Am I a Man Yet?

In this candid autobiography, Mark Butler narrates the early life experiences that led to his enlistment in the US Navy and subsequent deployment to Iraq. 

In the first half of this book, Mark dabbles with the traditional route of a biography, highlighting his most private experiences with parents, boyhood politics, girls, friends and school. Readers can expect a stirring run of true short stories that foreshadow Mark’s brief naval career. The danger will captivate the readers, while the sharp descriptions and powerful characters will enlighten – making this not only a nonfiction work, but a genuine experience in self-help and actualization. 

In the second half of this book, Mark details his combat corpsman training and war deployment to Iraq. While Mark’s extraordinary experiences and vivid storytelling are crucial, the deeper value is in his examination of masculinity. Every mighty man was once a helpless child. We all started off as boys – every great father, wise teacher and hardened warrior. There is no prototype for what a man truly is, no perfect and singular example. The only true role model that we have is ourselves, that bright medley of qualities sheared from the people we remember most.