About the Book
Elite sniper Jody Mitic loved being a soldier. His raw, candid, and engrossing memoir follows his personal journey into the Canadian military, through sniper training, and firefights in Afghanistan, culminating on the fateful night when he stepped on a landmine and lost both of his legs below the knees.
Afghanistan, 2007. I was a Master Corporal, part of an elite sniper team sent on a mission to flush out Taliban in an Afghan village. I had just turned thirty, after three tours of duty overseas. I’d been shot at by mortars, eyed the enemy through my scope, survived through stealth and stamina. I’d been training for war my entire adult life. But nothing prepared me for what happened next.
A twenty-year veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces, Jody Mitic served as a Master Corporal and Sniper Team Leader on three active tours of duty over the course of seven years. Known for his deadly marksmanship, his fearlessness in the face of danger, and his “never quit” attitude, he was a key player on the front in Afghanistan. As a sniper, he secured strongholds from rooftops, engaged in perilous ground combat, and joined classified night operations to sniff out the enemy.
One day in 2007, when he was on a mission in a small Afghan village, he stepped on a landmine and the course of his life was forever changed. After losing both of his legs below the knees, Jody was forced to confront the loss of the only identity he had ever known—that of a soldier.
Determined to be of service to his family and to his country, he refused to let injury defeat him. Within three years after the explosion, he was not only walking again, he was running. By 2013, he was a star on the blockbuster reality TV show Amazing Race. In 2014, Jody reinvented himself yet again, winning a seat as a city councillor for Ottawa.
Unflinching is a powerful chronicle of the honour and sacrifice of an ordinary Canadian fighting for his country, and an authentic portrait of military life. It’s also an inspirational memoir about living your dreams, even in the face of overwhelming adversity, and having the courage to soldier on.
About the Author :
Jody Mitic is a twenty-year Canadian Armed Forces veteran and Sniper Team Leader. A sought-after motivational speaker, he is a respected advocate for wounded veterans, people with disabilities, and amputees. His memoir, Unflinching: The Making of a Canadian Sniper, is a perennial bestseller. He founded the Never Quit Foundation and currently sits on the Board of Directors of Won with One, an organization devoted to helping physically challenged athletes realize their dreams. He currently serves on Ottawa City Council. Follow him on Twitter @JODYMITIC.
Review :
“Unflinching is one of those books that you just can’t put down. What a book! What a life! Jody is an inspiration. He never quit, he never gave up, no matter how tough the road was. This book will make you proud that Jody is a Canadian.”
“Jody Mitic’s harrowing and heroic life story reveals Canada’s frontline soldiers as I know them to be: intelligent, complex, emotional and loyal. ... This book is inspiration for anyone hoping to re-invent their life. Jody has triumphed at it time and again.”
“I’ve read it all, start to finish, in one enthralled session. Unflinching is raw, personal, unforgiving, unrelenting and draws one into Jody’s life, with a vividness and a colour that’s visceral.”
“Unflinching is pure Jody Mitic—smart, funny, honest, and tough. I think the first time I saw Jody he was kicking the hell out of the army half marathon on his new feet; the next time, he was a newly elected Ottawa councillor, and now he’s an accomplished storyteller. He’d be almost irritatingly capable if he wasn’t also a lovely human being.”
“Over the last several years, Jody Mitic has been a larger-than-life figure in the military community. Reading his experiences in his own clear, humble, funny, and no-bullshit prose has offered insight to the very real human at the core of his story. I would recommend Unflinching to any Canadian, military or civilian.”
“The pacing and quiet drama of his stories of battlefield missions are excellent. He's got a nice touch for keeping you glued to his narrative. And it's in his portrayal of the physical and psychological effects of intense combat and command tactical gaffes that the memoir really takes off.”
“Unflinching: The Making of a Canadian Sniper, is a deeply personal retelling of the 38-year-old’s life in the military.”
“Unflinching is a raw and sometimes brutal journey into the heart and life of a soldier.”
“Unflinching is a raw and candid memoir that follows the personal journey of a 20 year Canadian Armed Forces CAF Veteran and Sniper Team Leader Jody Mitic.”
“Mitic’s long and courageous road to recovery, from a life-changing injury and subsequent addiction to pain killers to becoming an outspoken advocate of injured veterans an Ottawa city councilor, is the stuff of inspiring movies.”
“Unflinching is a frank and engaging biography, chronicling Mitic’s transformation from troubled, awkward Brampton teen to self-assured infantryman.”
“Amazing and inspirational.”
