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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
adventurous
informative
tense
fast-paced
The intensity of SEAL training, the burdens and difficulties of fighting in Afghanistan and the pain soldiers’ families endure are all well depicted in Luttrell’s book about his real-life experiences. His rants on the media and politics, however, negatively color the narrative and infuse the book with some challenging messages.
Pretty interesting story, the account of the fight on Murphy's Ridge and Marcus' survival afterward are first-rate. That was the best part of the book, and took up pretty much all of the second half. The long introduction taking us through SEAL basic training wasn't really all that interesting to me, but I understand why it was important to set the scene and establish a background. His political diatribes were uninteresting to me but I understand why he wanted to make the points he made. I wish he had cut some of that short, but I guess it's part of who he is, and he has the right to an opinion, since the things he was criticizing are things that really did affect him very personally. An enjoyable book to read.
When I was in 7th grade, I spent some time at a Navy recruiters' office. My brother was 18 at the time and my brother was getting information on becoming a Naval Officer. At the time my dream was to fly in the backseat of an F-14; not because of Top Gun, but because my dad and I had spent a day on an aircraft carrier (CVN-70 Carl Vinson) and we saw several planes take off. The F-14 was the loudest of the bunch. While at the recruiters' office, one of the men there asked if I wanted to join the Navy, and of course I said yes. When asked what I wanted to do, I said "either fly in an F-14 or become a SEAL." The recruiter looked at me and said, "being an F-14 pilot is easy, being a SEAL is almost impossible. If your mind isn't right, you won't make it through one day of training."
Lone Survivor showed me how difficult becoming a Navy SEAL really is. While I've seen several documentaries about the indoctrination process, Mr. Luttrell is so vivid with his explanation that I know I would've rung the bell and dropped out on the first day. Marcus spends almost half the book explaining the process of becoming a SEAL which I enjoyed. Understanding what it takes to become a SEAL helps explain the actions during this fateful mission. How can you really know why someone makes a decision if you don't know how they got to that point?
The firefight that the SEAL team gets in is so amazing and described so well that you'd never think something like this could happen. Four SEALS versus over a hundred Taliban where the Taliban has the higher ground. The courage those men showed was beyond amazing.
If you want to read about some real life heroes, you must read Lone Survivor.
My favorite quotes:
1. "We train for war and fight to win. I stand ready to bring the full spectrum of combat power to bear in order to achieve my mission and the goals established by my country. The execution of my duties will be swift and violent when required, yet guided by the very principles I serve to defend."
2. "There is no other way to beat a terrorist. You must fight like him, or he will surely kill you."
3. "Marcus, the body can take damn near anything. It's the mind that needs training. The question that guy was being asked involved mental strength. Can you handle such injustice? Can you cope with that kind of unfairness, that much of a setback? And still come back with your jaw set, still determined, swearing to God you will never quit? that's what we're looking for."
Lone Survivor showed me how difficult becoming a Navy SEAL really is. While I've seen several documentaries about the indoctrination process, Mr. Luttrell is so vivid with his explanation that I know I would've rung the bell and dropped out on the first day. Marcus spends almost half the book explaining the process of becoming a SEAL which I enjoyed. Understanding what it takes to become a SEAL helps explain the actions during this fateful mission. How can you really know why someone makes a decision if you don't know how they got to that point?
The firefight that the SEAL team gets in is so amazing and described so well that you'd never think something like this could happen. Four SEALS versus over a hundred Taliban where the Taliban has the higher ground. The courage those men showed was beyond amazing.
If you want to read about some real life heroes, you must read Lone Survivor.
My favorite quotes:
1. "We train for war and fight to win. I stand ready to bring the full spectrum of combat power to bear in order to achieve my mission and the goals established by my country. The execution of my duties will be swift and violent when required, yet guided by the very principles I serve to defend."
2. "There is no other way to beat a terrorist. You must fight like him, or he will surely kill you."
3. "Marcus, the body can take damn near anything. It's the mind that needs training. The question that guy was being asked involved mental strength. Can you handle such injustice? Can you cope with that kind of unfairness, that much of a setback? And still come back with your jaw set, still determined, swearing to God you will never quit? that's what we're looking for."
