• Chosen Soldier

  • The Making of a Special Forces Warrior
  • By: Dick Couch
  • Narrated by: Kevin Foley
  • Length: 14 hrs and 59 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (556 ratings)

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Chosen Soldier  By  cover art

Chosen Soldier

By: Dick Couch
Narrated by: Kevin Foley
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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
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

Critic reviews

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

What listeners say about Chosen Soldier

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Do You Have What It Takes To Be A Green Beret

What did you like best about Chosen Soldier? What did you like least?

I liked how detailed it was, but this was also the worst part of the book. It could get a little boring at times.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

The narrator was sufficient, but nothing special.

Did Chosen Soldier inspire you to do anything?

It inspired me to fast forward. I'm just kidding, but sometimes it came close to that.

Any additional comments?

Dick Couch has great access to the Special Forces community. He also has an abundant knowledge of Special Forces. He goes into great detail which is good for some things and bad for others. I enjoyed this book and don't regret buying or listening to it. If you have listened to/read his other book "The Finishing School" this is the Army version. It is basically the same thing but instead of SEALs it's Green Berets. It gives a detailed, in dept look at the Green Beret selection. So if that is what your looking for then get this book.

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3 people found this helpful

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

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.

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2 people found this helpful

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

For those who aspire to also be great one day.

This is such an eye opener! Anyone interested in the Special Forces needs to read this book. Start to finish, the writer follows these soldiers through their training and records everything with great detail. You want to be prepared or want to know if the SF is for you, read this book!

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

A difficult read for this civilian reader

First, let me say that I admire Dick Couch for his knowledge and writing ability, not to mention his service to our country. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Act of Valor and the Warrior Ellite. This book was a little hard to get into. I think unless you have knowledge and experience in military processes and weaponry it's very easy to get lost, hard to follow.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    out of 5 stars

Great book, annoying performance

What did you love best about Chosen Soldier?

Chosen Soldier is an excellent first-hand account of what it takes to become a Green Beret. As a legendary SEAL, Dick Couch is the ideal author to examine Army Special Forces.

How could the performance have been better?

The reader utilized the most annoying voice to portray the dialogues of soldiers. He uses a high-pitched tone that portrays these warriors as timid little boys. I have no idea why he chose this technique for their dialogue but it is exasperating. It has taken me over a year to finish this audio book because I can only stand it for so long.

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1 person found this helpful

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

Thoroughly done

Dick was very thorough. He helped me understand the SF pipeline. Great help to anyone wanting to head down this route.

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

Becoming a Green Beret from A to Z

Fascinating look at the making of our Green Berets! There was a lot of detail which was relevant to me as my son begins the process. The story was told in a way that held the attention of even a total military dummy!

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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

Great book following the evolution of ODA

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

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

Incredible book. Highly informative

I’ve already listened to this book twice. It starts out giving an in-depth history lesson of Army SF as well as SOF as a whole then goes into each and every detail of SFAS and throughout all phases of the Q-Course. 10/10

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

Incredibly well written

I loved this book. I’ve read it 2x and am looking to sign a rep 63 contract. This book has given me an incredible insight on the background of the Special Forces and the breakdown of their training & selection. However, even for someone not looking to join the Special Forces, its a riveting book!

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