Book 3 Review: Lone Survivor

The book Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell (in theaters now) is one of two books written by Marcus who is a former United States Navy SEAL. He received the Navy Cross and the Purple Heart for his courageous and brave actions he took in 2005 while fighting a couple hundred Taliban in Operation Red Wings, which was a special operation aimed at taking out a high priority Taliban leader and American target. Lone Survivor is a memoir of the accounts that occurred on the fateful day in Afghanistan in the Hindu Kush where the other members of his SEAL team were killed with the hatred for Americans that existed in the heart and cold soul of those Taliban warriors. This is the story of a brotherhood.  “It’s strictly American brotherhood, mostly forged in blood. Hard-won, unbreakable.”

Lone Survivor takes place in the mountains of Afghanistan, specifically, the Hindu Kush. This mountain is a well-known Taliban tribesmen hideout and home to multiple Taliban leaders. One of these Taliban leaders being Ben Sharmak was Marcus’s SEAL Team’s objective, to either capture or kill the ferocious Taliban leader who despised Americans for everything they represented. He was also the man who killed hundreds of Marines in roadside bombs and ambushes in weeks earlier.

                  While reading this great book, many people may wonder why Marcus Luttrell refers back to the ROE’s and Liberals and tries using a strange sense of humor in his detailed description of the battle and other accounts while stationed in Afghanistan. It seems that Marcus tends to incorporate this humor into his writing style to almost ease the pain of what he is saying, like a nervous joke or laughter. First off, ROE stands for Rules Of Engagement, which are the rules that all U.S military personnel must follow. And these rules state, “that we could not shoot, kill or injure unarmed civilians… How about the innocent-looking camel drovers making their way through the mountain passes with enough high explosives strapped to the backs of their beasts to blow up Yankee Stadium? “ Later on in the paragraph, Marcus tries to explain this further with humor by saying that, “we could not shoot that camel drover before he blew up all of us, because he might just be taking his dynamite for a walk.” Although most people might see this as a funny and comical remake, like it was meant to be, Marcus is all business when he is explaining this.

                  As Marcus tries desperately to describe his fallen brothers, Mike Murphy, Matthew Axelson, and Danny Dietz there is never any point in the entire book that Marcus isn’t grateful for the actions that those brave men took on that mountain. The development of the characters isn’t the best but it will be suffice since Marcus couldn’t really develop them in any way. He gives us, the audience, a straight-forward approach to each character. For example, when Marcus originally introduces Mike Murphy he right away tells us that he thinks he is the bravest man he has and ever will meet. As the audience, we later find out why when Marcus is carefully explaining each of his members deaths in the battle. Marcus explains how Mike Murphy died by flat out saying, “And the Lieutenant Murphy walked out into the open ground… walked until he was more or less in the center, gunfire all around him, and he sat on a small rock and began punching in the numbers to HQ…Knowing the risk, understanding the danger, in the full knowledge the phone call could cost him his life,” Marcus later goes on to tell how Mike was shot and continued to fight until he eventually died. This in-depth account of how just one of his brethren died is horrific enough, so now imagine witnessing that two more times. From reading this novel and just sitting in shock from the words on pages, there is no true need to try to develop Mike, Matthew, and Danny since the words speak for themselves.                                                                                                                            

Like all great novels there are multiple themes that are present, but there’s always a select few that stick out and make an impression on the audience. In many fictional novels it may be difficult for a reader to find that needle-in-the-haystack theme that has a lasting effect on your life. For me, that theme was a part of the Navy SEALs promise. A promise that has been lived out by many men and women that aren’t only SEALs, but also civilians. And that theme is that you are never out of the fight. This means that no matter what happens, you keep on fighting, you never give up, and you most certainly never quit! Marcus gives the audience a couple chances to discover the theme. The first one is when he was at Navy SEAL prep training and he had broken his leg and kept on trying to climb up the wall even though he kept falling and landing on his broken leg. The second example was when Lieutenant Murphy is shot in the back when making the call into HQ; he keeps on fighting till his last breath. Even-though there is blood spurting out of his chest and back, he keeps on firing and taking down enemy combatants to protect his teammates, who like himself have also been shot and injured.

The rating that I would give this book is a 10/10, because of the in-depth detail and extremely precise accounts of what happened in Marcus’s life as a U.S Navy SEAL and also what happened on the mountain. Another reason this book deserves a 10/10 is because of the emotion that as a reader I can feel in his writing, even though I don’t know Marcus or any of the fallen SEALs. The final reason would have to be the theme; because it just gives off such a powerful and radiant light that everyone could incorporate into his or her lives.

Lastly I want to take the time to thank Marcus Luttrell for his service for this country and also shinning the light on a story that needed and deserved to be told to do justice for those who had fallen during Operation Red Wings.