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    Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of Seal Team 10
    Unavailable
    Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of Seal Team 10
    Unavailable
    Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of Seal Team 10
    Audiobook14 hours

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

    Written by James Martin and Marcus Luttrell

    Narrated by Kevin T. Collins

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    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 have 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 team leader Marcus Luttrell, and the extraordinary firefight that led to the largest loss of life in American Navy SEAL history. His squadmates 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 squadmates' heroism and mutual support renders an experience for which two of his squadmates were posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for combat heroism 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.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHachette Audio
    Release dateMay 1, 2012
    ISBN9781611132656
    Unavailable
    Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of Seal Team 10
    Author

    James Martin

    Rev. James Martin, SJ, is a Jesuit priest, editor at large of America magazine, consultor to the Vatican's Dicastery for Communication, and author of numerous books, including the New York Times bestsellers Jesus: A Pilgrimage, The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything and My Life with the Saints, which Publishers Weekly named one of the best books of 2006. Father Martin is a frequent commentator in the national and international media, having appeared on all the major networks, and in such diverse outlets as The Colbert Report, NPR's Fresh Air, the New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.  Before entering the Jesuits in 1988 he graduated from the Wharton School of Business.

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    Reviews for Lone Survivor

    4/5

    629 ratings51 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed this story of courage and commitment, but I would have found it more noteworthy if the author had eliminated his harsh critique of liberals. It added nothing to the story and shed a negative light on him. Military members should attempt to refrain from stating political opinions.
    • 4/5
      an excellent 1st hand account of American bravery
    • 5/5
      POV: 1st Person
      Genre: Military, Autobiographical
      Thoughts: My brother recommended this book to me. It is one of the best books I have ever read. The detail and imagery Luttrell uses to portray his and his team's heroic acts leave you grateful and in awe of them. He invoked many emotions throughout the story and more than once I had tears running down my face. Truly an amazing and heart wrenching account of Operation Redwing.
    • 2/5
      This might have been an interesting story, I don't know since I did not get past the first 50 or so pages. It was written at about a High School sophomore level. That may have been its intended audience but I found it detracted from the story. Perhaps the movie was better as it most likely would have skipped a lot of the introductory materials.
    • 5/5
      To get five stars a book must pull me in and keep me there. I was counting the time till I could read it again. It isn't a hard read and moves pretty quick. Certainly something more teens should be exposed to so they understand a little more about the cost of freedom and how life really is. Most today do not really understand hatred or compassion, honor and decency.I might just have to go to the Bush Jr. library just to see that patch.
    • 5/5
      In 2005 mission four members of SEAL Team 10 were assigned the mission to capture the Taliban leader, Admad Shad. Marcus Luttrell was the only member of his team to survive, so thats why the book is called "Lone Survivor." I think this is one of the most interesting war stories I've ever heard. Even though the book had a long, and boring introduction, the ending made the book an excellent read.Patrick Robinson, the author, also did a great job of capturing the first-hand story from Marcus Luttrell. While reading this book, I had a vivid image in mid of everything that was going on. The landscape of Afghanistan was brilliantly detailed , and the battle scenes felt as though they were occurring in my mind. This book is definitely a great read, especially if you're in to non-fiction war stories. Even though in my opinion the movie was better, mainly because it skipped most of the introduction and boring parts, I really suggest reading this book.
    • 3/5
      The novel stared out with nothing less than hero worship as Marcus tells us with unbridled adoration what awesome men Navy Seals are then proceeds to bash the liberal media and liberals in general.The next third is a detailed description of Seal training, most of which I was familiar with and, quite frankly, I skimmed much of it. For those uninitiated this aspect of the novel will be revealing of what goes into making a Seal, and it did set the character background for Marcus and his buddies.At long last, Marcus begins the real story of his first real battle in Afghanistan and it is quite a tale. I found it a tad unbelievable. I mean, how many thousands of feet can you slide down a muntain and still keep your skin attached? And to always find his rifle beside him? He repeatedly thanked God for that, which I found a bit absurd. Unless you are one of those that believes God takes sides in man's efforts to kill other men.The real story of war and loss was a thrill ride and I would not have wanted to share that experience, but I did apprecate the visceral adventure. I assume this is a true tale, but it did feel like it was well crafted fiction.While Marcus and his buddies were fighting for their lives, his folks and supporters were holding a vigil at the family farm. Again, I asume what was written was true, but seemed unbelievable. But then, I never moved among the elite of our military forces. I was a nobody avionics tech/door gunner in a Marine chopper squadron in Vietnam. Overall a good read, but overly long and far too detailed in many ways. I found myself wanting to hurry the read along, but also didn't want to miss anything. At least once I got past the first third of the novel.For those who love this kind of stuff, this ought to be a great read.
    • 5/5
      All I can say is- this is he only book that has brought me to tears. Such a motivating yet heartbreaking book, beautifully written.
    • 5/5
      really great story that needed to be told!!! I am glad that I had the privilege of listening to this fantastic book!!
    • 5/5
      Fantastic much better than the movie Makes me proud to be a American and proud of our fighting men and women of the armed forces!!!!!
    • 2/5
      Great story, true American heroes, however this book is poorly written and poorly narrated. Painful to get through.
    • 4/5
      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.
    • 3/5
      so i kinda chickened out and stopped reading right at the chapter when everybody dies. i skipped to the epilogue and of course i read all the captions on the pictures. i saw the movie before i read the book.

