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Apr 26, 2008

Kristin rated it:

This was our book club pick for this month. All I can say is THANK YOU KARIANN!! This book should be required reading for every American. It was life changing. I loved it. I have since scoured the Internet trying to learn as much as I can about Operation Redwing and it's heroes.

This is not the kind of book I would normally pick up and read. In fact, I had it on the counter and when Tyler came home and he thanked me for picking him out a great book from the library. He couldn't believ More...

2 comments like (19 people liked it)

Oct 25, 2008

Taylor rated it:

I REALLY wanted to like Lone Survivor. I mean, it's theoretically about a guy who survives an ambush by the Taliban when his teammates do not, goes on to receive shelter and protection from a brave Afghan village, and then writes about the bravery of his teammates who fought to their deaths.

But... the book is essentially Marcus Luttrell patting himself on the back. For more than 100 pages, he writes about training to become a Navy SEAL and how tough he is. I'm not saying that it i More...

39 comments like (37 people liked it)

Apr 10, 2008

Abby rated it:

You would not think I would love this book so much, since basically it is 100% about guys in military training, shooting, dead guys, blood, outdoor survival, guns, etc... I mean seriously, there is ZERO kissing in this book. But surprisingly, I was amazingly addicted to this book. Marcus Luttrel (the author, who the story is about) is AMAZING. I actually decided I wanted to be a Navy SEAL after reading this book, plus I wanted to go hunt Taliban guys. That is the way I judge a book as good. If i More...

1 comment like (11 people liked it)

Jan 11, 2011

Travis rated it:

I really wanted to like this book. Half a dozen of my immediate family members are currently serving or have served in the military, and I have nothing but respect for our brave men and women in uniform. And Operation Redwing, the 2005 mission that led to the largest loss of life in SEAL history, is the famous incident at the heart of this book. How could an account of that operation and SEAL team 10 turn out to be anything less than absolutely gripping? Well, Marcus Luttrell and his co-auth More...

6 comments like (17 people liked it)

Dec 30, 2007

Janet rated it:

This is one of those powerful life-changing books that will speak to generations of Americans forever. I’ve tried to write this review so many times since I first read Lone Survivor back in September and again after reading it for the second time in November….. I simply cannot find the words (unusual for me). I had friends lining up to borrow this book but until now, could not put it down, could not let it go. At last I felt ready to walk away from the friendships forged and battles fought with More...

3 comments like (8 people liked it)

Dec 17, 2009

Chris rated it:

An interesting book dealing with the training of Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell, his deployment in Afghanistan, his ordeal as the lone survivor of a combat mission, and how he is taken in by an Afghani village that stands up to the Taliban. The fight scene is riveting and agonizing, and the scenes where his Texas community rallies around his family pulls at your heart. The book is marred by numerous sprinklings of gratuitous references to the liberal media and how the liberals hate the army and are h More...

1 comment like (7 people liked it)

Jan 30, 2011

Kelly rated it:

UNBELIEVABLE! I always thought those movies where the heroes get shot five times and fall off a cliff, but just keep getting up shooting were so unrealistic...apparently NOT! The second half of this book was impossible to put down - I was so caught up in the description of Operation Redwing. It was truly amazing and I will never think about our military in the same way again, even though I've always had a high opinion of the men and women fighting for our country. There was some slower reading i More...

9 comments like (5 people liked it)

Jan 20, 2012

Katie rated it:

The words to describe my feelings towards this book are very hard to express. Though, other than my grandfathers who both served in WWII, I have no immediate family members who are in the military, but I was raised to love my country and respect and honor those who protect it. I've always held these values very close to my heart. With that part said my pride and respect for Marcus Luttrell and his fellow SEALs can never be expressed with mere words.

Lone Survivor is not my normal rea More...

2 comments like (4 people liked it)

Apr 23, 2008

David rated it:

Okay, so I have seen some of the reviews of this book and you people who gave it 1 star because the writing wasn't superb, well sorry but you are just lame. I HATE SNOBS!!!!!! They come in all shapes and forms...music snobs, movie snobs, and of course, BOOK SNOBS! This story is AMAZING!! Even if it was the poorest written book ever, the story alone merits 5 stars. I recommend this book to everyone. It does have some language but it is understandable when describing and recalling the events More...

2 comments like (10 people liked it)

Nov 08, 2010

Brian rated it:

This is not the type of book I usually read. But it was a gift, and I am happy I read it.

