam and I was a high school and division one college athlete. I love the motivation that he had and again, very similar to mine. again, very glad I found this book.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book rates highly because it's a story of moving from tragedy (a Navy SEAL blinded on deployment in Afghanistan) to to winning a gold medal at the London Paralympic Games in 2012. I never tire of stories of people adjusting to a new life with courage and perseverance. No whining here.
Brad's family plays a huge part in pushing him toward new challenges. No choosing life as a victim. Perhaps I should raise my rating.

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought that this book is one of the best I've read in a while. The story of a solider from beginning to end makes me really like this book. From solider to swimmer is what love about this about this book. The book is a little slow at first though. Even still, the book is really good. I would recommend it to anyone considering joining the armed forces. Military kids like me are inspired to join the ranks because their parents do, so its a good look into what could happen

[Heidi Hester Cuticchia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a swimming nerd and I knew Brad growing up. To have him share his incredible journey is a privilege.

[Tracy Zaccardo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a good book. What an inspiring story. I highly recommend it.

[Jazmin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply amazing.

[Carole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing. Brad's story is very inspirational. He is a great example for overcoming adversity.

[Cody Garrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written. The war experiences take up about 3/4 of the book, with the ending quickly moving through Brad's recovery and Paralympic swimming.

[Liz Bongiovanni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book!

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found Brad's story of going through the Naval Academy, losing his sight to an IED in Afghanistan, then winning gold in swimming at the Paralympics to be inspiring in spite of myself.

Although I know this is Brad Snyder's individual story and maybe should only be treated as such, I found it difficult to read without thinking of its broader societal context, especially as the U.S. now withdraws fully from Afghanistan.

I am only four months older than Brad, so I remember what it was like to view 9/11 from the eyes of a 17-year-old. I could understand his desire to enlist, feeling that he was protecting his family and their way of life. However, as a young person, pretty soon I felt that the government was using 9/11 as an excuse for tenuously-related actions like invading Iraq. So, I felt frustrated with young Brad's unquestioning, star-spangled outlook, as well as his father's fear when Brad was to deploy as an EOD expert. Honestly, I kind of wanted to shake his dad. Did he not expect that his son could join the military and be in great danger when he spent Brad's whole childhood indoctrinating him with war stories? He mentioned envisioning Brad as a ship's captain, but even then, had he not heard the adage, "The captain goes down with the ship"? That's the reality of war.

I felt relieved when the book moved past the stage at the academy and Brad gained more perspective on this, although I would have liked to know if he ever thought of "the enemy" as human beings. Not that I'm a fan of the Taliban, but any reduction of humans to "enemy," "bad guys," etc. that serves to make it easier to kill them is not, in my mind, a good thing. Military training encourages this by necessity--a soldier can't hesitate to kill if the mission or their colleagues' lives are in danger--but I still wanted to know whether Brad ever struggled with the moral injury of killing (or, indeed, even whether he ever had to kill anyone).

The descriptions of Brad's job held my interest. Getting a window into daily life in these modern-day war zones highlighted the strange juxtaposition between mundane routines and dangerous missions. Also, soldiers have to put aside their personal feelings, even in a situation as fraught as the death of a parent, because any loss of focus on the job can get them or someone else killed.

I felt happy for Brad that he found the perspective he needed in order to deal with his horrific injury and recovery. His insights on not comparing one's present to the past and not worrying about the future jived with the concept of mindfulness with which I'm familiar. I did find myself hoping that he was able to grieve as needed and find compassion for himself, though, and be able to accept compassion from others. I understand not wanting to feel pitied, but at the same time, our culture has a huge problem with an inability to confront and support suffering. Staying positive at all costs is great if that works for you, which it sounds like it does for Brad, but sometimes there are other people who come back from war with broken minds and souls rather than broken bodies. Those people aren't necessarily going to benefit from a positivity culture that claims they're just behaving as "victims" if they're struggling to live in the face of what they've experienced. I appreciated Brad's acknowledgement that the community around him supporting him was the key to his over-the-top-successful recovery. Everyone needs communal support, especially those who find that "staying positive" can't always cure the psychic wounds wrought by war and violence. The stoicism taught by the military and Brad's father is not the answer either. Grief and trauma must be confronted and felt in order to truly be processed--otherwise they eat people alive.

