Nonfiction
No Turning Back
One Man’s Inspiring True Story of Courage, Determination, and Hope
BRYAN ANDERSON (with David Alan Mack)
On October 23, 2005, U.S. Army military policeman Sergeant Bryan Anderson was driving an armored humvee in Baghdad, Iraq, when it was hit by a blast from a roadside improvised explosive device.
The detonation severed Bryan’s legs and left hand, maimed his right hand, collapsed his right lung, and peppered him with shrapnel. Good fortune and quick action by his comrades saved Bryan’s life, making that fateful morning into his “alive day.”
The months that followed were some of the most grueling of Bryan’s young life. At that time, Bryan was only the fourth triple-amputee veteran of the Iraq War to survive his injuries. He endured dozens of surgeries and transfusions over the course of six weeks while hospitalized at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
After being discharged from the hospital on December 14, 2005, Bryan began an intensive 13-month rehab that taught him to use a prosthetic arm and hand, and to walk on prosthetic legs.
He has since returned to civilian life with a gusto rarely seen among the “full-bodied,” as he refers to non-amputees. Standing proudly on his prosthetic C-legs, Bryan has learned such sports as snowboarding, waterskiing, rock climbing, skateboarding, and four-wheeling.
Bryan also has launched an acting career, with guest-star turns on such television series as All My Children, CSI: NY, and HBO’s critically acclaimed original series The Wire, and in motion pictures, including the feature film The Wrestler, starring Mickey Rourke.
These impressive accomplishments have been made possible by Bryan’s boundless energy, infectious optimism, and inspiring can-do philosophy of life. His natural charisma, quick wit, and good humor serve him well in his role as the national spokesman of Quantum Rehab, a division of Pride Mobility Corp., and as an official spokesman for USA Cares, a nonprofit organization that assists post-9/11 veterans in times of need.
In his travels throughout the country and the world, Bryan has addressed numerous corporations, conventions, and colleges. He has shared with spellbound audiences his harrowing account of the day he was wounded, and the numerous simple but profound lessons he has learned as a result.
Bryan’s stories will amaze, amuse, and inspire readers of all ages, backgrounds, and beliefs. “I don’t see what happened to me as a tragedy,” he says, “and if, by telling people what I’ve learned because of what happened to me, I’m able to help other people live better lives, then I’ll know it was all worth it.”
More than a memoir, and more deeply personal than most motivational books, No Turning Back is Bryan Anderson’s unique manifesto for learning to enjoy life, no matter what shape it takes.