      sooooooooo i just didn't want to read that i guess. but the previous chapters were he is talking about becoming a SEAL and his previous missions were cool. he is VERY opinionated and funny in a sarcastic way.
    • 2/5
      Hard review to write... In one sense I loved this (audio) book - it's reads like a modern day Louis L'Amour adventure tale, full of action and gun-totin', fun-lovin', wise-crackin', ever-so-intelligent good guys doing their best to catch the evil ugly stinkin' loathsome sneaky bad guys and it's so very easy to distinguish the two. Why, don't-cha know? one wears a "Texas patch" and the other a turban. Life is easy. OTOH it's (mostly) cringe-inducing, pathetic drivel: the author clumsily writes about his incredibly "intelligent" SEAL friends and spouts rah-rah shoot-em-up "we're #1!" trite-isms from start to finish. I can only exclaim "Well, bless his heart, he certainly deserves an gold star for effort". The book is so shallow, so UN-insightful, so plain ol' stupid... I don't know whether to laugh or cry. Oh man... BBooks like this, and American Sniper, make me sad - we as a country are not going to get anywhere until we get past "poster patriotism". You won't miss a thing skipping this book.
    • 5/5
      Great story of what happens when politicians dictate how soldiers should fight a war. Navy SEAL's are the best trained soldiers in the world and the lawyers and politicians should let them do what they do best.
    • 3/5
      Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10
      I applaud Marcus Luttrell for his work in writing this book, and I hope it was therapeutic for him to get ideas, feelings, and memories down. This was put out so soon after the events, the accuracy is probably better than most other works of its kind. He is forthright about the guilt and PTSD he suffers from.

      The book opens with a lot of bashing of the "liberal media" and "liberal politicians" who want to restrain U.S. forces and define rules of engagement while going on about the Geneva Convention. Meanwhile, enemies like the Taliban do not observe such conventions and are eager to exploit U.S. political weakness and manipulate the media. Luttrell's views are shaped by seeing first-hand atrocities committed by the Taliban, who abuse children, oppress women, take no prisoners, and do whatever it takes to accomplish their goals of imposing their will on the villages of Afghanistan and Pakistan. At one point he tells of his regret of not killing two innocent civilians, a decision made out of fear of future prosecution, as not doing so directly led to them informing the Taliban of their position and his comrade's deaths and the worst tragedy in the history of the SEALs.

