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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
I was not a fan of the first few chapters of this book. It described the SEAL training in a lot of detail, and while I can understand how knowing the training can be helpful in understanding what it takes to be part of the SEAL team, I think this could have been summed up in one chapter. Especially with as long as these chapters are. I also got some racist vibes that seemed to conflict with his gratitude for the Pashtun tribe that saved him. He did seem to learn his lesson that not all Afghanistan natives are hateful, but he did not seem to notice that he seemed to possess the same hatred that he saw from the Taliban and al Qaeda soldiers.
That being said, once the action started, this book really gripped me. I was picturing his descriptions of the battle, and I could feeling brow crinkling in fear and concern for his brothers in arms. I cannot imagine watching what happened to them. I am not surprised PTSD hit him hard, and I hope he has found some peace in the 20 years since he saw his friends die. To call them tough is an understatement, and they did things I cannot imagine being possible for the human body.
I appreciate books like these because they help me understand war from a different perspective. It is very easy to make assumptions about soldiers and war from the safety of your couch. I am not satisfied with this third-hand knowledge. I want to be challenged to see other perspectives. I did not agree with all the personal opinions shared in this book, but I admire these men who went down fighting for their country, their homes, and their families. It also helped me to understand another perspective of the war, and I greatly appreciate that.
That being said, once the action started, this book really gripped me. I was picturing his descriptions of the battle, and I could feeling brow crinkling in fear and concern for his brothers in arms. I cannot imagine watching what happened to them. I am not surprised PTSD hit him hard, and I hope he has found some peace in the 20 years since he saw his friends die. To call them tough is an understatement, and they did things I cannot imagine being possible for the human body.
I appreciate books like these because they help me understand war from a different perspective. It is very easy to make assumptions about soldiers and war from the safety of your couch. I am not satisfied with this third-hand knowledge. I want to be challenged to see other perspectives. I did not agree with all the personal opinions shared in this book, but I admire these men who went down fighting for their country, their homes, and their families. It also helped me to understand another perspective of the war, and I greatly appreciate that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail
The story behind this book is one of great bravery and courage. I admire the men that serve our country. However, the book is poorly written and overflowing with cliches.
Wow, this book is a tear-jerker for sure. I cried several times reading the first-hand account of these Navy Seals. Definitely worth the read.
Marcus Lutrell is a Texas-boy through and through. Texans are a unique breed. Often arrogant and self-confident, yet warm and generous, Lutrell fits the bill. "Don't mess with Texas!"
Lutrell is raised in Texas by a tough father who pushes his boys to be their best-- and I mean pushes! They are pushed to give both their mental and physical best through constant training and drills, and at a young age Lutrell and his twin brother Morgan know that they want to become SEALs when they grow up. And both of them do just that. Lutrell joins the US Navy in 1999, and becomes a Navy SEAL in 2002.
On June 28, 2005, Lutrell and SEAL Team 10 are sent on a mission into Afghanistan to capture or kill whom he refers in the book to as Taliban leader Ben Sharmak, who the military had been tracking. However Wikipedia identifies the target as Mohammad Ismail alias Ahmad Shah, who survived the operation, but was later killed in 2008.
SEAL Team 10 consisted of Lutrell, Matthew Axelson, Michael Murphy and Danny Dietz.
The SEALs moved through the Hindu Kush mountains, eventually positioning themselves to watch the village where "Sharmack" was supposed to be located. While on surveillance, they are surrounded by the Taliban and engaged in a firefight. Over the next few hours the team is outnumbered probably 35 to 1, caught in a vicious firefight, wounded and pushed further and further down the mountain. There are great moments of heroism and bravery as one-by-one they are picked off. In the end, only Lutrell is still alive and on the run with the Taliban chasing him through the mountains.
Eventually he is found and taken in by a Pashtun tribe, and carried to their village where his wounds are treated and he is cared for. The tribe extend their hospitality to him, and they are bound to protect and care for him to the death. This pits them against the Taliban in securing the safety of Lutrell, and in their determination to return him to the Americans. Eventually they do just that.
The writing style was a little too relaxed for me. It was like I was sitting in a bar and listening to him talk over a beer. It was a little scattered and lacked very much structure. Additionally there is so much arrogance in the beginning that it could be a bit of a turnoff. But eventually I got used to the writing style and began to see the arrogance more as "confidence", and by the middle of the book I'd hit my groove.
However the one thing that kept bothering me was the continual derogatory attitude towards "liberals". I know Texans are staunchly conservative, but it would have been nice to see a little less bias and derogatory tone. It is quite evident that the author views liberals an enemy nearly paramount to the Taliban.
The details of the firefight are brutal. These guys were shot repeatedly, with serious head, neck, back and stomach wounds, sometimes mortally shot, and they kept going. They kept fighting- for themselves, for their buddies, for their mission and their country.
The one thing that I missed in this book was the chance to really get to know these guys that died out on that mountain. However that didn't stop me from crying as I read of their bravery in the face of terror and pain.
There is a fair amount of vulgarity throughout this book. After all, there is a reason we refer to people as "talking like a sailor"!
Overall I would recommend this story-- for the middle. The beginning is a little too arrogant and brash, like a boy boasting of his conquests. The end a little too quiet as he recuperates and tours the US to visit with the family members of those who died in Operation Redwing. The middle, the heart of the story, is heart-wrenching and brutal and will have you in tears as you read what these boys went through and what they did for one another. Their love for one another is evident. Beautiful.
If you are intrigued by the Navy SEALs, if you don't shy away from brutality, if you can take the vulgarity and brashness, pick this one up. It will move you.
