Soldiers First

by Dave Cullen

The tumultuous story of two gay soldiers, who forge a lifelong friendship before, during, and after Don't Ask Don't Tell. Brett and Drake battle for love and freedom to survive three wars and one exhausting policy. They adopt wildly different strategies to outmaneuver the silent adversary, yet each one rises deftly toward Lt. Colonel, inside the great American war machine as it rumbles through Middle East adventures.

Genres: Nonfiction, LGBT, History, War, Queer, Audiobook, Historical

Hardcover

About the author

I wrote the New York Times bestsellers COLUMBINE and PARKLAND: BIRTH OF A MOVEMENT.

This fall (2026), HarperCollins will publish my gay soldiers book, which I’ve been working on for 26 years. (11 concurrently with the other books, shadowing Army buddies ‘Brett’ and ‘Drake’ the whole time.) It’s the biggest project I’ll undertake in my life.
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DON'T FALL IN LOVE is the tumultuous story of two active duty combat arms soldiers fighting for love and happiness against all odds. They served 23 years and deployed to three wars in hiding — before, during, and after Don't Ask, Don't Tell. They're courageous, insightful and wickedly funny, and it's been one hell of a ride.*​

​Columbine won several major awards, including the Edgar, Goodreads Choice Award, and Barnes & Noble Discover Award, and made 2 dozen Best of 2009 lists. It made LA Times' list of the 30 best books of the last 30 years, and Slate's list of the best books of the last quarter century. It has been translated into nine languages, and named to a few dozen Best True Crime Books of All Time lists. It's fourth U.S. edition, the 25th Anniversary Memorial Edition, was published in April 2025, with a new preface.

​​I've worked on several TV project and sold one pilot to NBCUniversal, earning my WGA card. On the media side, I've written for New York Times, Vanity Fair, Atlantic, London Times, Politico, Guardian, Washington Post, New Republic, BuzzFeed, etc., and appeared on most of the major networks in the US, and across Europe, Asia, Australia and South America. I live in Chicago, where I'm uncle to 11 cool humans and 1 adorable corgi, Bobby Sneakers.

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* The gay soldiers book began as a magazine story in June 2000, that won the GLAAD Media Award for best online story of the year. To protect them from discharge, we named them Brett and Drake then and disclosed it in they story. They were never discovered. They'll reveal their identities in the book this fall.

Reviews

[Valen · Rating 5 out of 5]

haven't read it. can't. it's not out yet. but all those shitheads giving it random low stars? not cool. so i'm giving it five stars to help balance ish out.

[ALLEN]

This nonfiction book about the long-term relationship of two soldiers isn't to be published until 2022 [a postponement of its earlier pub. date], but I'm excited about it because the author, Dave Cullen, has worked on it for many years. His track record, based on the admirable Columbine (about the Colorado school shootings), gives me reason to believe there might be another masterwork in the making.

Cullen's book about the Florida school shootings, PARKLAND, was published in February of 2019.

(Updated February 25, 2021)

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not sure why Goodreads is allowing ratings on a book that’s not even out yet, but since there are too many jerk faces giving it 1 star, likely based on the subject matter, I’ll go ahead and give it 5 and say I can’t wait to read this book and buy multiple copies to send to all my friends and family.

[Michelle Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haven’t read it yet as it hasn’t even been published. But, as others are also doing, I’m trying to balance out the fear-mongers who are giving it 1 star over their own insecurities.