      This is also a Texas story. The author has reverence for G.W. Bush (who he meets personally) and there are plenty of tales of Texas/Southern hospitality while his family is eagerly awaiting news about his life/death situation. Having briefly lived in Texas and seen more Young Marines than Boy Scouts in my time there, I believe the story that he and a bunch of other young lads devoted their teenage years to training with a Navy SEAL to get in tip-top shape in order to make the Special Forces. It seems that not entering the military never entered into their minds, although the author had the long-term goal of working as a physician. To someone outside of Red State life this may seem bizarre and tragic. They are fighting for Texas as much as anything else.

      The Afghan who helped him at considerable risk to himself later came to the U.S. to help promote the book. He is, as expected, now a top Taliban target (take the source of this article with a big grain of salt). It is hard to believe events in the book all took less than a week.

      As far as the war goes, the lack of a clear-cut mission is pretty obvious from the book. Luttrell contends that's not the enlisted man's problem, the SEALs are there to execute whatever their immediate orders are and not to worry about the overall objectives of the war. But the entrenchment of the Taliban in the hills and their increasing control over villages and life and the sheer hatred Luttrell describes from even the non-Taliban towards Americans seem pretty impossible to overcome or beat militarily.

      I give the book 3.5 stars out of 5. It is raw and engaging, but like any book like this one wonders how much "color" was added by Patrick Robinson. I have not yet seen the movie.
    • 3/5
      Marcus Luttrell may be another uber-Christian, uber-patriotic Texan and Navy Seal but he was certainly a better writer than his prother in arms, Chris Kyle. I like that he kept his book brief; just giving the necessary background in his life and telling a better story about his battle in Afghanistan.
    • 3/5
      I always find it complicated to judge military accounts because while I do admire the courage these soldiers have, the fact that most of the military accounts always seem to patronize the US always bothers me. It really felt like reading a 300 page advertisement of the North American military rather than the story of a guy who has been through hell and survived.
      I also thought that the bit of the book that told about the BUD/S training wasn't really necessary. I have already read a couple of books about the Navy SEAL training, so nothing in the first part of the book really struck me as anything new. In fact, compared to other books in the military literature, this one was actually really poor. There are several other books that describe the Navy SEAL training in a more detailed fashion. Given the context of the book, I feel that the training part could have been used to describe Marcus' bonds with his future Navy SEAL buddies.
      But while this was definitely not my favorite military-themed book, there are several aspects of it that I thought were really good, mostly the accounts of Luttrell's fight for survival in Afghanistan and the cultural shock. Now THAT could use some more detail, since their culture is so unique.

