One of the BEST books I have ever read...

I just got done reading one of the most gripping books I have picked up in a while. The Book is called, “Lone Survivor”, and it is the true eyewitness account of Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell during one of the deadliest Operations in Special Forces history.

 

From the back of the book:

 

“Four US Navy SEALS departed one clear night in early July 2005 for the mountainous Afghanistan-Pakistan border for a reconnaissance mission. Their task was to document the activity of an al Qaeda leader rumored to be very close to Bin Laden with a small army in a Taliban stronghold. Five days later, only one of those Navy SEALS made it out alive.

 

This is the story of the only survivor of Operation Redwing, SEAL fire team leader Marcus Luttrell, and the extraordinary firefight that led to the largest loss of life in American Navy SEAL history. His squad-mates fought valiantly beside him until he was the only one left alive, blasted by an RPG into a place where his pursuers could not find him. Over the next four days, terribly injured and presumed dead, Luttrell crawled for miles through the mountains and was taken in by sympathetic villagers who risked their lives to keep him safe from surrounding Taliban warriors.

 

A born and raised Texan, Marcus Luttrell takes us from the rigors of SEAL training, where he and his fellow SEALs discovered what it took to join the most elite of the American special forces, to a fight in the desolate hills of Afghanistan for which they never could have been prepared. His account of his squad-mates' heroism and mutual support renders an experience that is both heartrending and life-affirming. In this rich chronicle of courage and sacrifice, honor and patriotism, Marcus Luttrell delivers a powerful narrative of modern war.”

 

It is very rare that I get the time anymore to read a book almost cover to cover, but I finished this 400 page book in exactly 3 sittings (with the last sitting being over 150 pages). It is just THAT good, I could not put it down. Not only is this book the eyewitness account of the devastating Operation Redwing, but it is also the complete story of Marcus’s journey into joining the SEAL’s, and just what these guys go through to earn that legendary Trident. This story will truly open your eyes to just how BADAS$ our Special Forces (Navy SEALS especially) are, and what they are capable of when called upon. It is also a very moving book, and left me with a knot in my stomach during several chapters as the author, Marcus Luttrell, gives you a play by play of exactly how this fatal mission went down…and how he lost 3 of his teammates and brothers as they fought ferociously beside him.

 

This is the book if anyone is interested.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Lone-Survivor-Eyewit...4950&sr=1-1

 

I hope I get the chance to meet Marcus someday and proudly shake his hand. After getting done with the book, I must have spent 3 hours on the Internet reading articles and interviews with him (a TON of which are on YouTube), and to say him and his teammates are heroes is an understatement beyond explanation. The book, being a TRUE eyewitness account is better than any war movie ever made.

 

For those of you who may remember, Marcus is also the Navy SEAL who made national headlines a year or two back, when several punks pulled up in front of his house in the middle of the night and shot his dog for fun in cold blood (the beautiful golden Labrador retriever was given to him while recovering after Operation Redwing and named “DASY” after the initials of his fallen comrades). Marcus got outside just in time to see them pulling away, and proceeded to grab a gun, jump in his truck and chase the dirt-bags in hot pursuit through 4 counties until the police finally set up a roadblock and got them (it is the asssholes who did its VERY FORTUNATE LUCK that the police did arrive in time, as I am sure they had no idea whose dog they had just killed for fun, and that they were about to engage in a firefight with one of the deadliest warriors in the entire world. Another story that just rips at your heart.

 

Worth checking out guys!

I'm looking at some videos but why did he release those 3 shepherds?

 

Kill them,leave the scene and go back to HQ?

Will def take a look, seems like an awesome read. Can get it here by Friday, gotta love Amazon Prime!

 

Also, can't freakin believe someone would do that to his dog!! I mean WTF? Who were they, just completely random punks?

I read the book right after it came out. The book is by far the best book I have ever read, it was literally hard to put down. I would find myself reading into the early morning hours a few nights without even realizeing it. I dont read many books but it took me very little time to finish this book. Im pretty sure I posted something about it here too.

I'm looking at some videos but why did he release those 3 shepherds?

 

Kill them,leave the scene and go back to HQ?

 

 

Youll have to read it to truly understand how difficult of a decision it was.

 

-Returning to Headquarters was NOT an option. They were dropped into the middle of an Afghanistan mountain in the middle of the night on what was supposed to be a 72 hour mission, during which they would have NO contact with headquarters or air support.

 

The Seals were holed up on the ridge of a mountain to perform recon on a villiage below. They had not planned on ANYONE getting near them, let alone 3 sheep herders (1 of which was a 14-year old boy) who walked up literally on top of them with over 100 Goats/sheep and dogs behind them.

 

-The goat-herders were unarmed. They were not friendlies, but they were definitely civilians.

 

-Killing them and keeping their position secret seems like the obvious decision, however by no means was it the easiest.

 

-The SEALS KNEW that even if they killed the herders, people WOULD come looking for them. With over 100 goats milling around as well (a valuable commodity in Afghanistan), they were only inviting trouble by killing them as more civilians would be drawn to their covert position. While trying to remain completely invisible in the landscape (which provided very little cover), this was a BIG problem.

 

-There was the moral issue of killing civilians (which the team was divided on).

 

-They were afraid of the repercussions back home and being cast by the media as murderers if they carried it out. (Bullsh#t they NEVER should have had to worry about, but were forced to consider as American war-fighters who were trying to do their job and serve their country).

 

 

Those are just a few of the questions they had to take into consideration. After you read the book, youll understand just what a difficult decision they had to deal with. Marcus Luttrell has said in interviews that the results of that decision (which he ultimately cast the deciding vote) will haunt him for the rest of his life.

