One Bullet Away

The Making of Marine Officer

By: Nathaniel Fick

Narrated by: Nathaniel Fick

Length: 6 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

A former captain in the Marines' First Recon Battalion, who fought in Afghanistan and Iraq, reveals how the Corps trains its elite and offers a point-blank account of twenty-first-century battle.

If the Marines are "the few, the proud", Recon Marines are the fewest and the proudest. Only one Marine in a hundred qualifies for Recon, charged with working clandestinely, often behind enemy lines. Fick's training begins with a hellish summer at Quantico, after his junior year at Dartmouth, and advances to the pinnacle, Recon, four years later, on the eve of war with Iraq. Along the way, he learns to shoot a man a mile away, stays awake for 72 hours straight, endures interrogation and torture at the secretive SERE course, learns to swim with Navy SEALs, masters the Eleven Principles of Leadership, and much more.

His vast skill set puts him in front of the front lines, leading 22 Marines into the deadliest conflict since Vietnam. He vows he will bring all his men home safely, and to do so he'll need more than his top-flight education. He'll need luck and an increasingly clear vision of the limitations of his superiors and the missions they assign him.

Fick unveils the process that makes Marine officers such legendary leaders and shares his hard-won insights into the differences between the military ideals he learned and military practice, which can mock those ideals. One Bullet Away never shrinks from blunt truths, but it is an ultimately inspiring account of mastering the art of war.

©2005 Nathaniel Fick (P)2005 Simon & Schuster Inc. All rights reserved. AUDIOWORKS is an imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division.

Critic reviews

"Candid and fast-paced....Like the best combat memoirs, Fick's focuses on the men doing the fighting and avoids...sensationalism." (Publishers Weekly)

Excellent.

This was a very enjoyable experience. I love books read by the author and Fick is no exception. This should be required reading on Leadership and Decision Making.

I Learned a Lot

I purchased this audio book to learn what it might really be like to train for, and go into battle. I learned a lot and had a greater understanding of the turmoil that is Iraq. Ending Sadam didn’t end the turmoil, as we all know, but it’s interesting to see at a practical level what that looked like on the ground.

abridged

this book is so incredible, why does it have to be abridged? you lose so much story

Genuine

Good story, told in detail from the man himself. Very genuine and honest. I enjoyed it very much.

Well written, but shouldnt be abridged

A well written account from an experienced modern marine Captain. Definitely one for the book shelf.

Stellar- per a Marine Sergeant

As an enlisted Marine for 5 years, I had the pleasure and burden of serving under great and not-so-great officers. Capt. Fick's work conveys everything a Sgt and his junior Marines hope their commander thinks and feels towards them and their collective purpose. This book is a gut wrenching portrayal of the responsibility and loneliness of command, but also the irrational excitement of combat and high risk operations. For any prospective, active, or former service member, and civilians alike, this book is a clear eyed look at the culture of honor and violence that is the Marine Corps.

Awesome

Truth about war and the Corps,
Honest and straightforward without fluff.
If your looking for an honest representation from a personal aspect this is it.

LT Fick is a hero

Not just a “war hero” he was a hero in a war. And his morals and convictions were what all armed men should be. Just one thing protect from foreign and DOMESTIC war is a racket ladies and gentlemen a d the man that said that was warning of corporate interests that spawned the presidents that got us into all these wars.
RFB

Worth a listen whether pro or con

This veterans take on Iraq is no picknick. It doesn't sugar coat. It doesn't show the 100% greatness of america. Basically it shows how much like a big company the military is. I work for the largest IT provider in the world and it reminded me of how unstreamlined you become when your so big. So many people making decisions outside the frame of reference screwing things up or getting in the way. I loved the book and would recommend it to anyone. It's not always pretty but it's the truth. I gave it 4 out of 5 because I prefer unabridged I always feel cheated with abridged audiobooks.

Book incomplete.

Would be 5 stars except that someone decided not to tape the whole book. Instead this Audible version only presents excerpts. A fact not mentioned when I bought it. C'mon Amazon-Audible please DO NOT DO THAT.