      I had my share of fun and informative data with this book, but it still feels like a lot of potential has been wasted here.
    • 5/5
      This is story of inspiration and determination. Marcus Luttrell is a man that most of us can only hope to be. I highly recommend his story to anyone that thinks they might be even a little bit interested in it.
    • 5/5
      Listened to the audio of this book. Very tense, very riveting.
    • 5/5
      A very good, very personal, & therefore slightly jaundiced account of Operation Redwing. No one can doubt this mans heroism & amazing capabilities under fire & afterwards. A very good account of the modern battlefield, & special forces.
    • 5/5
      First part of book describes his training.. second part of book describing his combat experience would not be remotely believable without reading the first part. Really puts things in to perspective what humans are capable of.
    • 5/5
      I cannot recommend this book Highly enough, Amazing!!
    • 4/5
      In 2005 mission four members of SEAL Team 10 were assigned the mission to capture or kill notorious Taliban leader, Admad Shad. Marcus Luttrell was the only member of his team to survive, hence why the book is called "Lone Survivor." I think this is one of the most interesting war stories I've ever heard. Unfortunately, it is relatively unknown. That's why I think this book is so important to read: it gives the proper honor and respect that these courageous men, who sacrificed their lives for our freedom, deserve. Patrick Robinson also did a great job of capturing the first-hand story from Marcus Luttrell. While reading this book, I had a vivid image in mid of everything that was going on. The landscape of Afghanistan was brilliantly depicted, and the battle scenes felt as though they were occurring in my mind. This book is definitely a great read, especially if you're in to non-fiction war stories. I hear there is a movie of this book coming out sometime in the near future, so I suggest that you pick up a copy of this book and read it before it is released.
    • 4/5
      Against all reasonable odds US Navy Seal Marcus Luttrell survived a horrific attack and subsequent pursuit by dozens of Taliban members in the Hindu Kush mountain region of Afghanistan. This book is his detailed account of the training he endured to become one of America's military elite, the events that led to his team's ill-fated mission, the death of his entire team on the battlefield, and his narrow escape with the help of compassionate villagers in the region. As dire as that summary sounds, this is an inspiring and surprisingly uplifting tale that pays homage to power of perserverance, sticking to core values, small town America, and self-sacrifice by strangers committed to doing the right thing. There's certainly a lot of blood and pain in these pages, but there's also a lot of love and hope. SEAL Luttrell's does an admirable job conveying the bonds of the SEAL brotherhood as well as the patriotic spirit of the Lone Star State. A definite recommend, especially for Texas veterans.
    • 3/5
      This is the harrowing story and memoir of Navy Seal Marcus Luttrell and the tragedy that occurred at Murphy's Ridge in Afghanistan 2005. It's a great story, and I particularly enjoyed all the gritty details regarding the Seal's training. The story is obviously written by a non-author. Its the kind of story that is so good that only the worst of writers could mess it up. As one might expect, The book is also oozing with the pride of a Seal. All in all, language excluded, an enjoyable read.
    • 3/5
      The title Lone Survivor immediately references Lady Butler's famous painting "The remnants of an army" which shows assistant surgeon William Brydon returning as the sole survivor from the British retreat of Kabul in 1842. The US action in Afghanistan was less costly. Marcus Luttrell was part of a four man Navy SEALs team that was wiped out in Afghanistan during Operation Red Wings. The heavily scrubbed Wikipedia entry classifies this operation as a "temporary U.S. Pyrrhic victory; Long-term insurgent victory". With a 100% US casualty rate and not a single goal achieved, this assessment is only sustainable if one either takes Monty Python's Black Knight as a role model or considers the Alamo as a US victory. In reality, this minor action was a clear defeat, caused by bad US leadership both strategically down to the tactical level. Luttrell is not the man to understand complex matters. His memoirs about his time in Afghanistan nevertheless can serve as good data for two analyses.Firstly, Luttrell offers a postcard introduction into the mindset of an authoritarian follower (and Republican voter). His mind effortlessly tolerates to hold hugely contradictory opinions and facts. While he is easily (and often wrongly) offended by accusations and actions of others he puts in one out-group (the liberal press, Europeans, liberals, Muslims, ...), he resents their undifferentiated portrait as a religious redneck, Texan, American, SEAL, soldier (his main in-groups). The out-groups seem in his mind to work together to crush his in-group and deserve to be punished. Thus, he thinks the torture at Abu Ghraib justified by 9/11 as the suicide terrorists as well as the Iraqi torture victims are both Muslims. Killing Afghanis is ok, because they are all Taliban, even if he owes his survival to a brave Afghani who protected the wounded Luttrell from certain death and risked his own life to save the American. Lutrell holds a special disdain for the Geneva Convention despite the fact that his survival is in accordance to its principles. It is truly an authoritarian madness to fight forcefully against something that improves everyone's (including their own) lives. The book does not make it clear whether the Rambo Jesus worshiping Luttrell has understood that his Muslim savior acted in the best Samaritan tradition as promoted by Jesus. He bound his wounds, took care of him and delivered him into the safety of American troops. If such an act did not open Luttrell's mind, what possibly could?Secondly, the book can serve as a good case-study of failures in decision making in an isolated small group. A parallel read of Norman Maclean's Young Men and Fire and the analysis of the Mann Gulch catastrophe by Karl Weick is especially recommended. The failure of the SEAL team can be tracked back to their training. They lacked decision patterns what to do