Anyway, as an individual on a small scale, leading SEAL teams and protecting them from explosives at huge cost to himself, as well as taking on the challenge of the Paralympics, Brad is undoubtedly inspirational, highly skilled, and brave. This is definitely not a book that explores any deeper or big-picture questions about war or mental health, however, so if you're someone who thinks about those things, it may frustrate you at times as it did me.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Fire in My Eyes is the astonishing true story of a wounded veteran who refused to give up. Lieutenant Brad Snyder did not let blindness build a wall around him—through tenacity and courage, he tore it down."
This summary is misleading. I was dismayed to find that more than half the book was about Mr. Snyder's military training and time spent in Iraq and Afghanistan prior to his injury. While I appreciate his service, as I do all those who protect our country, that wasn't what I wanted to read about. I thought I was going to follow "An American Warrior's Journey from Being Blinded on the Battlefield to Gold Medal Victory." The short part of the book that dealt with the actual "journey" was short and extremely less detailed than what lead up to his injury. While many might be interested in his military story, that isn't what this book professed to be and it wasn't what I wanted to learn about Mr. Snyder. I would have preferred to hear more details, similar to how he was guided to make flip turns, about how he transitioned to being a blind athlete. Why does he wear goggles? How does he avoid running in to the lane markers? And, seriously, how did he know where he was in the race compared to other swimmers? But again, if you are a fan of real life military stories, this might be more your style.

A preview copy of this book was provided by NetGalley and Perseus Books Group in exchange for an honest review.

[Stephanie Pieck · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a powerful story of commitment and courage about Brad Snyder, a Navy lieutenant who lost his sight while serving in Afghanistan and, one year later, represented his country again, winning gold medals at the in 2012 London Paralypics in swimming. Snyder shares his lessons of optimism, realism, and looking for the good in every person and situation. In doing so, he offers encouragement to anyone who picks up his book.
Snyder's storytebbling language is academic, but his message is compelling enough to shine through the technicality and complexity. Always motivated to do and be the best, Snyder's approach to his blindness is no different. He reminds us that, while we may not always be able to control what happens to us, we can control how we react and how we respond to our emotions. His writing about his guide dog is especially refreshing, showing a dynamic partnership rather than a melodramatic "magical dog and amazing blind man" story.

[John S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite parts of the book is at the end as he looks back on his phenomenal accomplishments and triumph over adversity and says : “My success that day and the gold medal itself was not the result of anything I have done as an individual, but as a part of a much wider community. In that moment, I came to understand that individuals never accomplish anything truly great. When communities leverage thier cumulative efforts towards a cohesive goal that is when true greatness can be achieved. The gold medal hanging around my neck belongs to my family, my community, and most of all, my country.”

[patrick Lorelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book about a serviceman Lt. Brad Snyder who five months after the death of Bin Landen he knew he still had a job to do as a demolition officer for Seal Team Ten, on that night though it went wrong, and went ended up blind. His story is no different though as the men who go through the training to become Seals. He did not give up instead he moved forward and he then stood a year later receiving a gold medal at the para Olympics in swimming that being in 2012. I found this to be a really fascinating and truly uplifting book. Very much worth the read and my review does not do this book justice in how good it is truly a very good book. I received this book from Netgalley.com

[Kevin Washburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brad Snyder’s amazing story from stepping on an IED in Afghanistan to stepping onto the gold medal podium a year later is told in Fire in My Eyes. In my research for writing Uprise: Building Resilience in Ourselves and Others, Snyder’s story has really stuck with me. From the Naval Academy to deployment to Walter Reed Medical Center and the Paralympics, Brad’s journey is an illustration of remarkable resilience, strength of character, and the power of having friends who know you well enough to challenge you. It’s an unforgettable true story about an inspiring man and the choices that led him to be an overcomer. Highly recommended!

[Melissa Brandts · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars...biographies are not a favorite genre of mine but this one had been a gift for Jackson so I gave it a whirl (or read as it may be 😉). I liked it well enough...the author’s story was an interesting one...a bit ‘Hallmark-Movie’ like at times, but the journey was interesting to read about. Did speak to me about the power of a supportive community and the impact attitude has on a situation!