A gripping memoir of survival and resilience, sharing true stories of close calls and the lessons they revealed about living with purpose, character, and strength. How do you live after narrowly escaping death? In Twenty Times I Almost Died: Life Lessons from the Edge of Survival, John Spencer, a soldier, father, and one of the world’s leading experts on urban warfare, shares gripping true stories drawn from a lifetime spent on the cusp of danger. Transporting the reader through combat tours in Iraq and research trips through modern war zones to childhood struggles, freak accidents, and near disasters, each chapter recounts a close call that could have been his last. Written with unflinching honesty and vivid detail, this memoir is both a record of near death experiences and a guide for living with purpose. Readers will find inspiration in Spencer’s resilience, candor, and refusal to quit while discovering wisdom that applies as much to parenting, leadership, and personal growth as it does to the battlefield. Twenty Times I Almost Died is for readers of military and adventure nonfiction seeking authenticity and insight. In it, Spencer offers a powerful reminder that every hardship carries a lesson—and every lesson can change how we live. "From Iraq to Israel, from the mountains to the jungle, John Spencer has lived through a vast array of experiences. Unfortunately for him, things have not always gone well. But fortunately for us, he has captured incredibly valuable lessons from his misfortunes and hardships. In Twenty Times I Almost Died, John shares these lessons and teaches us about discipline, perseverance, and ownership—and how to apply them to our own lives." -- Jocko Willink, Retired U.S. Navy SEAL Officer, Author of Extreme Ownership " In Twenty Times I Almost Died: Life Lessons from the Edge of Survival , John Spencer tells compelling stories that illuminate the trials, tribulations, risks, and especially the rewards of service. Readers will gain an appreciation for the dangers of 'safetyism' and the disservice one does to oneself and others by avoiding the dangers and discomforts of life that produce growth, gratitude, and comradeship." -- Lt. General H.R. McMaster (U.S. Army, ret.), former U.S. National Security Advisor and author of Dereliction of Duty , Battlegrounds , and At War with Ourselves . "Respected author and urban combat expert, John Spencer, reveals the source of his wisdom - hard-earned personal experience - combined with insatiable curiosity. In a series of fascinating recollections, he entertains and instructs readers on everything from warfare to parenthood as no dry textbook ever could." -- General Stanley McChrystal (US Army, Ret.) former Commander of U.S. and International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Afghanistan and the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), New York Times best-selling author of My Share of the Task and Team of Teams "Ernest Hemingway couldn't have made up the real life of John Spencer. Facing Bullets, Bombs, and Bees (yes, bees, he was actually attacked by killer bees), Spencer writes about his adventures with humility, relatability, and humor. this book will leave you hungry for the next time he almost dies." -- Max Brooks, New York Times bestselling author of World War Z , Devolution , and the official Minecraft novels. "John Spencer has spent a lifetime learning what character looks like under pressure. In Twenty Times I Almost Died , he shows how moral courage is forged through hardship and why the distinction between good and evil still matters. This is a book not only about how one man was shaped, but about how others can be strengthened by his example." -- Douglas Murray, bestselling author of On Democracies and Death Cults John Spencer is the chair of urban warfare studies at the Modern War Institute at West Point. A retired US Army officer with twenty-five years of active-duty service, including two combat tours in Iraq, he is considered one of the world’s leading experts on urban warfare. An award-winning scholar and internationally recognized national security and military analyst, he has advised US top four-star generals and other senior leaders as part of strategic research groups from the Pentagon to the United States Military Academy. He is the author of Connected Soldiers and Understanding Urban Warfare , and his expertise has been featured by The New York Times , Wall Street Journal , CNN , Fox News, and the BBC . A graduate of Georgetown University, he continues to advise militaries and governments worldwide on strategy and modern conflict.