Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk

by Ben Fountain, Marc Rubió Rodon · 2012

In the wake of a three‑minute, forty‑three‑second firefight that catapults eight surviving members of Bravo Squad into national hero status, nineteen‑year‑old Specialist Billy Lynn returns home on leave for a Thanksgiving halftime show with the Dallas Cowboys. Surrounded by flag‑pinned patriots, wealthy team owners, a born‑again cheerleader, and Hollywood producers, Billy is thrust into a media‑driven victory tour designed to rekindle public support for the Iraq War. As the rain falls on Texas Stadium, the young soldier confronts the stark contrast between the glorified spectacle of his fame and the gritty reality of combat, family strain, and brotherhood. Through biting satire and poignant introspection, the novel reveals the bitter wisdom and unexpected love that emerge when a war hero steps off the battlefield and into the heart of America’s mythic halftime.