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41st out of 84 books
—
153 voters
Into the Fire: A Firsthand Account of the Most Extraordinary Battle in the Afghan War
“The story of what Dakota did . . . will be told for generations.” — President Barack Obama, from remarks given at Meyer’s Medal of Honor ceremony.
In the fall of 2009, Taliban insurgents ambushed a patrol of Afghan soldiers and Marine advisors in a mountain village called Ganjigal. Firing from entrenched positions, the enemy was positioned to wipe out one hundred men who w...more
In the fall of 2009, Taliban insurgents ambushed a patrol of Afghan soldiers and Marine advisors in a mountain village called Ganjigal. Firing from entrenched positions, the enemy was positioned to wipe out one hundred men who w...more
Hardcover, First Edition, 336 pages
Published
September 25th 2012
by Random House, Inc.
(first published 2012)
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Pretty decent read about a young mans trials in combat, and like most CMOH awardees, being a hero is not something he planned. He did what he did to save his brother's and others on the field of battle. He also shows how often times, leadership fails to listen to what "the troops know" and yet, fail to listen and accept counsel from those more combat experienced; it also shows that sometimes, a leaders objectives may not be what they think best! Yet, combat leaders must often follow orders they...more
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Meyer is a Marine, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan, and a recipent of the Congressional Medal of Honor. INTO THE FIRE is the story of how he achieved this distinction. Military Historianm Bing West said of Meyer's actions; "most acts of bravery occur at a single point in time; Dakota rushed death, not once, not twice, but five times". But this is a story with plenty of contoversy, Meyer was refused backup, disobeyed orders and risked all to find his team. This book is an eye opener. Ultimate...more
May 10, 2013
Garrett
added it
After reading "Into the Fire" by Dakota Meyer and Bing west 27.00$ Is an action packed thriller that will make you not want to put it down till it's over. This about the only living man to be awarded the medal of honor. Dakota Meyer is in the mountains of Afghanistan on a routine run to see some village elders when suddenly they come into an ambush. This the first book that has been written about the only living medal of honors winner. this book is like one of "Lone Survivor" or "No Easy Day". B...more
Born and raised in Columbia, Kentucky, Dakota Meyer had no idea he would follow in his father's footsteps. As a child, he was constantly on the move with his mother, who later left him with his stepfather, Big Mike, who adopted him. Dakota grew up on a 300-acre farm where he learned to cut down Tobacco and actually rode around on his cow, Tinker Bell. In high school, he earned a spot on the football team, and was quite good. Although his dream of playing college ball were dashed after several kn...more
I am a Marine that is married to another Marine, so naturally I pounced on his book as soon as it came out. Dakota Meyer is a hero to us, and should be for everybody. I have read many a war book, but Sgt. Meyer raised the bar with this book. It is more than the telling of a grueling battle, although the battle portion of the book was in such raw detail that it made you feel like you were there - so much so that it surpassed interesting and went right into the fear and discomfort. That is amazing...more
I liked this book. I read it after seeing an interview with Dakota Meyer on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. I've included someone else's review because I think it is spot on... with one extra mention - Dakota did not have a mother that cared and nurtured him. He grew up with a good Dad, Grandfather and Uncles. It's interesting to note that many of the best soldiers have a certain way of experiencing women- the book Seal Team Six has soldiers with a similar view. It makes for great soldiers whos...more
There is nothing poet-warrior about this book. It is written in a straight-forward and clear, almost staccato, style.
There are vague implications from McClatchy news that some of this story is fabricated or exaggerated. I wonder if they read the same book as I did?
Meyer's tale is never one of self-aggrandizement. It is one of regret, one of a world with little nuance ruled by people who see nuance in every situation. It's about how we treat our heroes--how we make them into machines, place them...more
There are vague implications from McClatchy news that some of this story is fabricated or exaggerated. I wonder if they read the same book as I did?