Fantastic story. OK book. 3.5 stars.
First off, let me say Marcus Luttrell's story of survival and courage is off the chain. When the story finally starts (about pg 180) it is impossible to put down. It's almost hard to believe it's true. So that makes it a great read. Hard not to want to spoil it.
But the book's not written that well and I got kind of tired of narrator. If you've read these types of books before then you're probably super familiar with BUD/S training so that makes the first 180 pages kind of boring. And the last 20-30 pages about how great Texans are and how great and super awesome Dubya is. I'd get tired of reading that if iwas about people from any state or any president. Imagine some dude prattling on about how great of a man Milard Filmore, Jimmy Carter or Obama is. I don't care one way or another about the guy's views on the "liberal media's agenda to get our brave troops killed with their crappy Geneva Convention BS." It just doesn't make for an interesting read at those points.
The actual meat of the story makes up for the parts that dragged or just plain made my eyes roll. I find myself telling people about it and recommending it for a quick compelling read.
First off, let me say Marcus Luttrell's story of survival and courage is off the chain. When the story finally starts (about pg 180) it is impossible to put down. It's almost hard to believe it's true. So that makes it a great read. Hard not to want to spoil it.
But the book's not written that well and I got kind of tired of narrator. If you've read these types of books before then you're probably super familiar with BUD/S training so that makes the first 180 pages kind of boring. And the last 20-30 pages about how great Texans are and how great and super awesome Dubya is. I'd get tired of reading that if iwas about people from any state or any president. Imagine some dude prattling on about how great of a man Milard Filmore, Jimmy Carter or Obama is. I don't care one way or another about the guy's views on the "liberal media's agenda to get our brave troops killed with their crappy Geneva Convention BS." It just doesn't make for an interesting read at those points.
The actual meat of the story makes up for the parts that dragged or just plain made my eyes roll. I find myself telling people about it and recommending it for a quick compelling read.
After reading some of the other reviews, I'm almost afraid to write one. However, overall I did enjoy this book.
Pros:
- I appreciated the author's detail when describing SEALs training. It really puts into perspective what the military wants these folks to be prepared to do.
- Some people thought Marcus was patting himself on the back throughout the book but I didn't get this feeling. I felt that some of his accomplishments were only included because the person who helped him write the book thought they should be included (this could be completely wrong). I did not find him boisterous, just mostly telling it how it was.
- The amount of detail he was able to remember is impressive and the fact that he was willing to remember it to write this book is also outstanding.
Cons:
- Although I appreciated the training details, some of them were very redundant. I get why they were included it was just difficult to stay focused with the redundancy.
- Marcus attacks the media a lot throughout the book and I cannot say I totally blame him but I do find it slightly disturbing to not at least be able to see the humanity in not killing people if they may indeed be just innocent civilians. Obviously, in his case, the sheepherders did rat them out but he was also helped by a village of sheepherders who risked their lives to help him. Having said this it's almost impossible to know what one might do if put in the same situation.
- Marcus notes that he told one of the mothers that their son died quickly and painlessly. I'm curious if they ever read this book or not. I'm hopeful that they did not.
Like I said in the beginning I thought the overall book was well written. Jumped around a bit at first but then settled into the story. I thought the voice actor was spectacular.
Pros:
- I appreciated the author's detail when describing SEALs training. It really puts into perspective what the military wants these folks to be prepared to do.
- Some people thought Marcus was patting himself on the back throughout the book but I didn't get this feeling. I felt that some of his accomplishments were only included because the person who helped him write the book thought they should be included (this could be completely wrong). I did not find him boisterous, just mostly telling it how it was.
- The amount of detail he was able to remember is impressive and the fact that he was willing to remember it to write this book is also outstanding.
Cons:
- Although I appreciated the training details, some of them were very redundant. I get why they were included it was just difficult to stay focused with the redundancy.
- Marcus attacks the media a lot throughout the book and I cannot say I totally blame him but I do find it slightly disturbing to not at least be able to see the humanity in not killing people if they may indeed be just innocent civilians. Obviously, in his case, the sheepherders did rat them out but he was also helped by a village of sheepherders who risked their lives to help him. Having said this it's almost impossible to know what one might do if put in the same situation.
