Marcus LuttrellRezensionen

An amazing story about some great men - both American and Afghan. This book had many of the tragedy, success, and heroic-effort elements of Blackhawk Down.

It also offered terrific insight into the physical and mental makeup of these heroes. Be glad these guys are on our side.

But it significantly lacked the quality of writing that was in Blackhawk Down and The Great Game.

Amazing story! Why is this not a movie. This man is a true American hero! It is so sad what happened to the other Seals and the rescue team. Every Congressman and media member should read this to learn how their meddling into military tactics puts our troops into deadly situations they cannot always protect themselves in.

The choices to be made tear your heart.
The courage of these men inspires.

Here's what I wrote in 2011 about this read: "That was a wow and a source of night dreams for at least two night now. Recommended by DLA and finally read. Hugely insightful into the SEALS and overall military experience / mindset. The horror that warrior Luttrell experienced in Operation Redwing was his defining life event; he'll probably never sleep full a night ever again."

Excellent book from the "Lone Survivor" Marcus Luttrell. Candidly told from going through BUDS & deployments and everything in between. In depth look at a lot of operations and what happened. Infused with his faith in God, Marcus's story gives details on major missions in Iraq & Afghanistan, honors the fallen, and honors SEAL wives.

Wow, what a read. Marcus gives an in depth look at his journey to become a Navy SEAL & through BUD/S and his account of what happened to he & his 3 teammates (Murph, Axe, & Danny) during Operation Redwing in 2005. A gripping, detailed, and sad story about a war that is raging on still. Dropped off in Taliban territory to capture or kill an al queda leader was the team's mission. A harrowing journey into unknown territory and a battle that killed Marcus's three teammates & later a rescue/extract helicopter full of other teammates. Last man standing, Marcus was found by Pashtun leader & taken to their village & protected. This book was up close & personal and full of honor for his fallen hero comrades and a tale of hope and perseverance. If you've seen the movie, you need to read the book.

I hate to give this book less than 5 stars, because I really respect the author and his service to our country. That being said, I am not a huge fan of this book.

My review here may not be fair, because I mostly listened to this book through Audible, rather than actually reading it. The writing isn't all that great, and the poor narration made it even worse. I think my least favorite part of the book was the author's need to constantly push his own political agenda. While I don't disagree with his view of gun control laws and the US rules of engagement, I didn't feel that the politics belonged in this book as much as it was.

All that being said, the story is really great. You just have to look past the poor writing and politics. For me, those negatives really pulled the book down.

Good story once the action gets going. It could have been cut down by a quarter and could have left out the rants about the liberal media, etc. I appreciated the hard SEAL training and the intense mountain combat in Afghanistan, early in the war. It's amazing Marcus Luttrell survived.

Luttrell is a tough, heroic man, no doubt, but the book is marred by the inappropriate and unsubstantiated rants against the "liberal media." The liberals, let me point out, did not create the Geneva Convention. The 'I love Texas' line grew tiresome as well. There is a co-author involved, so perhaps he was trying to infuse Luttrell's voice into the storyline, but the result makes Luttrell sound uneducated if not a bit unstable. I would like to think that those serving in the Armed Forces today are defending the Constitution of the United States of America, and not a political party or their home state.

I liked Luttrell's book enough to finish it, but I wouldn't recommend it to a general audience. Instead I would recommend Anthony Swofford's Jarhead: A Marine’s Chronicle of the Gulf War and Other Battles (2003), Nathaniel Fick's One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer (2005), and Craig Mullaney's The Unforgiving Minute: A Soldier’s Education (2009). I was not surprised to see that these three books were all included on The Military Times' recent list of the best military books of the decade.

I really wanted to like this book. I read a lot of military memoirs. This one was very slow. I'm sorry to say that I did get tired of the back story of Luttrell's childhood etc. I started skimming and eventually went to other sources for the story in a nutshell.

A great book about the indomitable spirit. You've got to look past some of the clear propaganda speech, but its well written and absolutely worth reading. Perseverance over all obstacles.

This was a very engaging account. I really enjoyed it more than I expected I would, considering the subject. It's inspiring, both personally and in terms of being an American. Reading this made me wish I'd put even more effort into my own time spent in the military.

This book is notable for its lengthy account of SEAL training - not just the infamous "Hell Week", but the preceding "Indoc" phase, and the role-specific training following graduation.

It is also a depressing account of at the war in Afghanistan, viewed through the lens of a single disastrous mission. Strategic ineptitude, tactical blunders, and environmental blindness are constant themes. The battle is described with multiple breaks in the action to blame liberal americans for the debacle. The scale of cognitive dissonance is something to behold. It's a surreal internal conflict between soldiers fighting a war, and the nation they fight for.

This is the first memoir/bio i read. This is also the very first book i read that's about military. I want to thank these guys for what they did for the people, and our country.