Meyer's tale is never one of self-aggrandizement. It is one of regret, one of a world with little nuance ruled by people who see nuance in every situation. It's about how we treat our heroes--how we make them into machines, place them...more
This was the story of the battle of Ganjgal in Afghanistan, which earned the author, a former Marine corporal, the Congressional Medal of Honor. The battle occupies the central portion of the book, while the beginning gives the background to Meyer's life and his prior career and training as a Marine sniper. The story is a really good one, and I was left Meyer's bravery and aggressiveness in situations that would terrify the vast majority of regular people. This book was more interesting to me fo...more
I got into this book expecting a kind of an Afghan theater update of "We Were Soldiers Once...and Young". That's not a good reference for this story because of scale. The "Soldiers" book was about a battle with thousands of soldiers. "Into the Fire" is about something more like a skirmish, an ambush, with roughly 100 total combatants. I enjoyed "Soldiers" because it told the story vividly. "Into the Fire" is the same kind of book, with vivid storytelling centered around the action, focusing on t...more
An unusual memoir. First, Dakota Meyer is the only living soldier to have received the Medal of Honor in over thirty years. The Medal is usually awarded posthumously. I'm very pleased that Congress and the President found his incredible courage as well as actions deserving of such a high award.
Dakota's story is not a happy one. In fact, it is a very sad one that ends in the death of his "brothers" in his small unit of advisers in Afghanistan. To an extent I was lost in the action of the retellin...more
Dakota's story is not a happy one. In fact, it is a very sad one that ends in the death of his "brothers" in his small unit of advisers in Afghanistan. To an extent I was lost in the action of the retellin...more
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This book shows that because of the types of press that war garners, our military are often held to rules that tie their hands in war. I have read multiple books about our involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan and the common thread is that our enemies know our rules and know how to exploit the rules for their benefit. Yes, I realize that we cannot go in to a war zone with a "kill 'em all and let God sort 'em out" attitude, still we need to find a better middle ground. Mr. Meyer lost close friends...more
Meyer's honesty is unnerving. His account of what happened is heroic, he does not "pretty up" his actions or what he was thinking before, during or after the battle.
What sticks with me is that we send guys like Dakota Meyer, Pat Tillman and thousands of other Americans to Iraq and Afghanistan where they face hell for us.....but the nation is not in these wars with them.
The work falls to people who go and we don't think about them until CNN flashes a story of American casualties...then we go ba...more
What sticks with me is that we send guys like Dakota Meyer, Pat Tillman and thousands of other Americans to Iraq and Afghanistan where they face hell for us.....but the nation is not in these wars with them.
The work falls to people who go and we don't think about them until CNN flashes a story of American casualties...then we go ba...more
Into the Fire is a first hand account of the triumphs and tragedies of the Afghan war that we are currently involved in. The story gives a true, no holds barred look into interaction among both fellow soldiers and trials and tribulations with those that are indigenous to the mountainside area.
He creates a perspective of regret as the recipient of the medal, showing concern that if it were successful, the events leading up to the said occasion for nomination of the medal of honor would never hav...more
He creates a perspective of regret as the recipient of the medal, showing concern that if it were successful, the events leading up to the said occasion for nomination of the medal of honor would never hav...more
I almost have nothing to say about this, because nothing I say can express how I feel. I can't encompass the drama, the pain and the epic sweep of this book, and about the only coherent reaction I have is "drop everything and read it now." Incoherent reactions have included nausea, weeping, rage and awe. It's a smoother, more polished style than Lone Survivor, but smoother doesn't mean less gut-wrenching. Someday this will probably be made into a movie that buffs out the raw edges and features l...more
This is from a "First Read - Goodreads"
What a real first hand story of what our troops are experiencing in Afghanistan. I am sure it is the story of all wars. Our heroes, like Dakota Meyer, give their all and others just give them trouble and make their job harder or impossible. I learned more from the introduction than I have seen anywhere in news reports etc.
