Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10 by Marcus Luttrell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Lone Survivor gives the reader a fascinating inside look at the training and operations of one of the most elite groups within the United States military. One of the most interesting insights that I will take away from reading this is the mindset of these individuals–how their training is designed to identify the point at which someone will give in, and give up. For a SEAL, that point comes after death!
Although it is non-fiction, many chapters read like a novel. The big difference was, I actually got choked-up reading about what happened to these soldiers, because they were real people putting their lives on the line to secure our freedom. It was also touching to read the events that were taking place at Mr. Luttrell’s family ranch in Texas, while he was on the battlefield on the other side of the world.
The quality of the writing wasn’t spectacular, but then again, Marcus Luttrell never claims to be an author. He enlisted the help of co-author Patrick Robinson to help document his experiences as they occurred, without the stylistic embellishments that would have made this more entertainment than fact. The end result is an easy-read of an amazing journey, giving readers a peek into the mind of the warriors that risk their lives for us.
On principle, I give it 5 stars!