I expected the book to be a detailed account of that one event, Operation Redwing. Actually, there is quite a bit of time spent on telling the story of how Marcus Luttrell became a Navy SEAL. For those who are already well-versed in the elite Navy Special Forces training, this section can seem to drag on in parts. However, the parts before he got to SEAL training were quite interesting. Scenes of former United States Army soldier Billy Shelton training Marcus were inspirational and brought context to the SEAL training scenes.
Once the story transitions to Afghanistan, the story really picks up speed. The mission is set up with great detail and context by sharing background information on the Afghan people, the Taliban, and tribal system. Without this information, I would have found myself lost with the Pashto language. Marcus Luttrell and contributing author Patrick Robinson did a fine job giving the reader access to language and customs unknown to someone who hasn't served overseas.
The firefight on the mountain was hard for me to visualize, so I looked up pictures of the Hindu Kush mountains. I can't imagine dealing with what Marcus Luttrell's SEAL team dealt with on that mountain. It's truly something you have to read and see for yourself to fully understand.
The writing was in the voice of Marcus Luttrell, and I assume heavily edited for information that is still classified. Since it was first person and in his voice, it contained a lot of vernacular, some stream-of-consciousness, and the occasional tangent. The story, although dragging for me in a couple spots, was overwhelmingly interesting and captivating. I can't wait to see this on the big screen.
Bookophile Rating: Good
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