Marcus Luttrell - The Lone Survivor

[LetterBoy]

I have read this book twice.

If all you can do is complain about the way the book is written you are missing the point of the book.

I also read the book about Lt Micheal Murphy - Seal of Honor. another great book.

I honestly cry every time I read the book about Lt Murphy.

I was amazed the first time I read Lone Survivor, it opened my eyes.

[pwr2al4]

If you liked Lone Survivor, I would also suggest reading the following:

"Not a Good Day to Die", by Sean Naylor
"One Bullet Away", by Nathaniel Fick
"Black Hearts", by Jim Frederick
"Where Men Win Glory", by John Krakauer
"Ghost Wars", by Steve Coll.

Excellent list! I have read all of those and they are all great books.
That list can easily become a mile long but I always make it a point to recommend a great great author who I originally discovered by total coincedence after reading Lone Survivor. If you turn to the last page of Marcus's book, he includes a small blurb where he thanks another by the name of Dick Couch (Ret.) for including a nice mention of him in his book The Warrior Elite

A little backround about the book, the author and SOF in general. SOCOM is a very very small world, DEVGRU even more so, so its not unusual to read the name of a solider or sailor mentioned casually in one book and soon after learn about some incredible ordeal that he went through after graduating and going on to join the Teams.

This has happened a few times that I've noticed in both of Mike Durants excellent books. (Durant was a Blackhawk Driver with the 160th SOAR (Nightstalkers) during the Black Hawk Down incident in Somalia, he was taken captive and later freed. In fact, not only was it those same pilots who recently dished out some hate and discontent for our enemies a few weeks ago. But the so called 'Stealthy" UH-60 that was partially recovered after its mech. failure, was the brainchild and dream product of a fellow Nightstalker pilot, Cliff "elvis" Wolcott, who unfortunately was KIA in Somalia in the second Blackhawk crash.

Anyway Lutrell briefly thanks Couch for mentioning him in his book 'The Warrior Elite'. For anyone who doesn't know all Navy SEALS like Lutrell must complete what is universally considered the most difficult training of any military on the planet called BUD/s (basic U/w Demo, SEAL) training. Now what little that has been made public about BUD/s has been mostly works of fiction to play to TV cameras etc. The Warrior Elite is different. Captain Dick Couch is a former Member of UDT and later various SEAL teams. He completed the Naval Academy at the top of his class and later completed BUD/s and was given the honor of being Class honorman for his graduating class. He is was literally the best of the best, more importantly he is one of them. He is often invited back to give convocation speechs as well as lecture potentials trainees. His book was written with the full blessings of DEVGRU and the NAVY and it tells the actual story of what its like to work to complete the nearly 2 year long battle that is Navy SEAL training. Starting from the 2 week indoc, through all three phases, to leadership schooling, jump/dive schools etc. up the point where SEALS hopefully earn their Tridents, Couch was there and wrote and phenomenol book about how incredibly difficult it is.

Its an absolute must read.
His next book Chosen Solider grants him the same access this time to SF selection training at Ft. Benning and is just as great and really details just how different the indiviudal branches of the SOF family really are.

[mmintz]

One of my all time favorite books. It is irritating to see everyone complain about the writing.