Lone Survivor chronicles the final mission of Navy Seal Team 10 in Afghanistan, their attempted rescue and how Marcus Luttrell manages to navigate the complex political and cultural world that exists in the mountainous regions of Eastern Afghanistan just to survive. Marcus describes his journey to becoming a Seal - the elite of Naval Special Forces - that began in childhood and what he did to ensure that he would make it through the Seal selection process known as BUDs. The gritty, unpolished narrative would seem like poor writing in most books, but in the context of this real life story, it makes the account all the more real, pulling you into the world that these young men exist in - a reality that is both honorable and tragic, inspiring and horrifying. No matter what your feelings about the conflicts that we are currently involved in might be, this is a must-read account of what modern small-unit warfare is really like in the 21st century. The book is neither preachy nor romantic. It's simply a rock-solid account of a tragic battle in an equally tragic war. Thank you to Marcus for honoring himself and his team with this startling story. ( )

If you have ever wondered what it would be like to be "the tip of the sword" then this is the book for you. More than just your run-of-the-mill autobiography; this is one of the best books you can read to understand what makes the Navy SEALs (or any special forces soldiers) "tick" -- why they're so tough, so confident, and unflinching in the face of danger.

While some individuals may dislike his reasoning, he does make a compelling argument against the folly of having politicians mandate rules of warfare and engagement for combat soldiers. (With numerous friends and relatives that have served, and are serving, in the armed forces, I already held many of Marcus' opinions on how to keep our soldiers safe and bring as many as possible home alive.) Others may take a dim view of his frequent diatribes denouncing the many flaws and facets of liberal politics, but having lived around the world in countries in various states of economic progress (first, 2nd & 3rd world conditions), I view his opinions as cogent, comprehensive, concise, and completely sound -- any that disagree with him need to travel more, and stay far away from tour guides and tourist traps. Marcus points out that the fluff that passes for politics and "statesmanship" of today is primarily superficial, inconsequential, and counterproductive to spreading democracy and freedom to the furthest reaches of the globe, as well as totally unprepared for (and incapable of resisting) the fanatical terrorists that are so eager to bring the west to its knees.

This book is a fitting memorial to his fallen colleagues. It's well-sprinkled with humor, but no punches are pulled, no losses are white-washed, and no "rough edges" are blunted to please or appease anyone. While I would probably hesitate to give this book to a very young child (because of the language), it would be great if were required reading for every registered voter, as well as every high school and college senior in the USA. "Lone Survivor" has renewed my appreciation for the soldiers and their spouses that have sacrificed (and continued to sacrifice) so much for our great nation. ( )

Excellent Book. An easy read, brief description of the history of Afghanistan and Taliban. It covered the author's dream of becoming a U.S Navy Seal and his ordeal during the mission in 2005. Warning!: It can cause tears. ( )

This could have been a great book, easily equal to Black Hawk Down, since the training and battle scenes are incredible and quite moving. The too frequent digressions into legal philosophy, politics, and international relations, however, tend toward the ridiculously simplistic and detract considerably, I think, from the power of the story. Too bad. ( )

One of the best books I've ever read. ( )