In the epilogue the authors describe what their goals were in the writing of Into The Fire: "It illustrates three themes: a frustrating w...more
What a real first hand story of what our troops are experiencing in Afghanistan. I am sure it is the story of all wars. Our heroes, like Dakota Meyer, give their all and others just give them trouble and make their job harder or impossible. I learned more from the introduction than I have seen anywhere in news reports etc.
In the epilogue the authors describe what their goals were in the writing of Into The Fire: "It illustrates three themes: a frustrating w...more
This was an interesting book about the absurdities of the Afgan war and one American who was thrust into the middle of it.
The protrayal of this particular battle, the mind-numbing senselessness of the "Rules of Engagement", the overriding politicizing of war, the lack engagement by the upper brass and the counteracting courage of the boots on the ground - in particular Dakota Meyer was fascinating to read.
Initially, this book came across a little awkwardly, Dakota's portrayal of himself as cock...more
The protrayal of this particular battle, the mind-numbing senselessness of the "Rules of Engagement", the overriding politicizing of war, the lack engagement by the upper brass and the counteracting courage of the boots on the ground - in particular Dakota Meyer was fascinating to read.
Initially, this book came across a little awkwardly, Dakota's portrayal of himself as cock...more
This was an interesting and super quick read. Almost too quick actually. The Kindle version actually ended at ~80% with the remainder being references, sources, and such. So, this ended up being a super short book. I certainly can appreciate concise, but this book would have benefited from expansion. Dakota clearly is uncomfortable tooting his own horn, which I admire, but more tooting and more personality could have bumped the book up to 5 stars and maybe even my "loved it" list. Even so, defin...more
Dakota Meyer is a true American Hero who saved countless lives during the heat of battle, in Ganjigal, a mountain village Afghanistan, in 2009. Firing from entrenched positions, the enemy was positioned to wipe out one hundred men who were pinned down and were repeatedly refused artillery support. Ordered to remain behind with the vehicles, 21 year-old Marine Corporal Dakota Meyer disobeyed orders and attacked to rescue his comrades.
During the course of battle, he deployed machine guns, rifles,...more
During the course of battle, he deployed machine guns, rifles,...more
Dakota Meyer really brings us through his experiences, not only during his fighting in Afghanistan, but before and after his service. Dakota Meyer won the Medal of Honor, and he's not afraid to tell us of the youthful spurts of bravery and recklessness throughout his service.
What I really appreciated about Dakota's story was his explanation of his feelings after he came home. We don't often hear how people feel after they come home, and Dakota was pretty open about his feelings. He also did a g...more
What I really appreciated about Dakota's story was his explanation of his feelings after he came home. We don't often hear how people feel after they come home, and Dakota was pretty open about his feelings. He also did a g...more
The courage and steadfast pursuit of his mission as a Marine, as told by Dakota Meyer, makes one realize there are still heroes. His heroism, in what's considered the fiercest battle of the long Afghan War, resulted in Meyer being awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. He believes he failed in his mission and the real heroes are the men who died before he could rescue them. He lets us see what being a Marine is all about. This detailed account of the battle in Kunar, Afghanistan in 2009, is u...more
A much needed reminder that war is hell. I spend far too much time reading war books written at the 5,000 foot level. Books by generals, by people analyzing battles, and books that take the opinion of the good war. This is not one of those books. This is a book written from the front lines of a costly battle that saw too much bloodshed. Dakota Meyer is the first living Marine in 38 years to receive the Medal of Honor. Dakota served as a massive badass in an attempt to save his squadmates. While...more
I won this as a Goodreads First Reads offer.
This was an enjoyable read as far as military memoirs, as Meyer doesn't bother reciting his career and all his accomplishments as some have. Rather, he gives us some pertinent details of his past, and touches on some of the significant aspects of his education and training.
