Thank You for My Service

Mat Best · Ross Patterson · Nils Parker

Aug 2019 · Sold by Bantam

About this ebook

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The unapologetic, laugh-your-ass-off military memoir both vets and civilians have been waiting for, from a five-tour Army Ranger turned YouTube phenomenon and zealous advocate for veterans
 
Members of the military’s special operations branches share a closely guarded secret: They love their jobs. They relish the opportunity to fight. They are thankful for it, even, and hopeful that maybe, possibly, they’ll also get to kill a bunch of bad guys while they’re at it. You don’t necessarily need to thank them for their service—the pleasure is all theirs.

In this hilarious and personal memoir, readers ride shotgun alongside former Army Ranger and private military contractor and current social media phenomenon Mat Best, into the action and its aftermath, both abroad and at home. From surviving a skin infection in the swampy armpit of America (aka Columbus, Georgia) to kicking down doors on the outskirts of Ramadi, from blowing up a truck full of enemy combatants to witnessing the effects of a suicide bombing right in front of your face, Thank You for My Service gives readers who love America and love the good guys fresh insight into what it’s really like inside the minds of the men and women on the front lines.

It’s also a sobering yet steadying glimpse at life for veterans after the fighting stops, when the enemy becomes self-doubt or despair and you begin to wonder why anyone should be thanking you for anything, least of all your service. How do you keep going when something you love turns you into somebody you hate? For veterans and their friends and families, Thank You for My Service will offer comfort, in the form of a million laughs, and counsel, as a blueprint for what to do after the war ends and the real fight begins.

And for civilians, this is the insider account of military life you won’t find anywhere else, told with equal amounts of heart and balls. It’s Deadpool meets Captain America, except one went to business school and one went to therapy, and it’s anyone’s guess which is which.

Ratings and reviews

Chapter 1 starts off strong (and the dedication page), laughing so hard I had to constantly stop to wipe tears from my eyes. After that it gets serious, but with the perfect amount of classic Mat Best adjectives and analogies to keep you laughing throughout. Highly relatable for veterans (me), and eye-opening for those who haven't lived in that world. For those not familiar with Mat Best, check out his YouTube videos. If you enjoy that, then you will love this book. Everyone should read this!

Real, intense, humorous. This book was absolutely amazing, Mat Best shares his life with us with all the details. As I read this I went through a number of emotions, and I really liked getting to hear about all of his experiences. I think this is a great book, I would recommend it to anyone.

An amazing book written with an honest self perspective of his life until now, with a dash of sarcasm and witty oneliners. I think it gives a good witness to another side of military life and how our soldiers deal with it. Good work Mat! *had to edit my spelling errors.

About the author

Mat Best is a former U.S. Army Ranger serving with the 2nd Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. He was deployed five times to Iraq and Afghanistan, four times to Operation Iraqi Freedom and once to Operation Enduring Freedom as a fire team leader. He then spent five years working as a private military contractor. In 2012, Best created his first YouTube video, and his social media presence has since accumulated more than three million subscribers and fans while generating hundreds of millions of views. Best is also the co-founder of three successful businesses, Black Rifle Coffee, Leadslingers Whiskey, and Article 15 Clothing, and serves as executive vice president of Black Rifle Coffee. In addition, he co-produced the feature film Range 15, the most successful independent, crowd-funded film at the box office in the summer of 2016. Raised in Santa Barbara, California, and the youngest of six from a military family, Mat Best lives in San Antonio, Texas.