It started out slow, took a while to past first few chapters. Then comes chapter 8, and I was reading it before going to bed. Very bad idea. Couldn't sleep that night, all depressed. I cried ALOT reading this book.

Will definitely read the second one by Marcus Luttrell.

Old reviews went missing. How does save not working?

Great book if military memoir is your thing. Always impact me a strange way after reading these.

This book is a great look into what its like to become a Navy SEAL and the kind of dedication and determination it takes to attain that status. It's also a harrowing tale of Luttrell's escape from the Taliban and the people who helped him survive. My main complaint: the refrain of politics that runs throughout. I understand this is his story and his views are part of that story. I even understand how his views are almost certainly shaped by his experiences, ones that I cannot hope to comprehend. What I object to is the need for "owning the libs" in every chapter, especially when that involves somewhat misrepresenting the stance 'liberals' were taken when they objected to certain abuses perpetrated during the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars. That said, it was still worth a read.

I thoroughly enjoyed this compelling read. It is right up there with several others I have read, such as Brandon Webb's Red Circle. In his book, Marcus Luttrell gives the reader great insight into what it means to be a US Navy SEAL. I found the details of his SEAL training fascinating. The most significant part of the book goes on to explain the events surrounding Operation Redwing, a combat mission in Afghanistan that ended up pitting a 4-man SEAL team against several hundred Taliban fighters somewhere in the Hindu Kush mountains. It is an excellent story of endurance, survival, brotherhood, and extraordinary courage under fire.

I annoyed a U. S. Navy SEAL at a U. S. Navy SEAL Physical Fitness Challenge when I criticized the judgement of the lieutenant (who was killed and received the CMH) in the story for not aborting the mission and holding the prisoners until the patrol was extracted. That struck me as a better option than the only two mentioned in the book, killing or releasing them. In the movie there was mention of a false horizon and the possibility of wolves killing the prisoners neither of which was mentioned in the book.

Rated: C+
When it comes to elite soldiers, the Navy Seals right at the top. Starting with their basic training, all the way to their trident pin, it is unbelievable what determination and courage it take. They are physically and mental ready for battle of any kind. Murcus Luttrell experienced it all including the combat deaths of three of his team. It is by God's grace he is alive. The only problem I had with the book was his hatred for those who try to make sure our armed forces don't cross the line. There is a reason why there is hatred in this world for Americans. Let it never be because of bad behavior by our military. War is hell. Combat is insane. God protect the innocent.½

Wow. I did not think I would like this book as much as I did. It's a very powerful re-telling of a series of incredibly difficult events, both physical and emotional. Marcus Luttrell is an amazing American hero, as are his fallen comrades. I highly recommend this book.

I really enjoyed the narrative but I could not ignore the historical inaccuracies. Mr. Luttrell presents information that is simply not true such as Saddam Hussein being allied with Al-Qaeda, their being attacked by 200 Taliban soldiers, even the name of the operation is wrong. Although the book is easy to read and very entertaining, one must question if it was written to become a thrilling war movie at some point. The Navy SEALS that died during this operation are true American heroes but Luttrell's account of this battle leaves many historical questions unanswered. Overall, I recommend this book with caution. Be aware that not everything in this book is historically true but that it is entertaining.

Three seconds after I sat at my Mac, sipping coffee, on a clear Sunday morning and began wondering how many stars I would give this book, I shook my head and rolled my eyes at my own thoughts. After finishing Lone Survivor, get ready for that to happen more than once: it’s one of those books (like Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass or A Grief Observed) that serves as an antidote to complaint, a reminder of how good so many of us have it, and a necessary corrective to one’s ego. Really—who cares how many stars I give this book?

Readers of Othello often misunderstand the word “honest” when applied to Iago: when Cassio and others call him “honest Iago,” some readers point and say, “Aha! That’s ironic!” It is, of course, but “honest" doesn’t mean “truthful” here—it means “unpretentious,” “down-to-earth,” “base,” “unsophisticated.” It’s a word we use to describe the songs of Hank Williams (instead of Hayden), mass produced beer (instead of microbrew IPAs), and Marvel comics movies (instead of Rashamon). The former in each case is not so much inferior to the latter as it is different. It’s a matter of kind, rather than degree. That’s why Iago is so dangerous: not only because he’s duplicitous but because part of his act is that he comes across as incapable of being so. No one faults Agatha Christie for not writing like Henry James; I cannot fault Marcus Luttrell for not writing like Homer.

Lone Survivor is honest in this sense of the word. It’s a well-structured portrayal of Navy SEAL training and the awful events in which that training is tested. It made me better appreciate many aspects of military life that I—an academic cupcake—am better for having learned.