 

 

As I said, the two last time I picked up the book, I ended up reading it into the middle of the night. I just could NOT put it down..it is that good.

 

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just ordered it from amazon

thanks

Another note; I should have mentioned in my first post, but this book is also a National Best-Seller and remained there for months when it was released. When you read it, youll understand why.

Thanks for the writeup. I just finished SuperFreakanomics and I'm looking for a new read...

bought it just now. I have a backlog of books now.

Read it and loved it. Read the whole thing in a day.

Sort of off topic, but wasn't this the guy who after he came home, some idiots killed his service dog and he chased them down but held off on killing the friggin buttheads? Oh, And I plan on getting this book as well.

Sounds too good to not read it....

I will first go out and purchase a full set of battlegear and wear it to bed while reading this book...

Sort of off topic, but wasn't this the guy who after he came home, some idiots killed his service dog and he chased them down but held off on killing the friggin buttheads? Oh, And I plan on getting this book as well.

 

Yes. Check out the bottom of my first post.

 

 

If you go on Youtube, you can see the news reports of when that incident happened, as well as hear the actual 911 call that Marcus made as he chased them through over 4 counties in his truck. As I said earlier, they are LUCKY the police got to them before Marcus did, as I am sure he would have ripped their heads clean off. The public and media also rallied with him when this happened as well to catch the other guy who ran off so he could be charged as well.

 

You mess with a Navy SEAL, you had better be prepared for everything in the world to come down on you!

Yes. Check out the bottom of my first post.

 

 

If you go on Youtube, you can see the news reports of when that incident happened, as well as hear the actual 911 call that Marcus made as he chased them through over 4 counties in his truck. As I said earlier, they are LUCKY the police got to them before Marcus did, as I am sure he would have ripped their heads clean off. The public and media also rallied with him when this happened as well to catch the other guy who ran off so he could be charged as well.

 

You mess with a Navy SEAL, you had better be prepared for everything in the world to come down on you!

 

Dude, when are you signing up for HELL WEEK?

I'll have to get this book some time.

 

It's amazing what the SEALs have to go through in training, 96 hours without sleep, constantly awake and moving...hell week, I have a ton of respect for what they do and go through. It takes some balls to do what they do every day, makes me proud to think that those guys are protecting our country.

http://www.bookdepository.com/book/9780316...1/Lone-Survivor

 

 

cheaper than amazon with free shipping. Just ordered

I still have to read this book, sounds very good though, and great write-up! One quick slightly off-topic factoid though, but SEALs aren't Special Forces, they are Special Operations; the actual "Special Forces" are of the Army and wear the green beret. Special Forces (commonly called the "Green Berets"), Rangers, Air Force Pararescue, Air Force Combat Controllers, Navy SEALs, etc...are all different U.S. Special Operations Forces.

Thanks for the review. Just ordered a copy, now I just need to finish the other couple books I'm reading before it gets here.

Yes. Check out the bottom of my first post.

 

 

If you go on Youtube, you can see the news reports of when that incident happened, as well as hear the actual 911 call that Marcus made as he chased them through over 4 counties in his truck. As I said earlier, they are LUCKY the police got to them before Marcus did, as I am sure he would have ripped their heads clean off. The public and media also rallied with him when this happened as well to catch the other guy who ran off so he could be charged as well.

 

You mess with a Navy SEAL, you had better be prepared for everything in the world to come down on you!

 

Doh! Sorry missed that part of your post...

I still have to read this book, sounds very good though, and great write-up! One quick slightly off-topic factoid though, but SEALs aren't Special Forces, they are Special Operations; the actual "Special Forces" are of the Army and wear the green beret. Special Forces (commonly called the "Green Berets"), Rangers, Air Force Pararescue, Air Force Combat Controllers, Navy SEALs, etc...are all different U.S. Special Operations Forces.

 

read Lone Survivor a few months back. a Great book.

 

are Rangers officially considered special operation forces? it seems to me that Rangers are between regular infantry and special operation guys.

read Lone Survivor a few months back. a Great book.

 

are Rangers officially considered special operation forces? it seems to me that Rangers are between regular infantry and special operation guys.

 

Pretty sure Rangers are Special Operations as well, they are under U.S. Special Operations Command.

I'll have to get this book some time.

 

It's amazing what the SEALs have to go through in training, 96 hours without sleep, constantly awake and moving...hell week, I have a ton of respect for what they do and go through. It takes some balls to do what they do every day, makes me proud to think that those guys are protecting our country.

Its crazy what they have to go through to get where SEALs are. It goes through it in the book what all he went through to become a Navy SEAL. And Im not just talking about the actual SEAL training. He was training to be a SEAL since a very young age.

 

 

Im glad to see so many guys are going to give it a shot. You wont regret it. Just be sure to make some time to read it, because once the mission begins after the drop-off, things get crazy very quickly. You wont be able to put it down once they are engaged.

 

On another note, I just bought "The Warrior Elite" last night as well, which is the story of the training that class 228 (Marcus Luttrell's team) goes through to become a seal. It too is supposed to be a great read, although it is not about a mission or any type of operation. Just the behind the scenes glimpse of what it truly takes to become a Navy SEAL.

How come these guys are ''allowed'' to write books about their missions, they probably won't add all the details but imho you have to do this because else the story isn't complete...

How come these guys are ''allowed'' to write books about their missions, they probably won't add all the details but imho you have to do this because else the story isn't complete...

 

 

When Kill Bin Laden was writte, "Fury" got a lot of flak, and lost a lot of friends because of what he had written-and he left out a lot of stuff.

 

On the other hand, Lone Survivor is viewed as a list of what not to do, and doesn't breach OPSEC as compared to Kill Bin Laden.