Product Description

In June 2005 four US Navy SEALs left their base in Afghanistan for the Pakistani border. Their mission was to capture or kill a notorious al Qaeda leader known to be ensconced in a Taliban stronghold surrounded by a small but heavily armed force. Less than twenty-four hours later, only one of those Navy SEALs was alive. This is the story of team leader Marcus Luttrell, the sole survivor of Operation Redwing, but it is also the story of his team who fought ferociously beside him until he was the last one left, blasted unconscious by a rocket grenade, blown over a cliff, but still armed and still breathing. Over the next four days, badly injured and presumed dead, Luttrell fought off six al Qaeda assassins who were sent to finish him off, then crawled for seven miles through the mountains before he was taken in a a Pashtun tribe who risked everything to protect him from the circling Taliban killers.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #59025 in Books
• Published on: 2008-05-15
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 400 pages

About the Author
Petty Officer Marcus Luttrell joined the US Navy in 1999 and became a combat-trained SEAL in 2002. He was awarded the Navy Cross for combat heroism in 2006. Patrick Robinson writes navy-based novels and he ghosted the autiobiography of Admiral Sir Sandy Woodward.

Customer Reviews

Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell
Having read quite a few of these types of books l was initially dissapointed if only because the writer is always coming out with 'god bless america' and 'liberty and freedom' and 'because i love my country' type comments -and i mean to the point where i nearly had to put the book down... but when the story opens up a bit he lays off that for a while and the book is actually quite a good read -initially he explains what it took for him to first become a seal and then he pretty much goes straight in to the action. Funnily enough the book finishes as it started with comments like ' because i am a united states navy seal' i mean c'mon i think we got that by the end of the book and hilariously it ends with the statement ' god help the enemy and god bless texas!!!! I would say however that he seems to be a nice guy who went through a bad time in those mountains so if you can put up with the 'over american - god bless us type comments - you may actually enjoy the book!

Tale of lost heroes (3.5 stars)
Very hard review this, as I am from the UK and my perspective may differ from those of you in the US.

This is the story of Marcus Luttrell, a US SEAL, his training and his insertion with three others into a Taliban infested area of Afghanistan to track an al-Qaeda leader. The mission goes wrong and his team members a killed in a fierce fire-fight and Luttrell only survives because he is given shelter by an Afghan Pashtun tribe who take their oath of hospitality very seriously indeed.

SEALs are elite soldiers and have an astonishing level of ability and patriotism. Generally to the right of the political spectrum, they appear to despise the `liberal lefties' who stop them from doing their job and they see themselves very much as a breed apart. Initially this was a little hard to take, but then when the author guides us through his training, you start to understand where he is coming from, and then astonishing level of brotherhood these guys have for each-other.

This book starts with the author's Texan background and how he was almost `groomed' to become a SEAL, we then go through his training and then the detail of the fateful mission.

Surprisingly emotional as well as action packed as Luttrell's team go down with astonishing bravery and the tragic attempted rescue mission. While the author is MIA, the growing vigil at his family's home, highlights the local and Special Forces community and the deep sense of pride and patriotism they share.

3.5 stars

Not bad, not the best.
As other reviewers have already said, the first third/half of the book is all about training and Luttrell becoming a SEAL and then finally the book moves on to the deployment in Afghanistan.

The recount of the battle and the time spent with the Pashtun tribe was well written and worth waiting for.

It was interesting to read the US soldier's perspective on politics, but the references to the 'liberal media' did get a bit much for me. As did all of the God references.

So all in all, worth the read.