Traitor? Paperback – May 15, 2013

I stumbled across a few videos of Mr Holdbrooks on youtube that made me curious to purchase the book and read it, especially that I had read about a second case of another MP (Steve Woods) who embraced Islam in GTMO after coming in contact with the prisoner Mohamedou Ould Slahi (author of another interesting book: The Guantanamo Diary). This raised my curiosity.The book 'Traitor?' is very well written without cramming. It sheds lights on the insights of the infamous GTMO, but also the struggle of an American during the unfolding of one of the hidden and hideous sides of the American system. All this interwoven with another internal development of the author's religious belief and values.This book answered my question of why many American soldiers end up mentally stressed or depressed after their service, it demonstrates how the image of America the dream crashed on the rocks of that dreary GTMO island and the consequences this had on the troops internal compass. The author though admirably managed to overcome this ordeal and successfully made that miserable place a little bit a better one. His being humble and fair to the prisoners paid back by expanding his knowledge about the world and introducing him to a religion that brought him peace and strength to face the aftermath of his service and encouraged him to rally against this injustice.Mr Holdbrooks, you are not a traitor, you are a true hero; It takes a lot of courage and patriotism to debunk that fiasco of the GTMO. I do not think your endeavor to reveal the truth went in vain, change takes rather a long journey and you have just started it.

Regardless of what sort of interest you have in the constitutional and humanitarian questions raised by the Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp (GTMO), you stand to gain from knowing Terry Holdbrooks' lucid first-person account as a US serviceman stationed there.Ignoring pressure by other enlistees to stay ignorant about the customs and mores of those he was guarding, Mr. Holdbrooks invoked the utility of Sun Tzu's advice to "know thy enemy." In doing so, Mr. Holdbrooks would not only start learning the scriptural language of those under his guard, Arabic, but also memorize passages of their scripture, the Quran, and understand the views of the religion it defines, Islam.This latter point helped him understand why, despite the various attempts of guards and interrogators to humiliate them, the detainees appeared to have a mindset which allowed them to keep their heads up high with the understanding that they lived for a higher purpose and that no such test could alter the dignity which was theirs by right and not for any fellow man to take away.The question mark in the title of "Traitor?" confronts us with a number of questions. The foremost of them which comes to my mind is how some among us can label as "traitor" a patriot who sees a way for our country to become stronger through understanding cosmological views in harmony with the world's fastest growing community, Islam which is currently embraced by a fifth of humanity and is poised to become the faith of a fourth of humanity within the next couple decades. Likewise, how can we not deem as "traitors" those who have effected the greatest damage to the US by breaking our country's economy, constitutional rights, and world image, in blindly committing us to wars, which at best are impractical, and at worst promise to isolate us like North Korea in the next half century, as Islam becomes prominent in Europe and most other continents on the globe.

I loved the book and appreciate Mr. Holdbrooks having the personal courage to share this story. The only reason I didn't award 5 stars is because I wanted more specific information about his studies and the resources he used that led to his decision. As someone considering the same choices, I am always interested in learning how people make the conversion.

This book reflected the integrity of the past with a young soldier, hopeful of being a good American and aware that what he was being asked to do to other human beings was morally wrong. He found no where and no one to whom he could complain. He learned solace from a strange place, those he was guarding. It should prick the conscious of all those who are "herded" into behavior that is not thought out and shows us there are still some that can think with a moral compass. It's never untimely to treat people like we would want to be treated. The book is tastefully written despite the horrors reported. A step in the right direction is reading this book with an open mind.

all began when I rode a post about the author on Facebook, and I was so curious if this story is true or just a Facebook lie..so I googled and find out this is not only a true story but also the man in the post wrote a book about it....so I decided I have to read this book...