Like many stories of military operations gone awry, it was a difficult read at times. And I think Luttrell is at his best when discussing the training he underwent and his experience in Afghanistan. The people he meets in the small village are amazing; I loved that part.

What I didn't like so much were Luttrell's fairly frequent digressions. These digressions were mainly about two More...

0 comments like (10 people liked it)

Aug 06, 2008

Michael rated it:

This book kicked glutes. It was written by a Navy seal who grew up outside Houston and briefly dated a colleague of mine. She says there's no way (from the intelligence she discerned in a week of dating) he could have written this book, which includes French phrases and plausable-sounding summaries of Pashtun history and culture. Therre is an "as told to" co-author so give that guy credit.

Nonetheless this is a great adventure/rescue/tragedy written by someone who believes w More...

8 comments like (3 people liked it)

Jul 10, 2008

Shauna rated it:

I do not have the words to adequatley describe how much this book moved me. I am not usually a person to pick up this sort of book, but is was recommended to me by multiple people so I decided to give it a go, and am so glad that I did. You hear stories about people like this on the news, but nothing they say can really do the man or situation he was put in justice. I laughted and cried and threw the book down a few times in frustration for the situation that this country puts American soldie More...

0 comments like (4 people liked it)

May 07, 2008

Ashlee rated it:

The Lone Survivor, by Marcus Luttrell, is a compelling story of four navy SEALS and their beginning and finish. The book commences by telling the story of a young man who grew up to be a navy SEAL and the basic training that he endured. It amazes me that humans can actually make it through that type of strenuous training. The first part of the book is about the training and you would think that it couldn’t get worse, but it does. While the second half takes you through a disturbing battle that More...

0 comments like (4 people liked it)

Jan 30, 2008

Maren rated it:

This is one of the most riveting books I've ever read. It was written by a Navy SEAL who was the lone survivor (hence the title) in an Afghanistan raid. Ultimately, it is a tribute to the Navy SEALS who lost their lives in this bitter battle. I loved this book because Marcus shows us how he was destined to be a Navy Seal from his boyhood. He, along with his twin brother, survived the brutal training the Navy puts these guys through to weed out the weak. He and his team are put in the diffi More...

0 comments like (6 people liked it)

Jan 25, 2008

Katie rated it:

This is a gripping and unforgettable memoir describing Operation Redwing, a Special Ops engagement in Afghanistan that claimed the lives of several Navy SEALs. The account begins with a thorough description of BUD/S, the SEAL indoctrination program which provides students with the physical, mental, and emotional training that is necessary to become the best of the best. Also included in the book is a short section on the Iraq war, but the bulk of the narrative takes place in the Hindu Kush. I va More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Jan 31, 2009

Kevin rated it:

Wow! This is one of the best books I've ever read! Interesting, intense, exciting, riveting. It's pretty much anything you could want in a book, especially nonfiction. This story is written by a Navy SEAL who participated in Operation Redwing in Afghanistan, and was the "Lone Survivor" (out of four) of an Afghan attack. I'll try not to give away anything else :) It's a story of perseverance, courage, and strength. A
must-read!!!

I need to offer a warning, however. This More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Dec 20, 2008

Michael rated it:

I had heard that Marcus Luttrell was the Lone Survivor of his SEAL team, but I had no idea of how miraculous his survival was. I also didn't realize how much the team's fear of a vicious liberal media made in this tragedy. I wish that our fighting men and women didn't have to fear our own people. We are at war and need to be able to operate freely and be trusted to make the right decisions. Granted, there need to be rules and limitations, but because these men feared what would happen to the More...

0 comments like (5 people liked it)

Dec 21, 2008

Bear rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

1 comment like (2 people liked it)

Apr 02, 2009

Brian rated it:

I have wanted to read this book since before I left for Afghanistan. Partly because of that as well as my own personal reasons in the military and in the Navy. Marcus Luttrell is a shipmate as were his brothers with him on Operation Redwing.
In late June 2005, I had just been stationed in Denver, CO for only a few months and I remember hearing about Petty Officer Luttrell and his SEAL team ambushed and calling for assistance during a dangerous capture/kill mission. All of the military and More...

1 comment like (7 people liked it)

Dec 01, 2008

Craig rated it:

Luttrell reveals what it takes to be a Navy Seal, then tells his incredible story of taking on the Taliban in the rugged mountains of Afghanistan. After reading his story, I sat down to pee for two weeks. Because compared to this guy, I am not a man.