After this, the book is almost exclusively dedicated to the account of the battle for which he earned the Medal of Honor. Meyer presents the details from his perspective, as an afte...more
This was an enjoyable read as far as military memoirs, as Meyer doesn't bother reciting his career and all his accomplishments as some have. Rather, he gives us some pertinent details of his past, and touches on some of the significant aspects of his education and training.
After this, the book is almost exclusively dedicated to the account of the battle for which he earned the Medal of Honor. Meyer presents the details from his perspective, as an afte...more
Very familiar with this man but seeing him on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart motivated me to go out and buy his book. A man searching for himself and answers. Meyer sought out West to help him tell his story and they have done a superb job of telling a realistic story of great courage and personal suffering without all the overly emotional worship of duty, honor, and country. There's some anger but not much bitterness and an appeal for justice or fairness with the account of the Army's ineptitu...more
I was compelled to read this book after seeing Dakota Meyer interviewed on a late night talk show. The interview piqued my interest, but I had no idea exactly what this battle they talked about entailed.And Dakota Meyer is the first living Congressional Medal of Honor recipient in over thirty years. This medal is usually given posthumously.
The battle,which took place in Afghanistan in 2009, was the result of an Taliban ambush. The battle was particularly fierce, and notable in that the back up...more
The battle,which took place in Afghanistan in 2009, was the result of an Taliban ambush. The battle was particularly fierce, and notable in that the back up...more
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Into the Fire is a Firsthand account of the most extraordinary battle in the Afghan war by Medal of Honor recipient, Dakota Meyer and Bing West (New York Times Bestselling Author). This is an audio book read by Zach Mclarty. What an amazing true story it is! Dakota Meyer is a true hero. This book tells the story of the battle at Genuisal. This is what war is really all about. I was able to get the audio book and liked listening to it in the car. I think I got more out of it than if I read the bo...more
"Into the Fire" is the inspiring story of Dakota Meyer, a U.S. Marine Infantryman / sniper. Meyer's dedication and bravery, exhibited while deployed to Afghanistan, led to his being nominated and receiving the Medal of Honor. Meyer's medal was the result of his making multiple rescue attempts to reach his brothers ambushed by Taliban forces. It's a quick read, and his story will make readers appreciative of the sacrifices of all our servicemen. On the other hand, the story will also anger many r...more
Like most memoirs, it starts out with his personal life before the Marine Corps, which was pretty typical in my experience of a boy growing up in that part of the country...easy to read but pretty slow and boring to start. Once it got going into the parts including Afghanistan and the battle itself it really picked up and is where I started to get more into it. You can tell, especially if you're in the service, how his demeanor isn't exactly the kind that put's his superiors at ease. He was more...more
Interesting read about the war in Afghanistan and in particular, the poorly executed battle (ambush) in Ganjigal and the bravery of young Dakota Meyer. Makes you realize that those running the war are truly out of touch with those on the front lines in today's modern warfare. Dakota collaborated with Bing West and this is a well-written account that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I'm deducting a star simply because it was a little heavy on the military jargon. But otherwise worthwhile with...more
A good book about Dakota Meyer becoming the first Marine to be awarded the Medal of Honor. He begins with childhood and goes into him enlisting in the Corps. He goes through hie training as a sniper. He goes through the battle and lack of, I should say the refusel of artillery by chain of command. Meyer disobeyed orders and attacked to his team who was pinned down. This goes on for five hours and he goes back and forth. He is the only one who speaks of no artillery did give his team a chance. Th...more
A simply stunning story of both the good and the bad. Marine Dakota Meyer is a Corporal who is part of a unit and team of advisers who are in Afghanistan to train Afghan infantry. They are apprehensive at first and through some hard times that they share they become close. Meyer, being the one with the most weapons knowledge is a great asset and teacher to the rest of the team. In my opinion he demonstrates the very qualities of leadership, honor and courage that every Marine strives for.
The sto...more
The sto...more
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