This is first-person account of the author's journey through the US military and the detainee operations Guantánamo Bay. Having failed to find the structure and morality he sought from the military, the author decides to convert to Islam after engaging in months of conversation with the men he is guarding. This book is indispensable primary-source reading for anyone who wants to understand GTMO from all sides, especially what the place looks like through the eyes of the men and women in uniform who are deployed there. The author is an especially acute witness of how adverse circumstances and varying ideologies shape human interaction, both within the military's chain of command and also inside the detention camps.

As someone who was against the 'GWOT' from the get-go, my reaction to this book might be filtered through a lens of confirmation bias. But Holdbrooks' forthright writing and basic humanity is quite striking. I argued about Gitmo with my Vietnam veteran father on several occasions back in the dark days of the Bush regime, and the only point that ever reduced his belligerence was 'I thought America was supposed to be the good guy, no matter what.' Holdbrooks proves that there will always be Americans who talk the talk AND walk the walk on this point. Hats off.

i'm not a big reader, i have a bit of a short attention span and rarely get past chapter 1, but when i spotted a link to 'Traitor?' i thought this is a book I will want to read. This is in part an expose of the "armpit of the world" called Guantanamo Bay and also the life changing journey of a US soldier who went in as a proud American and came out a Muslim.As I write this now there are still 166 detainees who have been held prisoner at GTMO for the past 11 years and still to this day have no charges against them. The current hunger strikes by the detainees and protests to close GTMO around the world are given very little coverage by the mainstream media.This book is written by a normal guy, a low-ranking soldier in the US army who's engaging personal story not only exposes the disgraceful goings on at Guantanamo Bay but also reaffirms that the war against Islamic nations is unjust. The writer asks and answers "were those in front of or behind the bars guilty of crimes of hatred? Is being a good American compatible with being a Muslim?"Reading this book will likely enlighten you but the writer, Terry Holdbrooks does not preach and tell you what to think, he writes in a way that gets you involved in his journey and narrates how his own conflicting thoughts and feelings develop in his own mind.

I found this book fascinating. A member of the American army becomes Muslim whilst guarding the Guantanamo Bay detainees. To say this was a brave thing to do is an understatement! I have read many books about the prisoners but this is the first one from the guards point of view. That's not to say all the guards had similar thoughts but it's good to know that at least one of them disliked what was going on. I loved the way that despite him being the 'enemy' the prisoners allowed him to discuss Islam with them. I would be extremely interested to read any follow up books to see how all their lives have progressed since then. A very good read indeed. On a side note the actual book felt lovely to hold/read.

An amazing book and very well written.It is an excellent personal account of a soldier's experience working in Guantanamo,you see his struggle of dealing with the behaviour of his fellow soldiers and superiors and their blatant abuse of power while at the same time his sensitivity of the abuse of the prisoners.His descriptions of the prisoners reaction and exemplary behaviour during incidents of gross misconduct are very eloquent, this at times brought tears to my eyes, while other times i felt proud that some of these individuals who were being shown only hate and contempt by those in authority were actually presenting the best of attitudes and utmost patience, a beautiful form of Dawah! This touched the soldiers heart and brought him to Islam, Alhamdulillah.Its written simply but yet detailed that you feel you know quite a lot about the detainees that he is talking about.We have heard a lot from ex prisoners of the torture and treatment within Gtmo but this lets you see the narrow minds and attitudes of those in authority from a soldier's perspective. So sad that highly intelligent, articulate and eloquent brothers were and still are at the mercy of some who are ignorant and of limited knowledge . May Allah make it easy for them inshaAllah Ameen.Excellent book, a must read!

It is simply an amazing book and a must read. Once I started reading it I couldn't stop. It was so captivating that I couldn't stop reading until I finished it in one go. Holdbrooks has done an amazing job. Very well written. It is a book to cherish forever. When you are reading this book you feel that you are a part of the world in Guantanamo. I often had tears in my eyes while reading it, partly because I am very sensitive and more so because of the genuine expression by the writer about life in Guantanamo. I highly recommend it.

A recollection of the human soul as it struggles to swim against the tide and in the end manages to break free