    • 3/5
      The novel stared out with nothing less than hero worship as Marcus tells us with unbridled adoration what awesome men Navy Seals are then proceeds to bash the liberal media and liberals in general.The next third is a detailed description of Seal training, most of which I was familiar with and, quite frankly, I skimmed much of it. For those uninitiated this aspect of the novel will be revealing of what goes into making a Seal, and it did set the character background for Marcus and his buddies.At long last, Marcus begins the real story of his first real battle in Afghanistan and it is quite a tale. I found it a tad unbelievable. I mean, how many thousands of feet can you slide down a muntain and still keep your skin attached? And to always find his rifle beside him? He repeatedly thanked God for that, which I found a bit absurd. Unless you are one of those that believes God takes sides in man's efforts to kill other men.The real story of war and loss was a thrill ride and I would not have wanted to share that experience, but I did apprecate the visceral adventure. I assume this is a true tale, but it did feel like it was well crafted fiction.While Marcus and his buddies were fighting for their lives, his folks and supporters were holding a vigil at the family farm. Again, I asume what was written was true, but seemed unbelievable. But then, I never moved among the elite of our military forces. I was a nobody avionics tech/door gunner in a Marine chopper squadron in Vietnam. Overall a good read, but overly long and far too detailed in many ways. I found myself wanting to hurry the read along, but also didn't want to miss anything. At least once I got past the first third of the novel.For those who love this kind of stuff, this ought to be a great read.
    • 4/5
      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!"On June 28, 2005, Lutrell and SEAL Team 10 are sent on a mission into Afghanistan as part of Operation Redwing. 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 their target 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.
    • 3/5
      Let’s get one thing straight, right off the bat. Navy SEALS are the single, most awesome fighting force in the world today. The skills they possess and the attitude they bring to the table make me scared to give this anything other than a five star review. They have my undying respect and gratitude for the things they do every single day to protect and nourish my freedom and that of every citizen of the United States. I am a staunch Republican and a believer in a strong, pro-active defense.Now, to the book. This is a non-fiction work, detailing the events which led to death of the author’s SEAL team mates during a mission in Afghanistan. It contains much interesting material on the nature of SEAL team operations and many individual missions and SEAL team members. In that respect it is beneficially educational and at times enthralling.I would be remiss, however, if I did not address the heavy political baggage that the author brings to the table. He is a rabid conservative Republican who frequently expresses his admiration for George Bush while repeatedly making venomous attacks on “liberals”, most especially the “liberal media” and “clueless liberal Democrats”, for whom he blames most of the deaths suffered by his compatriots. Perhaps, were I in his shoes, I would feel the same way. Lacking his perspective, I am left somewhat irritated by his non-stop, increasingly strident political pronouncements as the book progresses. While the book is in the words of Marcus Luttrell, the sole surviving member of his SEAL team, he was assisted by a co-author, whose role in the book is unclear to me. The writing itself is not very high quality, as you might expect from a non-fiction work penned by a SEAL team member (or any non-writer). If the co-author was hired to take Luttrell’s recollections and craft them into a finished product, in my opinion he failed miserably. The book is not terribly well organized or crafted. The story is certainly one well worth telling, but should have been told more effectively. The author is proud of his membership in the SEALs and deservedly so. However, the author ceaselessly informs the reader of his skills, superior training and all around greatness and that of his teammates. He does this over and over again, to the point that it begins to grate. Again, I concede the point. I don’t think anyone would argue, so why the necessity of repeating it over and over and over again. This is an area where his supposed co-author could have been of assistance. By their nature, elite combat troops must carry this attitude so it is hard to fault him for his arrogance. His co-author or editor should have been of assistance here.Roughly half of the book involves a running fire fight between Luttrell’s SEAL team and a far larger Taliban force in the mountains of the Hindu Kush. I cannot, for the life of me, understand why there are no maps or diagrams to illustrate the very descriptive account of the battle. The topography and headings of the team’s journey are set out in prose in great detail, but a simple diagram would have been invaluable in tracking the SEAL team and then Luttrell himself as he flees his Taliban pursuers.Again, kudos to the Navy SEALs, Army Rangers, Green Berets and all other members of the United States Armed Forces. This is a great story, about many great Americans, but simply not a very well written book.