1 comment like (3 people liked it)

Feb 14, 2009

Barbara rated it:

Just know up front that this book does contain scenes of graphic violence...however, I consider it a timely must-read. Few of us will ever see war first-hand or be sent to war, and the magnitude of what those in our armed services sacrifice is staggering. Put your politics aside (just for a bit) and have a go at this book. Just know up front that this was written by a self described good ol' Texas boy, and there are times in reading this book (especially when he goes after the "liberal" More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jun 15, 2008

Vivek rated it:

Marcus Luttrell triumphed over quite an ordeal, and it would be hard not to be moved by it. He suffers through all kinds of hell but survives, and the book is made all the more interesting by the fact that it really happened and that similar challenges are faced by some of our soldiers right now.

The actual mission is only half the book however - the other half is about Luttrell's own background, and a significant portion of this is used to describe his training on the path to become More...

1 comment like (3 people liked it)

Nov 15, 2008

Robb rated it:

This book is about a Navy Seal who survives against impossible odds fighting the Taliban in the mountains of Afghanistan bordering Pakistan. Although the book dwells to much on over zealous patriotism and the always convenient help of God at his side, I truly believe Navy Seal Marcus Latrell's survival was a miracle at the very least. The first part of the book details the punishing Navy Seal training down at Coronado and it explains in someways how he amazingly survives a battle with the Taliba More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Feb 14, 2008

Matt rated it:

The story in this book is absolutely amazing. Luttrell's time in Afghanistan sounds more like a movie script than actual events. Luttrell and his team, and the helpful Afghanis have a pretty inspirational story.

However, I considered giving this book 2 stars and finally caved at 3 simply because it is incredibly poorly written. I don't put that at Luttrell's feet, he's obviously not a trained writer, but Patrick Robinson who was brought in to work on the book completely failed. Th More...

1 comment like (2 people liked it)

Jan 23, 2009

Kim rated it:

I would give this more than 5 stars if it were possible!!

I actually "read" the auto--which was outstanding!! I couldn't stop listening---(so I had to bake away in the kitchen as I was spellbound).. This story had me laughing and crying and giving thanks to God. One of the things that most impressed me was the providence of God in saving this guy's life. It was amazing because of all of the things that God did---there was no other explanation-- and Marcus Luttrell gives tha More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Feb 13, 2008

ryan rated it:

Being a Navy SEAL, means more than you know.

Operation Redwing, a mission to capture a leader of the Taliban forces, to be completed by a four man SEAL team. Coming face to face with hard decisions, one man almost dies, but he doesn’t know the fall meaning lohkay, a Pashtun law.

"I will never quit. My nation expects me to be physically harder and mentally stronger than my enemies. If knocked down i will get back up, every time. I will draw on every remaining o More...

1 comment like (2 people liked it)

Feb 25, 2009

Michelle rated it:

Luttrell’s story is harrowing, exhausting, desperately sad, and triumphant. Anyone wanting a glimpse into exactly what can happen in Afghanistan or even Iraq will certainly appreciate the details of Operation Redwing. Well, perhaps not anyone. Luttrell’s language is atrocious. My friend who served a tour in Iraq read the book and said that Luttrell probably had to really exert himself to keep his language as clean as he did! Also, if you happen to be a liberal democrat or a liberal media de More...

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Dec 12, 2008

Caroline rated it:

It's hard to say how I feel about this book. If I say that the author sounded like a puffed up meathead, then I sound un-patriotic. He was a brave man who went through amazing training for the Navy SEALs and then went to covert ops in Afghanistan.
One part of the book truly bothered me, no, agitated me. He, at the turning point of his (true) story, said that they had only two choices: to kill the people who were going to report them to the Taliban, or let them go, but there was another More...

5 comments like (4 people liked it)

Jan 29, 2012

Cory rated it:

The book Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell was a greatly inspiring and heart-wrenching book. This book is about Marcus Luttrell himself, on his journey into Afghanistan with three of his friends that he met in his rugged training to be a seal; Mathew Axelson, Danny Dietz, and Micheal Murphy. While in Afghanistan the four are in battle against a Taliban leader Sharmek and his men. All three of Marcus’s buddies are killed in battle and he is left alone on a mission to survive by himself. It is not More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Jan 27, 2012

Theri rated it:

Wow, what can I say about this book to make you run out and read it? Marcus is in every sense of the word an "American Patriot" at it's best. The bravery, the loss, the pain, the fear, the courage and B#@ls as big as bowling balls of Marcus Luttrell make this book a don't put down until you finish it kind of book.

For those who have strong opinions about President Bush, the media or killing, you probably won't like this book, but read it anyway. With that said I am one of t More...

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