Why You Should Read "Lone Survivor" by Marcus Luttrell and Patrick Robinson (Henry Wang)
Why You Should Read "Lone Survivor" by Marcus Luttrell and Patrick Robinson
Content warning, this blog contains descriptions of war and spoilers.
Cover of the book "Lone Survivor"
Cover of the movie "Lone Survivor"
“Lone Survivor: An Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10” is a non-fiction book written by Marcus Luttrell and Patrick Robinson, published June 12, 2007. It describes the real life story of Operation Redwing, and the operators lost in the desperate struggle to bring SEAL Team 10 back home. Operation Redwing was created to capture a key Taliban Leader hiding out in the Hindu Kush, a mountain range in Afghanistan. SEAL Team 10 was deployed to capture the leader, but was immediately ambushed after dropping into the mountains. Quick response operators rushed to the scene, but 1 of 2 helicopters were shot down by the Taliban, resulting in the loss of another 8 SEALs and 8 Special Operators. Unfortunately, three of the four SEALs were killed in action, leaving Marcus alone deep behind enemy lines. After jumping off a cliff to escape the Taliban, Marcus finds himself wounded and without his gear, defenseless against the insurgents hunting him down. Miraculously, an Afghan farmer finds him, and brings him back to his village. He quickly assures Marcus that he is not with the Taliban, and will do whatever is necessary to bring Marcus back to an American base a few miles away. But before they can depart, the Taliban force surrounds the town, demanding Marcus to be handed over, or else they would raze the town. The villagers turn down the order, explaining that they followed a code called Pashtunwali which guarantees protection and care for Marcus. A fight ensues with the villagers barely being able to hold up against the pressing Taliban, but American reinforcements show up and fend off the attackers. Marcus is saved and he and his squad receive medals for their sacrifice.
(Left to Right) Matthew G. Axelson, Daniel R. Healy, James Suh, Marcus Luttrell, Eric S. Patton
and Michael P. Murphy pose in Afghanistan on June 18, 2005. Ten days later all but Luttrell would
be lost in Operation Redwing, along with 8 other SEALs and 8 Special Operators from the 160th
Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Night Stalkers).
Despite the quite unrealistic scenario presented to the reader, the authors do a great job of describing the theme that selflessness is present within people even during the toughest of situations. One character that stands out to readers is Mohamed Gulab, the first farmer to bring Marcus to safety. His act of courage and selflessness is definitely a highlight of this book, as he defied the dominant power in the region, and fought for what he thought was right, knowing that if he lost, he and his entire family would be killed. Marcus describes Gulab as the “first real friend I met in those mountains” because of how he didn't let the sides of war determine if he was worth saving. During his stay at the village, Marcus describes the many times where Gulab fought for his safety, from fighting the Taliban directly from the roof of their house, to convincing the other villagers that Marcus was worth keeping (rather than giving him up for the offers of protection, food, and water from the Taliban). Readers will get to experience genuine sympathy to the characters because of how Gulab demonstrates what a truly selfless character is, by putting a foreign man's life before his and devoting all of his time and effort to bring Marcus to safety.
Hindu Kush (Mountain Range in Afghanistan)
Another great example of selflessness in “Lone Survivor” is when others supported the Luttrell family back home. When the news of Marcus’ supposed “death'' first reached the Luttrell family back at their ranch, they were devastated, even with Marcus fearing for his mom in the Afghan mountains. “In those fleeting seconds I was overwhelmed by the sadness, the heartbreaking, crushing sadness of what this would mean to my mom, the lady who always told me I was Mama’s angel.” But the sad news also came with a sea of people ditching their jobs and immediately ready to do anything to lift the family’s spirits up. People showed up from around the country, the rooms of the ranch quickly getting filled up, with people sleeping on the ground, sofas, chairs, anything they could find just to stay with the Luttrell family. As time went on, the people slowly began to lose hope, except for Marcus’ twin brother Morgan who would not believe that Marcus was dead. These people show the true selflessness one can have when someone loses a loved one, and proves again why this book evokes the true emotions of the situation. Readers can easily sympathize with the people described in the story, which is something that is quite hard to find in other books on war.
Marcus and Morgan Luttrell
Overall, this book really allowed me to connect with the characters, and how even in the darkest hours of war, people will still have a sense of humanity, such as Gulab the Afghan farmer who risked everything, his life, his family, and his friends for Marcus, a foreign soldier that was lost in maze of the Hindu Kush or the people that showed up to the Luttrell’s doorstep, ready to do anything they can to help the family, from leading prayers for Marcus to directly supporting his mom. While there are plenty of other highlights of the book, these examples of selflessness are most clearly present and are key to the plot of the book. The support Marcus and his family received tells the readers that the hardest of moments can still bring the greatest out of people. As for Gulab, he and his family live outside the reach of the Taliban as a refugee under international law and continues to talk to Luttrell to this day, as they are “brothers”. For anyone who seeks to find a book that defines the true meaning of putting others before yourself, or how people can still find a sense of humanity even during the most devastating moments, this book will definitely pique your interest. If you have already read the book, the movie is also great, as it depicts what Marcus and his team went through thoroughly with great detail, and the plot doesn't drift far from the book, unlike other movies made from previous books.
The fact this book is non-fiction is really interesting and makes me want to read the book! Though it's something that happens often, I feel like there aren't too many books that represent the bloody loss and darkness that is represented in war. Definitely will have to read sometime!!
ReplyDelete-Athena
Hi Heidi!
ReplyDeleteSomething from your post that stood out to me was the mention of Mohamed Gulab. I notice that there are often stories from war that show how selfless people can be, and how there's always kindness too. I think that's an incredibly strong character trait, and something that I always admire in people. I think that sometimes people like that are overlooked.
- Ellix
Im sorry, I don’t know why I wrote Heidi 😓 I’m so so so sorry, Henry
DeleteThis book sounds quite interesting. I personally like nonfiction better than fiction. I don't think that I would read a fiction book like this one, but as nonfiction it seems like a really interesting perspective on what it is really like to be in a war.
ReplyDelete-Nibaw
This book is a great example of how people, no matter their situation, can work together for a common purpose. The detail in this book is spectacular due to it being narrated by someone who actually experienced these events, making this a great nonfiction book.
ReplyDelete