Chosen Soldier

The Making of a Special Forces Warrior

By: Dick Couch

Narrated by: Kevin Foley

Length: 14 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

In combating terror, America can no longer depend on its conventional military superiority and the use of sophisticated technology. More than ever, we need men like those of the Army Special Forces---the legendary Green Berets. In Chosen Soldier, Dick Couch draws on nearly a year spent at Special Forces training facilities and offers an unprecedented view of the education of these men.

Following the experiences of one class of soldiers as they endure this physically and mentally exhausting ordeal, Couch spells out in fascinating detail the demanding selection process and grueling field exercises, the high-level technical training and intensive language courses, and the simulated battle problems that test everything from how well SF candidates gather operational intelligence to their skills at negotiating with volatile, often hostile, local leaders. Chosen Soldier paints a vivid portrait of an elite group, and a process that forges America's smartest, most versatile, and most valuable fighting force.

©2007 Dick Couch, Foreword copyright 2007 by Robert D. Kaplan (P)2011 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Definitive . . . insightful . . . should be read by every American who despairs [about] current tumult." (Linda Robinson, author of Masters of Chaos)

Great book following the evolution of ODA

This is a great book following me progression of an ODA class preparing for there careers ahead.

Most Insightful!

Decently the most insightful book on (Army Special Forces) I've read. It was the most detailed with SFAS & the Q course.

SF a Unique Asset

If you’re looking for a book about Rambo this isn’t it. Couch follows SF candidates through their foundational Q course training, and at the end of the book visits with operational ODA’s in Iraq. He gives his brief but important two cents on how we’re doing at the end of the book. Note that language and SERE schools are excluded from the book, the latter being mostly classified. SF are a diverse group, and the crux of their operation is intellectual and social ability. Good book, will give you a good sense of how these guys come up.

Perfect for someone trying to get details.

Exactly what I've been trying to find out about SFAS for years. Not at all hard to stay engaged listening to.

No Better Account

This book is a must-read for anyone interested in trying out for the Army SF program. As a matter of fact, I would say that this book is an essential read for anyone who wants to gain a deeper understanding of the difficulties, responsibilities, and lifestyles of those individuals who choose to live a special forces life. I am preparing to ship to basic training in a few months, and this book was a tremendous part of my mental prep for my upcoming military life. Dick Couch gives the reader quite a lot of insight into an otherwise classified world of training. You won't find this amount of detail in a movie or online forum, for sure.

Interesting content, horrible narration.

Where does Chosen Soldier rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Better than most but the content can be a little dry at times especially in the first hour or so.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

To me, if the book is good and narrated in the proper way, I don't really even notice the narrator. That's the way it should be. I want to focus on the story being told, not the way it is being told. The narration of this book was massively distracting. He uses the most annoying voices. For any of the candidates under the age of 25, he uses a high pitched, fast paced scared little boy voice. For the senior NCOs and officers he uses a deep, gruff, barking voice. For the southerners, an annoying southern twang and for the Hispanic candidates an almost comical Hispanic accent. The candidate from New Zealand? Well, you can imagine how that voice sounded. Multiple times I found myself completely distracted from WHAT was being said by HOW it was being said.

Any additional comments?

Dick Couch is a great author and he has produced another great book with Chosen Soldier. I would highly recommend the print version but I honestly cannot recommend the audiobook. The ridiculous narration killed this one for me.

Incredible

amazing book and extremely informative. I will definitely be looking into Mr. Couch's other works of literary genius.

A great look at training the men of special forces.

If you like Robin Moore’s book the Green Berets then you will love this updated look at the program.

Thank God we have young men like this!

What made the experience of listening to Chosen Soldier the most enjoyable?

The reader

What did you like best about this story?

The fact that our young men volunteer to become a Special Forces soldier, and the sacrifice they make to earn the Green Beret.

Which character – as performed by Kevin Foley – was your favorite?

The young warriors as they are taught to be leaders.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Sometime hearing the struggle the young men were subjected to was difficult to listen too.

Any additional comments?

I know a very brave young man who was in this class, and has gone on to become a successful warrior-and is still in the military. We are very proud of him, and this book really brought his experiences to life.

very good outline

This book gives a vet good outline of the first hand experience of the different phase of SOF training. The performance was very good at voicing the multiple characters and made it easy to keep track to who was talking. Thank you.