Book : Lone Survivor

[Guest Verbal Kint]

"Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10"

On a clear night in late June 2005, four U.S. Navy SEALs left their base in northern Afghanistan for the mountainous Pakistani border. Their mission was to capture or kill a notorious al Qaeda leader known to be ensconced in a Taliban stronghold surrounded by a small but heavily armed force. Less then twenty-four hours later, only one of those Navy SEALs remained alive.

This is the story of fire team leader Marcus Luttrell, the sole survivor of Operation Redwing, and the desperate battle in the mountains that led, ultimately, to the largest loss of life in Navy SEAL history. But it is also, more than anything, the story of his teammates, who fought ferociously beside him until he was the last one left-blasted unconscious by a rocket grenade, blown over a cliff, but still armed and still breathing. Over the next four days, badly injured and presumed dead, Luttrell fought off six al Qaeda assassins who were sent to finish him, then crawled for seven miles through the mountains before he was taken in by a Pashtun tribe, who risked everything to protect him from the encircling Taliban killers.

A six-foot-five-inch Texan, Leading Petty Officer Luttrell takes us, blow-by-blow, through the brutal training of America's warrior elite and the relentless rites of passage required by the Navy SEALs. He transports us to a monstrous battle fought in the desolate peaks of Afghanistan, where the beleaguered American team plummeted headlong a thousand feet down a mountain as they fought back through flying shale and rocks. In this rich , moving chronicle of courage, honor, and patriotism, Marcus Luttrell delivers one of the most powerful narratives ever written about modern warfare-and a tribute to his teammates, who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

If you're looking for a true story that showcases both American heroism and Afghani humanity, Marcus Luttrell's Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10 (Little, Brown, $24.99), written with Patrick Robinson, may be the book for you. In June of 2005, Luttrell led a four-man team of Navy SEALs into the mountains of Afghanistan on a mission to kill a Taliban leader thought to be allied with Osama bin Laden. On foot, the team encountered two adult men and a teenage boy. A debate broke out as to whether the SEALs should summarily execute the trio to keep them from alerting the Taliban. Luttrell himself was called upon to make the decision. He was torn between considerations of morality and his survival instinct, and he points out that "any government that thinks war is somehow fair and subject to rules like a baseball game probably should not get into one. Because nothing's fair in war, and occasionally the wrong people do get killed."

Luttrell opted to spare the Afghanis' lives. About an hour later, the Taliban launched an attack that claimed nearly a hundred of their own men but also the lives of all the SEALs except Luttrell, who was left wounded.

Not long after that, the Taliban shot down an American rescue helicopter, killing all 16 men on board. Luttrell is sure that the three Afghanis he let go turned around and betrayed the SEALs.

But if nothing is fair in war, neither is anything foreordained. Luttrell was found by other Afghanis, one of whom claimed to be his village's doctor. Once again, Luttrell had to rely on his instincts. "There was something about him," Luttrell writes. "By now I'd seen a whole lot of Taliban warriors, and he looked nothing like any of them. There was no arrogance, no hatred in his eyes." Luttrell trusted the man and his colleagues, who took him back to their village, where the law of hospitality -- "strictly nonnegotiable" -- took hold. "They were committed to defend me against the Taliban," Luttrell writes, "until there was no one left alive."

The law held, and Luttrell survived, returned home and received the Navy Cross for combat heroism from President Bush.

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Just finished reading this book, over the past 3 days, and have to say it's one of the most heart-wrenching accounts that I have read in years... if not ever.

I don't question anyone's patriotism, but have implore you to read this book if you consider yourself an American. If for no other reason, than to honor those fallen and understand what everyone of them, and those currently serving, go through day in and day out. I consider myself pretty "manly" when it comes to emotions... and even been called an inconsiderate prick a few times by the female gender... but I found myself, several times, having to put this book down because my eyes were watering too much to even make out the words on the page. My eyes are watering now, just thinking back about their account laid out in those pages and the ultimate price they paid fighting for our freedom and safety.

It's not a long book and can easily be read in a day or two as I did. It's 388 pages long. I ordered a copy for myself and one for my brother, at $10.87 each on Amazon, so it's not expensive at all.

Even if you aren't normally interested in military novels, I think you will truly walk away a better person for reading this.

I suck at writing a review... and haven't had to write a book report in over a decade... so I won't attempt to. My words wouldn't even come close to giving due credit to this account of bravery, and the work that Marcus Luttrell and Patrick Robinson inked. Again, all I can ask is that you pick up a copy of this book and read it. Find it at your local library... buy it in a store... or order it off the internet. It truly is worth homage to those remembered in this literary work. I've finished reading my copy, and the wife is currently reading it... but I would be more than willing to pass it along or "pay it forward" to another TGO member as long as they agree to pass it on to another member when finished, and keep the chain going.

Sorry for rambling on... but I thought it was important to bring this book up and get it some publicity. If you've read this far, thanks.

[ShaunM]

That does look like a great book to read.

[StumpyBeagle]

Fantastic book! I read it a couple of months ago. I recall all of the incidents but had no idea that they were all linked to Marcus Luttrell's story until I read the book. Truly a story about real heroes.

[Guest bkelm18]

+1

I read that book while out to sea. Words just can't describe the emotions that book stirs up. I remember hearing about the incident on the news when it happened but never heard much else about it until the book came out. Such a powerful book. Not afraid to say it almost brought me to the brink of tears a couple times.

[Guest Watauga]

It's a great book about GREAT MEN!

They are the toughest of the tough!!

[G27]

Marcus Luttrell is a good guy, saw the video of his speech at the NRA a while back, I'll see if I can find it...

http://vodpod.com/watch/744315-marcus-luttrell-at-the-nra

[Smith]

Glen beck has had him on several times and he told his story. Very interesting and a great guy to boot. The part were he was sniping while hiding in the cliffs after all his guys had been killed and he had been hit was Rambo like, to say the least.

[Mr. Brooks]

I read his book a while ago. The story is very personal to me since the Chinook that was shot down belonged to my unit. The spec-ops community lost a lot of very good men that day.

I would recommend this book to anyone who want's to truly understand what we are currently fighting for and fighting against.

[Guest Valkyrie]

I've barely had time to read much of it since I work so damn much, but what I did manage to read was amazing and definitely made me cry. It's a great book so far. In what little I've read, I'd recommend it to someone else to read. If the first chapter can make that much of an impression, the rest of the book is something I'm greatly looking forward to.