Lutrell is raised in Texas by a tough father who pushes his boys to be their best-- and I mean pushes! They are pushed to give both their mental and physical best through constant training and drills, and at a young age Lutrell and his twin brother Morgan know that they want to become SEALs when they grow up. And both of them do just that. Lutrell joins the US Navy in 1999, and becomes a Navy SEAL in 2002.
On June 28, 2005, Lutrell and SEAL Team 10 are sent on a mission into Afghanistan to capture or kill whom he refers in the book to as Taliban leader Ben Sharmak, who the military had been tracking. However Wikipedia identifies the target as Mohammad Ismail alias Ahmad Shah, who survived the operation, but was later killed in 2008.
SEAL Team 10 consisted of Lutrell, Matthew Axelson, Michael Murphy and Danny Dietz.
The SEALs moved through the Hindu Kush mountains, eventually positioning themselves to watch the village where "Sharmack" was supposed to be located. While on surveillance, they are surrounded by the Taliban and engaged in a firefight. Over the next few hours the team is outnumbered probably 35 to 1, caught in a vicious firefight, wounded and pushed further and further down the mountain. There are great moments of heroism and bravery as one-by-one they are picked off. In the end, only Lutrell is still alive and on the run with the Taliban chasing him through the mountains.
Eventually he is found and taken in by a Pashtun tribe, and carried to their village where his wounds are treated and he is cared for. The tribe extend their hospitality to him, and they are bound to protect and care for him to the death. This pits them against the Taliban in securing the safety of Lutrell, and in their determination to return him to the Americans. Eventually they do just that.
The writing style was a little too relaxed for me. It was like I was sitting in a bar and listening to him talk over a beer. It was a little scattered and lacked very much structure. Additionally there is so much arrogance in the beginning that it could be a bit of a turnoff. But eventually I got used to the writing style and began to see the arrogance more as "confidence", and by the middle of the book I'd hit my groove.
However the one thing that kept bothering me was the continual derogatory attitude towards "liberals". I know Texans are staunchly conservative, but it would have been nice to see a little less bias and derogatory tone. It is quite evident that the author views liberals an enemy nearly paramount to the Taliban.
The details of the firefight are brutal. These guys were shot repeatedly, with serious head, neck, back and stomach wounds, sometimes mortally shot, and they kept going. They kept fighting- for themselves, for their buddies, for their mission and their country.
The one thing that I missed in this book was the chance to really get to know these guys that died out on that mountain. However that didn't stop me from crying as I read of their bravery in the face of terror and pain.
There is a fair amount of vulgarity throughout this book. After all, there is a reason we refer to people as "talking like a sailor"!
Overall I would recommend this story-- for the middle. The beginning is a little too arrogant and brash, like a boy boasting of his conquests. The end a little too quiet as he recuperates and tours the US to visit with the family members of those who died in Operation Redwing. The middle, the heart of the story, is heart-wrenching and brutal and will have you in tears as you read what these boys went through and what they did for one another. Their love for one another is evident. Beautiful.
If you are intrigued by the Navy SEALs, if you don't shy away from brutality, if you can take the vulgarity and brashness, pick this one up. It will move you.
Super amazing book about a Navy Seal who ends up alone in the Afghan wilderness after his team is killed. He befriends a tribe and later gets rescued. Very suspenseful and a remarkable story! Definitely recommend it!
It was one of the most astonishing true stories I’ve ever read. I don’t know if that was a luck, his experience and strength, timing or miracle or maybe all of them which saved his life. I honestly respect those Navy SEALs and other officers who has fallen for the fight. It was so heartbreaking to know about the war happened so recent. Another astonishing facts is that the decision of the elders at the village he was rescued. Gulab and other tribesmen there were so honorable and courageous to stand by Marcus and against threatening Taliban. One thing I didn’t like about this book is that the way story is unfold in the first two chapters. It seems like jumping through too much and I had trouble following what’s the point of telling them. But things got started interesting from chapter 3. Its always fascinating to read a story about navy seals and their famous BUD/S training and He’ll Week even though I’ve already read three other books written by Seals veterans.
Again, I am very sad but really moved by the story. I’m glad that I’ve picked this book up before I watch the movie.
Again, I am very sad but really moved by the story. I’m glad that I’ve picked this book up before I watch the movie.
I learned a great deal from reading this book...this story will be with me for a long time. Thank you Mr. Luttrell for sharing your story.
This review is going to be fairly short, because honestly there is not much I can say about this book. I have a harder time reading autobiographical stories like this than I do any other sort of novel. Mainly, I am a fiction reader and with that in mind, it's assuring in a way, that no matter what bleak subject matter is being tackled, it is just fictional. It might be based on real events, it might be inspired by real-life events or it might even be set against a back-drop of real periods of time and real people but at it's heart, the story is fake. In fact, I think that's the reason I rarely cry when I read most books because I have that deflection of it being fictional.
Autobiographies like this strip that away and the terrible situations, the fight for survival, the losses documented on the pages-they are real. They are horrifyingly real and that leaves me a weeping mess while I'm reading.
That happened with this book as well-and was another eye-opening read as to just what our military personnel can experience at the drop of a hat and the steep cost of war. A powerful, powerful book.
Autobiographies like this strip that away and the terrible situations, the fight for survival, the losses documented on the pages-they are real. They are horrifyingly real and that leaves me a weeping mess while I'm reading.
That happened with this book as well-and was another eye-opening read as to just what our military personnel can experience at the drop of a hat and the steep cost of war. A powerful, powerful book.