Lone Survivor

The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10

By: Marcus Luttrell, Patrick Robinson

Narrated by: Kevin T. Collins

Length: 14 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

Four US Navy SEALS departed one clear night in early July 2005 for the mountainous Afghanistan-Pakistan border for a reconnaissance mission. Their task was to document the activity of an al Qaeda leader rumored to have a small army in a Taliban stronghold. Five days later, only one of those Navy SEALS made it out alive.

This is the story of the only survivor of Operation Redwing, SEAL team leader Marcus Luttrell, and the extraordinary firefight that led to the largest loss of life in American Navy SEAL history. His squadmates fought valiantly beside him until he was the only one left alive, blasted by an RPG into a place where his pursuers could not find him. Over the next four days, terribly injured and presumed dead, Luttrell crawled for miles through the mountains and was taken in by sympathetic villagers who risked their lives to keep him safe from surrounding Taliban warriors.

A born and raised Texan, Marcus Luttrell takes us from the rigors of SEAL training, where he and his fellow SEALs discovered what it took to join the most elite of the American special forces, to a fight in the desolate hills of Afghanistan for which they never could have been prepared. His account of his squadmates' heroism and mutual support renders an experience for which two of his squadmates were posthumously awarded the Navy Cross for combat heroism that is both heartrending and life-affirming. In this rich chronicle of courage and sacrifice, honor and patriotism, Marcus Luttrell delivers a powerful narrative of modern war.

©2007 Marcus Luttrell (P)2012 Hachette

Lone Survivor

I went through a period of time where I was rather obsessive about Spec Ops and their stories. However, this book and the story of Operation Redwings is by far one of the most powerful and heartbreaking stories I have read. I am a Navy wife, and I don’t know a lot of women who dive into this subject matter, especially when your spouse is active duty. But, I have immense respect for our military and all that they and their families endure in defense of our nation.
If you are squeamish about blood and war, I don’t recommend the movie made about this book. However, the book itself is informational about the Seals as a whole, and the events of Operation Redwings and the recovery of Marcus Luttrell makes up the last few chapters and is not overly gory. He is as descriptive as he needs to be. The movie is incredibly hard to watch, so just be aware of that.
For all those men and women who have served our nation, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. And I will go a step further and send all my thanks and deepest respects to the families of those who serve. I often feel the ones who pay the highest price are the families who lose their loved ones to war. Their sacrifice should never be overlooked.
God bless America.

How can you not be moved

What they did will be hard to understand yet thank God men and women such as these exist. Through this solid accounting comes an awareness of the sacrifice.

Captivating, Emotion Felt, and Shocking

So many emotions felt while listening to this book. My heart broke at tines, I laughed at tines, and I felt devastated at times. It gave more meaning to the hero wod my daughter does at crossfit every Memorial Day "Murph".
This is a must read, or must listen. The narrator was also very easy to listen to.

The very best

This story will stick with me forever. Kevin Collins did a spectacular job of bringing the author’s experience to life. I am tempted to start the audiobook all over again.

Narrator makes this difficult

Interesting story with a narrator that makes it almost impossible to listen to. Just not for me.

Great Listen!

The fact that he talks about his faith and how he credits God for his survival.

A glimpse of our heroes

Outstanding insight into our military heroes and what they endure both on the battlefield and at home. I will never forget the Red Wing fallen.

Nothing short of incredible

This book will rivet you and keep you dying to hear the next minute. Although the thrust of the story is about Luttrell's incredible experience in the Afghanistan mountains after being separate from this SEAL brethren after a brutal shootout with the Taliban, it's also about the preparation he underwent to be there. It's truly hard to believe what SEALs go through to be a SEAL. You not only have to be a rare physical specimen, but you have to also be a little mentally crazy. That is not a disparaging remark. You have to be able to withstand an impossible amount of suffering and abuse. You'll understand when you listen to the book.

My only disappointment is with the narrator. He does a really good job, but at times he's just too *dramatic* in his verbalization. By the end of the book I grew a bit weary of his drama. But it's still really good and I highly recommend this book to anyone.

An American Hero

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Kevin Collins?

Anybody. Mickey Mouse, perhaps? Bugs Bunny? His narration was so painful, that I couldn't get past the first hour of the audio book.

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

Oh, Lord, no!!!!!

Excellent read

Riveting and engaging. A great story and a great story teller. Truly fascinating. Makes one proud to be an American.