Battle Ready

Memoir of a SEAL Warrior Medic

By: Mark L. Donald, Scott Mactavish

Narrated by: Fred Berman

Length: 9 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

The gripping memoir of Navy Cross, Silver Star, Bronze Star, and Purple Heart recipient SEAL Lieutenant Mark L. Donald...

As A SEAL and combat medic, Mark served his country with valorous distinction for almost 25 years and survived some of the most dangerous combat actions imaginable.

From the rigors of BUD/S training to the horrors of the battlefield, Battle Ready dramatically immerses the listener in the unique life of the elite warrior-medic who advances into combat with life-saving equipment in one hand and life-taking weapons in the other. It is also an uplifting human story that reveals how a young Hispanic American bootstrapped himself out of a life that promised a dead-end future by enlisting in the military. That new life begins with the Marines and includes his heroic achievements on the battlefield and the operating table, and finally, of his inspirational triumph over the demons caused by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder that threatened to destroy him and his family.

Includes an excerpt from the SEAL creed read by the author and a bonus conversation with Mark L. Donald and his editor.

©2013 Mark L. Donald (P)2013 Macmillan Audio

Good book about the Special Forces medical service

A very special man, his goals and conflicts to become a highly decorated SEAL and battle field medical provider

Great Book -

It surpassed my expectations- this book allows to reader to feel like they are on the ground with their adrenaline pumping and hitting rock bottom after the fighting has stopped- hand on

Calling of the Warrior & of the Healer

Excellent audiobook telling the incredible story of a humble warrior and a great healer! Someone I would truly like to talk with over coffee.

great story. wow!

Mark opens his heart and tells his story. Everyone should listen to it, and thank a veteran for their service.

Highly recommended

As a young civilian Paramedic who later struggled with the mental aftermath of field medicine, I highly recommend this book as a well balanced honest approach to medical service. Donald has the credentials to remind us that tuff-ness and personality don't exempt us from the effects trauma. I highly recommend this book to anyone wants to understand himself or the struggle of a loved one returning from war. To date this is this most clearly outlined and refreshingly honestly memoir I have read on the subject of PTSD. Mark, thank you for your service and the courage honor your teammates though this great book.

Humbling

This story was very inspiring. As it began, it was motivating. As it progressed, the description of the struggles with PTSD, time away from family, loss of friends made the story difficult to bear for me. This is the most accurate portrayal in my opinion, of why some veterans have such a hard time adjusting to life after experiencing combat stress. I recommend this book to friends of family of deployed veterans to better appreciate the struggles our men and women face daily. All in all, best book I've listened to in a long time.


Hm1 C.

As A Corpsman

although I was never a seal corpsman, having been thought the same basic courses and understanding the calling he talks about. it hard to walk that line for all of us

Powerful, Inspiring, and Simply Outstanding!

I would absolutely recommend this to anyone seeking a story of personal dedication and a higher calling. If you are looking for a book full of Navy SEAL operations, this may not be the book for you. Instead, it chronicles the the journey of the author's career from the Marine recruit though to becoming a Navy Seal and ultimately a physician's assistant in the post-9/11 special operations community. There is a fair amount of deployment action toward the book's end. This is a powerful and inspiring book!

Better Insight

What made the experience of listening to Battle Ready the most enjoyable?

The insight into how someone with PTSD functions as well as how their family handles it. The sacrifice that many make to fight for our country.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Mark. He is open and telling his story in a way that only he can. His mother also is awesome.

What about Fred Berman’s performance did you like?

Fred did a great job. His voices are realistic and do not take away from the author's intent. Fred Berman made it a pleasure to listen.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes.

Any additional comments?

My father has PTSD from Korea. He meets with veterans and helps them deal with their issues as well. I have a better understanding of how PTSD affets a person. Sometimes we civilians write people off as crazy instead of having a little compassion for our warriors as they deal with the lingering evils of war. I am changed because of this book. Thank you Mark, for writing it.The section about his sister going to a christian university and getting a call that she was seeing bible verses coming out of the walls or ceiling was very sad.

From the Good to the Bad

I cannot say enough good things about this book. The author pulls no punches when it comes to telling his story. Most of the things are good, but he goes into great detail about his battle with PTSD and his ongoing struggle to deal with it. I loved hearing about the track of his career, from Recon Marine, to Corpsman, SEAL, and Physician's Assistant. He mixes humor with dead-serious very well, keeping the book from being either too dark or too light-hearted. (I laughed out loud when he tells of checking into Corpsman A-school and being accused of wearing devices he hadn't earned. He'd gotten jump wings and Navy Diver certification as a Marine, but the officer who saw him did not know that.)

There were a few small issues. First, it is very hard to determine how time passes. He tells his story in chronological order, but the only time frame he gives is the First Gulf War and 9/11. At times, I thought he was talking about events close in time, only to later learn there were years between them.

Second, the reader, though mostly very good, occasionally paused at odd times. It was not a huge issue.