I find it interesting that some reviewers fault Luttrell for two things: his "arrogance" and for editorializing at times about the American media and how the SEALs’ actions would be reported. The first charge is easily answered: the guy is a SEAL and part of that training is to understand that you are one of the best in the world; that kind of thinking, I imagine, helps these guys when they are facing seemingly impossible odds. And the ways in which he speaks of his fellow SEALs and country demonstrate great humility. (Of course, the arrogance of those who presume to tell Luttrell how to comport himself is never questioned.)

Regarding the second charge: if not he, who is qualified to talk about such matters as rules of engagement and our role in Afghanistan? The awful events in which Operation Redwing falls apart occur because the SEALSs—the toughest and most steadfast men on the planet—are concerned by how their actions might play on cable news and in American courts. These men who made it through SEAL training were, as Luttrell states, “afraid of American civilian lawyers.” His words on this subject are worth considering:

I have only one piece of advice for what it’s worth: if you don’t want to get into a war where things go wrong, where the wrong people sometimes get killed, where innocent people sometimes have to die, then stay the hell out of it in the first place. Because that’s what happens. In all wars, down all the years of history. Terrible injustices, the killing of people who did not deserve to die. That’s what war is. And if you can’t cope with it, don’t do it. (313)

This is not a policy wonk, a professor, a talking head on TV, but someone who has been there and can see through the op-ed pages. He knows that Americans often want to have it both ways: let's have a war, yes, but one in which only the members of HYDRA are killed and everyone from SHIELD ends up back at Stark Tower. In an era where anyone with a Twitter account is empowered to express his or her expertise about matters he or she understands wholly through other Twitter accounts, Lone Survivor is an important book.

On the cover of the paperback edition I read is the following quote from the Dallas Morning News: "Every bit as thrilling as Black Hawk Down and, unexpectedly, quite moving." That actually sums up my opinion of the book as well. This is the story of Marcus Luttrell, a man who doggedly pursued, and then achieved his dream of becoming a US Navy SEAL. The earlier portion of the book introduces the reader to Marcus, following him through boot camp, and then through the fabled BUD/S course (I could never make it!). It really is incredible what these guys go through.

Nearly halfway through the book, Marcus begins to tell the story of the failed Operation Redwing, which saw 4 SEALs inserted into the mountains of northeast Afghanistan, and only one surviving to tell the tale. The insurmountable odds that Marcus Luttrell had to face are truly incredible. The story of the final moments of his squadmates contains more courage, more valor, than any 10 hollywood action films combined. These are the REAL heros. Not to be forgotten are the Pashtuns who found Marcus & tended to his wounds - protecting him from the Taliban, despite the threats levied against them.

Few books move me to tears, but this one did. I don't remember exactly where it was, but somewhere in the final 50 pages it hit me.

After reading the book, I've found online that apparently this book is very polarizing. Folks tend to love it or hate it. At this point it is apparent which camp I fall into. It seems that the most common gripe amongst those who dislike the book has to do with Marcus's political views which he shares. Make no mistake about it, Marcus Luttrell is a conservative, and doesn't split any hairs when it comes to sharing his opinion regarding such issues as the role of journalism in wartime, whether or not the Taliban or Al Qaeda insurgents should be subject to the articles of the Geneva Convention (Marcus says no), and the rules of engagement by which the military is forced to act (lest they be tried as criminals & jailed as murderers back home). By & large, I agree with Marcus. His opinions are going to piss a lot of people off (and they have). I'm amazed by how many people seem to think that he shouldn't have shared such views in the book - how it "ruins" the book. Well folks, its HIS story - I can't recall ever reading anyone's memoirs or autobiography in which you didn't get any opinion-based commentary.

I know there are some who will no doubt object to what I'm about to say, but if they just shot those 3 goat farmers who stumbled upon them early on in the mission, the Taliban might never have been alerted to their presence, and the SEALs might have accomplished their mission & extracted without casualties. I know that Marcus must still be haunted by this.


THE FALLEN HEROES - who cannot be honored enough:


Marcus's squadmates:

LT Michael P. Murphy, 29
STG2 Matthew Axelson, 29
GM2 Danny Dietz, 25



Those killed on board the rescue helicopter which was shot down by a Taliban RPG:

SEALs:

FCC Jacques J. Fontan, 36
ITCS Daniel R. Healy, 36
LCDR Erik S. Kristensen, 33
ET1 Jeffery A. Lucas, 33
LT Michael M. McGreevy, Jr., 30
QM2 James E. Suh, 28
HM1 Jeffrey S. Taylor, 30
MM2 Shane E. Patton, 22


US ARMY 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (the "Night Stalkers"):

SSG Shamus O. Goare, 29
CWO3 Corey J. Goodnature, 35
SGT Kip A. Jacoby, 21
SFC Marcus V. Muralles, 33
MSG James W. Ponder III, 36
MAJ Stephen C. Reich, 34
SFC Michael L. Russell, 31
CWO4 Chris J. Scherkenbach, 40

an excellent 1st hand account of American bravery

Account of a battle in Afghanistan between American Special Forces and the Taliban.