The Coveted Black and Gold: A Daily Journey Through the U.S. Army Ranger School Experience

by John D. Lock

For more than 200 years, U.S. Army Rangers have earned their unrivaled reputation as the world's premier warriors with bravery, blood, and sacrifice. Being a Ranger is a function of attitude and a state of mind, as well as a matter of skills and training, and it is the mission of the U.S. Army Ranger School to meld and to fortify these attributes. Ranger School is a journey that must be taken one day at a time...and each day of that journey is captured in this book. It is the cumulative effect of each of those days, the arduous work, the deprivation, the misery, that leads to what is ultimately called "the Ranger School experience."

Genres: Military Fiction

244 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

i was sort of expecting a different writing style. the author kept a diary during training and he basically combined the entries into a book. i don't really like 'journal' books, so i didn't really like this book.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting. He took daily notes on his Ranger training. The lack of sleep and food is unbelieveable. No idea how they can function. I would like to have heard how he kept the diary away from his instructors.

[Hans · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a huge fan of rites of passage and initiations I enjoyed reading this author's experience through one of the most mentally and physically challenging rites of passage. No one truly knows what they're made of or capable of until they are tried and tested, pushed right up to their limits and even after.

So why do this voluntarily? Because for some, the issue of not knowing their limits is more agonizing than finding them. They seek out opportunities to challenge themselves, by doing so hope not only to find themselves, but create a new, stronger and more resilient versions of themselves.

[Eadrinor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great firsthand account on the different phases of Ranger School and what it was like for the author to experience his training.