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Level Zero Heroes  By  cover art

Level Zero Heroes

By: Michael Golembesky,John R. Bruning
Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
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Publisher's summary

An elite Marine special operations team, a battle to save downed soldiers in Afghanistan, a fight for survival—an incredible true story of war that became a New York Times bestseller.

In Level Zero Heroes, Michael Golembesky follows the members of U.S. Marine Special Operations Team 8222 on their assignment to the remote and isolated Taliban stronghold known as Bala Murghab as they conduct special operations in an effort to break the Taliban's grip on the Valley. What started out as a routine mission changed when two 82nd Airborne Paratroopers tragically drowned in the Bala Murghab River while trying to retrieve vital supplies from an air drop that had gone terribly wrong. In this one moment, the focus and purpose of the friendly forces at Forward Operating Base Todd, where Team 8222 was assigned, was forever altered as a massive clearing operation was initiated to break the Taliban's stranglehold on the valley and recover the bodies.

From close-quarters firefights in Afghan villages to capturing key-terrain from the Taliban in the unforgiving Afghan winter, this intense and personal story depicts the brave actions and sacrifices of MSOT 8222. Readers will understand the hopelessness of being pinned down under a hail of enemy gunfire and the quake of the earth as a 2000 lb. guided bomb levels a fortified Taliban fighting position.
A powerful and moving story of Marine Operators doing what they do best, Level Zero Heroes brings to life the mission of these selected few that fought side-by-side in Afghanistan, in a narrative as action-packed and emotional as anything to emerge from the Special Operations community contribution to the Afghan War.

©2014 Michael Golembesky and John R. Bruning (P)2014 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“Level Zero Heroes proves that great warriors aren't minted from any one branch of service. Michael's story is a testament to the hard men of MARSOC who have contributed significantly both on and off the battlefield since the attacks of Sept. 11th, 2001. Semper Fi brothers.” —Brandon Webb, former Navy SEAL, Editor of SOFREP, and New York Times bestselling author of The Red Circle

“Semper Fi! Level Zero Heroes is a riveting, fast paced account of Marine Operators in combat in Afghanistan. Inspiring & insightful look into the new world of Marine Corps Special Operations, I was absolutely hooked from the first page to the last. I'm glad Ski and his fellow team members are on our side.” —Sean Parnell, New York Times bestselling author of Outlaw Platoon

“The author writes perceptively about the complex social environment of Afghanistan…. The depictions of combat are precise regarding weapons and tactics but also jargon-heavy, giving the action a video game feel.” —Kirkus Reviews

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What listeners say about Level Zero Heroes

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

Worst narrator ever

This is such a great story but the narrator killed it. Way over acted with his tough guy talk. I had to buy the hard copy since I couldn't listen to this D Bag narrator anymore. This would be five stars if it weren't for him.

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13 people found this helpful

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

Disappointingly hard to listen to

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

Somebody who hasn't read much of this genre

What do you think your next listen will be?

Something narrated by Scott Brick

What didn’t you like about Peter Berkrot’s performance?

The "good old boy"is overdone and robs the story of credibility

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Level Zero Heroes?

12 minute prologue, Nevada Desert. I.e. Everything I have read so far

Any additional comments?

It is probably a great story but the narration is a turn off

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12 people found this helpful

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

Don't bother...

Sadly, the narrators voice acting made this impossible to finish. Just buy the hard copy.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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Don't waste your time

This one can be chalked up to another one of those 'written to tell the story of others' when the majority of the book is the author making every attempt to distinguish himself and his actions from the others he claims to be honoring. Not a bad story but be prepared for some cheesy lines and hint of arrogance. Narrator made this almost impossible to finish, he sounds like the narrator from the 300 movie, which is cool for 5 minutes, then gets annoying. Sorry Peter Berkrot, you're probably a great guy but your voice is better served for movie previews not a 9 hour story.

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6 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Narrator didnt help

I am sure the story was more exciting and less boring than it seemed. The narrator seemed to sensationalize and put voice inflection that created a dramatic effect where he didn’t have to...as if it was a 1950s sitcom.

Either it was a distraction to the story...or the story itself seemed dull.

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4 people found this helpful

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

JFO who works w/ JTACs 2 put warheads on foreheads

The narrator pronounced some military terms wrong here and there, such as "5.56" as "five fifty-six" as opposed to "five five six", "ANA" is just read as an acronym not "Anna". He said "50 millimeter" instead of "50 cal" at one point which I chuckled at because that is almost the size of a mortar round. I'm just being picky though and most civilians and even many service members wouldn't have picked up on some of these things. Overall, phenomenal book though. I have already recommended it to many of my brothers in arms and would recommend it to anyone with interest in modern US military history. If you happen to be a fister, a JFO, Fire Supporter, JTAC, TACP, CCT, etc. then this is definitely a great book for you. It provides a lot of valuable lessons that can be applied on the battlefield.

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4 people found this helpful

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

Great Book, Alright Narrator

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Peter Berkrot?

I'm not sure who would have been a better narrator, but Peter Berkrot, while very into the story, made the main character sound far too whiney. At times when the character was making observations in relatively benign circumstances, Peter made him sound as though the world was crashing down. This definitely took away from the instances of real legitimate complaint and danger.I will give him credit for very few errors (later edited sentences). Great voice and dictator, just the wrong voice for this novel.

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4 people found this helpful

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

Excellent-

If you could sum up Level Zero Heroes in three words, what would they be?

Heart-pounding, gritty, frustrating (the situation in Afghanistan)

What did you like best about this story?

The author captures "the brotherhood" of combat-arms servicemen.

What didn’t you like about Peter Berkrot’s performance?

He shifted accents frequently for the same characters. I could have done without his sound-effects of gunfire.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

There was one heart-breaking scene which perfectly illustrates the depravity of the Taliban

Any additional comments?

ORDER IT NOW

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4 people found this helpful

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

Narrator was a bit cheesie

The narrator was a bit cheesie but I've heard worse. I wish we got to know the guys/characters better.

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3 people found this helpful

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

Nothing special.

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

Not really. I was honestly expecting a better depiction of the war from a Marsoc platoon. I found myself drifting off in other thoughts. Didn't keep my interest.

Would you ever listen to anything by Michael Golembesky and John R. Bruning again?

I'm not a fan of the writing style, so probably not.

What about Peter Berkrot’s performance did you like?

His performance was pretty genuine.

Could you see Level Zero Heroes being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

I'm sure it would make a good movie. The story was just all over the place, it was hard to follow.

Any additional comments?

I was pretty excited to get this book. I was disappointed with the story. It was no "Generation Kill."

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3 people found this helpful