Battle Tested: An Autobiography by Jamal Byrd is a story of faith, resilience, and success. 

Review

“I’m addicted to success, Lord knows what’s to come next.”

– Jamal Byrd 

True to his words, Byrd has been doing his best to be successful in all his endeavors ever since childhood. In Battle Tested: An Autobiography, Jamal Byrd chronicles his life story.  

Born in 1992, Jamal had always been a sports prodigy. Football and basketball were his life. Sports was his ticket out of the harsh conditions of his childhood city. After all, growing up in Tacoma, he had always been surrounded by drugs, gangs, and violence. Moreover, a sudden change in family dynamics further fostered a ball of anger in him. Any young boy in his place would have faltered. However, Jamal, with strong spiritual guidance from his mother, persevered. He went on to follow his dreams in one of the toughest universities in the country, the United States Air Force Academy. With its stringent academic curriculum, exhaustive physical training, demanding sports program, and an undercurrent of racism, the Academy is one of the premier educational institutions in the world. In addition to all this, Jamal had to suffer from a plethora of injuries. 

Would Jamal let the pressures of his academic life and his host of injuries dictate his future? Or, would he come out of it all and carve out a meaningful and successful life for himself? 

Battle Tested: An Autobiography by Jamal Byrd is a story of faith and resilience. Right from his childhood, life had presented Byrd with one challenge after another. It was indeed a treat to watch him face off with each challenge and win all the battles life had gifted him with so far. Like all of us, Jamal had his moments of doubt and apprehension. However, he never stayed down for long. He always made the best of situations. I loved how he made difficult decisions thinking of his future. Very few of us are able to do so, especially at Byrd’s age.  

Jamal Byrd is an accomplished writer. His nuanced writing style is a testament to the value of a USAFA education. It is evident that Byrd has carefully researched everything that he has written in his book. The meticulous citations prove that. Along with his own life journey, Byrd relates the history and present conditions of Tacoma, the USAFA, and all the other arenas that are relevant in his life. The way he talks about the subtle way in which racism is still prevalent is masterful. He does not blame anyone. Instead, he simply states the facts. I was amazed to learn how small things that are normal for Whites can actually be instances of discrimination against minorities. 

Byrd’s love for football and basketball is palpable. I like how he gives us a background of all the successful football and basketball players that he has come across over the years. Byrd goes one step further and also shares with us the NFL or NBA trajectory of some of the stalwarts that he faced on the fields or the courts. 

In Battle Tested: An Autobiography, Jamal Byrd portrays how his faith in Christ has always steered him on the right path. I love how Byrd includes verses from the Bible to underscore his views and actions. He is a devout Christian. There are no two ways about it. He follows the Word and does everything to lead an exemplary Christian life. After all, it is his faith that has always been with him as he battled through life. It is with the help of his faith that Byrd has come a long way from being a teenager and built a happy life. His bonds with his younger brother and mother are lovely. He even made headway in his relationship with his father. I find that applaudable, especially after everything he did. The way Byrd worked through his connection with his wife and created a happy family with her is admirable as well. 

Overall, Jamal Byrd’s Battle Tested: An Autobiography is a spectacular story of success. Byrd proves that a man can accomplish a lot with faith and perseverance even before turning thirty. I highly recommend this book to sports aficionados and people who enjoy success stories. Devout Christians will especially love this autobiography. 

Book Details

• Title: Battle Tested: An Autobiography
• Author: Jamal Byrd
• Genre: Autobiography
• Theme: Sports, African-American, Christian
• Publication Date: November 11, 2022.
• ISBN or ASIN: B0BFWTYP6J
• Number of Pages: 259
• Minimum Audience Age: 11

Book Themes

(Note: 0=none, 1=a few, 2=considerable, 3=pronounced, 4=excessive)

• Sexual themes: 1
• Religious themes: 3
• Violence, self-harm, etc.: 1
• Crude language, expletives, swearing, etc.: 0
• Other adult themes: 0

Rating

• Content: 5 stars
• Writing Style: 5 stars
• Appeal to Target Audience: 5 stars
• Uniqueness: 5 stars
• Editing: 4 stars
• Other factors: 5 stars
• Overall: 4.8 out of 5

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