Durant, Michael J. 1961–

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Durant, Michael J. 1961–

PERSONAL: Born 1961; married; wife's name Lisa; children: four sons, two daughters.

ADDRESSES: Office—Rockwell Collins Simulation and Training Solutions, 22626 Sally Ride Dr., Sterling, VA 20164. Agent—c/o Author Mail, G. P. Putnam's Sons, 375 Hudson St., New York, NY 10014.

CAREER: U.S. Army, served with 160th Special Operations Group, retiring as chief warrant officer 4, duties as helicopter pilot included flight lead and standardization instructor pilot; served in Desert Storm in Kuwait, and Operation Restore Hope in Somalia; also served in Persian Gulf, Korea, and Panama. Rockwell Collins Simulation and Training Solutions, Sterling, VA, program manager; writer; television commentator.

AWARDS, HONORS: Military Honors: Distinguished Service Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster, Bronze Star with Valor Device, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal, three Air Medals, POW/MIA ribbon, Army Commendation Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters. Other: Spirit of America Festival Audie Murphy Patriotism Award, 1994.

WRITINGS:

(With Steven Hartov) In the Company of Heroes (memoir), G. P. Putnam's Sons (New York, NY), 2003.

ADAPTATIONS: In the Company of Heroes was adapted for audiocassette, Simon and Schuster Audio, 2003.

SIDELIGHTS: Michael J. Durant is the coauthor of the memoir In the Company of Heroes, an account of the eleven days he spent in captivity in Somalia after his Black Hawk helicopter was shot down in 1993. Before publication of his memoir in 2003, many readers and movie-goers were already familiar with Durant's story, which is related in the book and movie Black Hawk Down.

U.S. Army Special Operations pilot Durant was flying a mission to capture a Somali warlord when his helicopter was shot down. Although he and his crew survived, they were badly injured. An angry Somali crowd was about to overrun the crash site when two other American soldiers landed to assist Durant and his crew. After an intense firefight, the crew and the two men were killed and Durant was captured. Somali warlords then decided to use the injured pilot for propaganda purposes. For the next eleven days Durant was held prisoner and mistreated by his captors, receiving only aspirin for his wounds.

Durant proved resilient during his captivity, his stoic behavior even winning over some of his guards, who gave him a bible to read. It was in the margins of that bible that Durant scribbled in code some of the experiences he would later include in his account of the incident.

Co-written with Steven Hartov, In the Company of Heroes contains an account of Durant's ordeal, and also includes the pilot's reflections on his captivity and an account of his training for the elite Special Operations group in which he served. Reviewing the book in Kliatt, John E. Boyd found it "grim, realistic, and 'edge of the seat' exciting." It is a book, Boyd further observed, that "should be near the top of the list for real life/action/adventure fans and students of the military." Similarly, Henry G. Gole, writing in Parameters, called In the Company of Heroes "a story that grabs the reader and refuses to let go." Gole predicted that Durant's account "will provide the general reader with insight into the world of special operations," and Lynn Nutwell wrote in School Library Journal that the events covered "range … from heroic to gruesome, harrowing, bizarre, and compassionate." Bookreporter.com reviewer Melissa Brown concluded that In the Company of Heroes "is exceptionally written and gives the reader profound insight into the ugliest parts of war. It is a story that everyone should read and learn from."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

BOOKS

Durant, Michael J., and Steven Hartov, In the Company of Heroes, G. P. Putnam's Sons (New York, NY), 2003.

PERIODICALS

America's Intelligence Wire, November 17, 2003, Soledad O'Brien, interview with Durant; April 2, 2004, "U.S. Vowing Precise, Overwhelming Response to Killings of American Contractors; Discussion with Former Helicopter Pilot Michael Durant."

Kliatt, September, 2004, John E. Boyd, review of In the Company of Heroes, p. 41.

Parameters, spring, 2004, Henry G. Gole, review of In the Company of Heroes, p. 132.

School Library Journal, September, 2003, Lynn Nutwell, review of In the Company of Heroes, p. 242.