- Marcus notes that he told one of the mothers that their son died quickly and painlessly. I'm curious if they ever read this book or not. I'm hopeful that they did not.
Like I said in the beginning I thought the overall book was well written. Jumped around a bit at first but then settled into the story. I thought the voice actor was spectacular.
I'm staring at my computer, watching the blinking text indicator with no idea what to say.
I walk away from Lone Survivor feeling like a changed person, hopefully a greater person for it.
Lone Survivor is an autobiographical book following SEAL Marcus Luttrell in his life as a SEAL and his mission in Afghanistan with his team.
Luttrell's words are perfect. The mix between rigid military talk and casual slang makes the story so real. I cried with him at the losses he felt.
The book seemed to be split with a message behind his story of survival.
The first section goes into a lot of detail about his training as a SEAL and everything he learned. That the lessons behind a SEAL strongly support the idea of "brotherhood" and "team". Everything he did prior/during Afghanistan was in support and supported by his team.
The second section follows him after the loss of his team, where he finds a different kind of brotherhood in Sabray. In this small Pashtun herding town, he finds a team in the chief, local doctor and the chief's son. Like SEALS, they would defend Luttrell to the death under their own tribal guidelines.
Lone Survivor strikes me as a story of brotherhood extending across countries and cultures.
It's true survived some really difficult situations and many people died during his mission, but he survived alongside his SEAL brothers and his tribal brothers. It's such a powerful story for him as a person and for what it meant at the time.
I remember the beginning of the Afghanistan war very well in the late stages of high school. I remember the hate spread of the people/culture with blatant racist tones. This book was needed then and it's needed now-maybe not for Afghan people, but for all cultures. If we expect to survive, we need to be "brothers" and work together under whatever motto/rules we fall under.
EVERY SINGLE PERSON SHOULD READ THIS BOOK! I'm sticking it into rotation. I'll definitely read it again. It's priceless.
I walk away from Lone Survivor feeling like a changed person, hopefully a greater person for it.
Lone Survivor is an autobiographical book following SEAL Marcus Luttrell in his life as a SEAL and his mission in Afghanistan with his team.
Luttrell's words are perfect. The mix between rigid military talk and casual slang makes the story so real. I cried with him at the losses he felt.
The book seemed to be split with a message behind his story of survival.
The first section goes into a lot of detail about his training as a SEAL and everything he learned. That the lessons behind a SEAL strongly support the idea of "brotherhood" and "team". Everything he did prior/during Afghanistan was in support and supported by his team.
The second section follows him after the loss of his team, where he finds a different kind of brotherhood in Sabray. In this small Pashtun herding town, he finds a team in the chief, local doctor and the chief's son. Like SEALS, they would defend Luttrell to the death under their own tribal guidelines.
Lone Survivor strikes me as a story of brotherhood extending across countries and cultures.
It's true survived some really difficult situations and many people died during his mission, but he survived alongside his SEAL brothers and his tribal brothers. It's such a powerful story for him as a person and for what it meant at the time.
I remember the beginning of the Afghanistan war very well in the late stages of high school. I remember the hate spread of the people/culture with blatant racist tones. This book was needed then and it's needed now-maybe not for Afghan people, but for all cultures. If we expect to survive, we need to be "brothers" and work together under whatever motto/rules we fall under.
EVERY SINGLE PERSON SHOULD READ THIS BOOK! I'm sticking it into rotation. I'll definitely read it again. It's priceless.
This story really sucked me in. Obviously, since it is about the war in Afghanistan it is not a light read. However, it really put a personal face on all the news stories that seem so impersonal.
I remember seeing the movie, I was pregnant and just sobbed my eyes out.
I liked this book. It’s often a good reminder that I, as a civilian really have no idea what it’s like. I don’t understand what it’s like to be in enemy territory.
The book was well written and I liked re-hearing the story.
I liked this book. It’s often a good reminder that I, as a civilian really have no idea what it’s like. I don’t understand what it’s like to be in enemy territory.
The book was well written and I liked re-hearing the story.