Matthew VanDyke, a reserved individual from Baltimore with a protected upbringing and a challenging OCD diagnosis, seems an unlikely candidate for the front lines of the 2011 Libyan revolution. However, after completing his graduate studies, he leaves the U.S. seeking a “crash course in manhood,” which sets him on an unexpected journey. Traveling by motorcycle through North Africa and the Middle East and working as an embedded journalist in Iraq, Matthew eventually finds himself in Libya. There, he forms a surprising bond with a group of young men who profoundly impact his life. He joins these friends in the rebel army fighting against Gaddafi, wielding both weapons and a camera. During this tumultuous time, he is captured and endures six harrowing months in solitary confinement.