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Lone Survivor  By  cover art

Lone Survivor

By: Marcus Luttrell, Patrick Robinson
Narrated by: Kevin T. Collins
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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

Featured Article: The 20 Best Military Audiobooks from History to Fiction and Beyond


The titles that fall under the designation of military audiobooks are more varied and diverse than you might think. From firsthand combat accounts to imaginative works of fiction, these listens cover a lot of ground on both domestic and international disputes, scientific and sociological analyses, male and female perspectives, lessons from victory and loss, and more. What they have in common, though, are themes of courage, loss, and determination.

What listeners say about Lone Survivor

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  • 5 out of 5 stars
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  • 5 out of 5 stars
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    12,668
  • 4 Stars
    1,168
  • 3 Stars
    299
  • 2 Stars
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    126

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent story; horrible narration.

Simply the hardest book I've had to listen to (1st world problems, I know), but this narrator's inflection is DRIVING ME NUTS.

Incredible story otherwise.

RIP Seals.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

such an amazing story!


marcus is a true American hero and deserves respect by all! respect bro! amazing

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Astoundingly Profound

This left me speechless. I cried. I laughed. I grieved for the incredible losses Luttrell endured, I beamed with pride for America's finest. I wished I was born a Texan. I picked up this book to be reminded of my love for this country in the midst of so much political furor and PC garbage. This was a sobering gut check for me and I hope many, many more -- especially a younger audience -- will read and understand the price so many pay to defend our way of life. 🇺🇸

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Heroic but flawed story

Incredible story of an American hero that would have been much better without all the trite patriotic & political platitudes, self serving exaggeration, and sub par narration.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

High School Recruitment Pitch

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The tone and style is aimed at the appropriate audience: high school recruitment.
Let's seek some higher ground in a rewrite.

If you’ve listened to books by Marcus Luttrell and Patrick Robinson before, how does this one compare?

Have not.

Would you be willing to try another one of Kevin Collins’s performances?

Negative.

Did Lone Survivor inspire you to do anything?

Sure did. I hit the fast forward button a lot during the many meaningless rants about Texas and religion.

Any additional comments?

I'm guessing there's a lot more to modern Seal warcraft than this shallow pitch.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Brave and Biased

Would you listen to Lone Survivor again? Why?

I would listen to the chapters describing the workouts because it encouraged me to workout harder.

Would you recommend Lone Survivor to your friends? Why or why not?

Yes, because its a great first-person tale of extraordinary circumstances. Its also very entertaining.

What does Kevin Collins bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Nuance and character. He is very dramatic.

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

No. Its intense and upsetting at times.

Any additional comments?

Marcus seems confused about the role of the media and the mindset of liberals. Instead of blaming the "liberal media," people should take responsibility for their own actions. I think Navy Seals should blame their training and over reliance on religion for their "mistake" on that hill and not the "liberal media."

Unfortunately, even, Navy Seals need rules. Every job has rules to follow. So, Navy Seals need to grow up and accept the fact that everyone has rules to follow.

Furthermore, this book perpetuates some myths about 911. If you want to read a book about the events that lead up to 911, get The Looming Tower.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great American Hero. Poor Narration

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

The story of Marcus Latrell is an inspiration. The narrators voice is annoying. Can't wait for the movie.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

His voice with it's high pitch and drawl was annoying and didn't make me think it was a Seal telling his story.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

I would have given this book 5 stars but....

What did you like about this audiobook?

Incredible story of determination, loss and perspective. The portion dealing with the town of Pashtun villagers was a never before seen (for me) view into the lives of regular people who are trying to go about their lives herding and farming while a war is waged around them.

How has the book increased your interest in the subject matter?

I've always been interested in the subject matter and I prefer it from the first person's perspective and from real-life experience rather than fiction.

Does the author present information in a way that is interesting and insightful, and if so, how does he achieve this?

The stories, as they go from one point to another are brilliantly expressed. His portrayal of the SEAL Instructors was terrifying to a layman. I found myself not wanting to run across a sand dune again!

What did you find wrong about the narrator's performance?

I had two serious problems with the book and it's contents, overall. First, his immediate tendency to blame nearly everything that went wrong on the liberal media and the American liberals that prevent him from doing some things during battle. American liberals and the liberal media did not write the Geneva Conventions' international laws for the humanitarian treatment of combatants of war. Executing unarmed herdsmen is an international crime, not an American or liberal one. I understand the consequences of what happened afterward but liberals didn't make those laws. Second, his constant references to how God kept him alive and continued to give him his weapon are hypocrisy when compared to the language of the book, his thoughts on killing unarmed civilians and the fact that no one's God can protect them in war. I'll ignore the part where the US Government denies that the force that attacked the SEALS was greater than 40 just because no one really knows.

Do you have any additional comments?

Good book but I found myself being disgusted at each mention of liberal media, American liberals and God. It was all a bit much for me and ruined an otherwise completely compelling story of bravery and compassion. Fantastic story but....

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Book Funny Voice

Where does Lone Survivor rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I would place this book in my top 10.

What did you like best about this story?

The best thing about this book is the level of detail that it was written with.

What three words best describe Kevin Collins’s performance?

Texan, Silly, Dramatic

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

no

Any additional comments?

The Voice talent really got silly sometimes. Totally pulled me out of the story in some instances, because of how over the top it was.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Some of this didn't ring true...

Better fact checking. Boeing does not make engines and the C130 is made by Lockheed. The Air Force does not have "1200 lb" bombs unless that is something new. KIA's are not shipped home in polished wooden caskets. Metal remains containers use to be the standard. I could go on and on but all these minor mistakes just make me wonder who took the time to edit this.

However all of that is picky. The biggest problem I had was the depiction of the argument over the military expediency of killing unarmed civilians who might be Taliban sympathizers. That is not just something Americans refuse to do because of the liberal press. At least in the U.S. Army Special War ops soldiers are trained that attrocities give aid and comfort to the enemy. Kill three unarmed tribesmen including a 14 year old and you will create 300 more combatents. At one point he mentiones they had no rope to tie them up. I can't believe they were not smart enough to cut some of the tribemen's clothes up into strips and do the job. Never mine that they blew it to begin with if three goat herders wandered up on them from behind.

I can't imagine the Navy is happy with this part of the story. Please don't tarnish the reputation of men who gave their lives for this country just to make political points.

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