Lone Survivor (book)

Lone Survivor

Author	Marcus Luttrell (Author) Patrick Robinson (Contributor)
Original title	Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of Seal Team 10
Genre	Non Fiction
Publisher	Little, Brown and Company
Publication date	June 12, 2007
Media type	Hardcover, Paperback, Mass Market Paperback, eBook
Pages	390
ISBN	9780316067591
OCLC	151067825
LC Class	2007921207

Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of Seal Team 10 is a work of non-fiction written by Marcus Luttrell with assistance from novelist and ghostwriter Patrick Robinson and published in 2007 by Little, Brown and Company. The narrative takes place in Afghanistan where the reader follows Marcus Luttrell and a group of Navy SEALs.

Plot

At the beginning of the book, Marcus Luttrell describes his childhood and his training to prepare for the Navy SEALs with Billy Shelton. After joining the U.S. Navy and completing SEAL training, Luttrell describes his posting in Afghanistan, in the Hindu Kush mountains of the Kunar province. With him are the rest of SEAL Team 10, except Shane E. Patton, for whom Danny Dietz was substituted. Their mission, Operation Red Wing, was to stake outside a village and capture or kill a leading Taliban member thought to be allied with Osama Bin Laden. One night in June 2005, while hiding out, the team encountered three Afghanistan shepherds, including a boy. The team debated sparing or killing the three shepherds but after a vote, Luttrell had to make the decision. To uphold the Rules of engagement, Luttrell let the shepherds go. About an hour later, the four SEALs were surrounded by more than a hundred Taliban warriors. The two parties engaged, the odds drastically against the SEALs, all of which died saving Luttrell. The New York Times sums up the story: "Mr. Luttrell was the only one of four men on the mission to survive after a violent clash with dozens of Taliban fighters. Eight members of the Seals and eight Army special operations soldiers who came by helicopter to rescue the original four were shot down, and all aboard were killed. Mr. Luttrell was then rescued by a group of Afghan Pashtun villagers who harbored him in their homes for several days, protecting him from the Taliban and ultimately helping him to safety."

Critical reaction

Critics have praised the book [need citation] and right-wing pundits Glenn Beck and Michelle Malkin have spoken their support. More mainstream news media, such as NBC's The Today Show and CNN also showcased the book. The Washington Post writes "If you're looking for a true story that showcases both American heroism and Afghani humanity, Marcus Luttrell's Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Red Wing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10 (Little, Brown, $24.99), written with Patrick Robinson, may be the book for you." The book became a New York Times Bestseller. The New York Times review was laudatory, but also noted, "Along with the tragic story about how Mr. Luttrell lost his comrades, the book is spiked with unabashed braggadocio and patriotism, as well as several polemical passages lashing out at the 'liberal media' for its role in sustaining military rules of engagement that prevent soldiers from killing unarmed civilians who may also be scouts or informers for terrorists."

Erroneous and Exaggerated Information

There exists some conflict over the exact numbers of Taliban forces involved in the engagement, among other mistakes by some sources. In Luttrell's own official after-action report filed with his superiors after his rescue, he estimated the size of the Taliban force to be around 20–35. Initial intel estimates estimated approximately 10 to 20. Official media reports from the military estimated the size of the Taliban force to be around 20 as well, while in the Medal of Honor citation for LT Michael P. Murphy, the Navy cited 30–40 enemies. In the Summary of Action related to the same MOH, the Navy cites an "enemy force of more than 50 anti-coalition militia". In his book, Victory Point: Operations Red Wings and Whalers – the Marine Corps' Battle for Freedom in Afghanistan, military journalist Ed Darack cites a military intelligence report stating the strength of the Taliban force to be 8–10, compared to the more than 200 claimed by Patrick Robinson in Lone Survivor. The military intelligence estimate cited by Darack is based on research sourced from intelligence reports, including aerial and eye-witness studies of the battlefield after the fact, including the men sent in to rescue Luttrell, as well as HUMINT from Afghan intelligence.

The mis-statement of the name of the operation has also been noted by many sources, most notably referencing it "Operation Redwing" by Patrick Robinson in the book Lone Survivor.

The claim in Lone Survivor by Patrick Robinson that Lieutenant Murphy even considered and then put to vote the possible execution of the unarmed civilians who stumbled upon the SEAL reconnaissance and surveillance team has been roundly criticized and dismissed by many as fiction. In an article by Sean Naylor, Army Times senior correspondent, Navy Special Warfare Command spokesman Lieutenant Steve Ruh stated that with respect to making command decisions in the field:

“but whether they’re officer or enlisted, the senior guy ultimately has the ultimate authority.”

With regards to voting whether or not to execute unarmed civilians:

“This is the first time I’ve ever heard of anything put to a vote like that. In my 14 years of Navy experience, I’ve never seen or heard of anything like that.”

In a June 12, 2007 article in the New York newspaper, Newsday, reporter Michael Rothfeld published an article entitled "Survivor's book dishonors son's memory" and quotes Dan Murphy (father of Michael P. Murphy), in reference to the purported vote of execution of unarmed locals, as stating that Lieutenant Murphy would never consider executing unarmed civilians, much less would he ever put such a decision to vote. Military protocol, United States and international military doctrine, and rules of engagement strictly forbid harming unarmed non-combatant civilians, with one of the specific rules of engagement in effect at the time stating "Civilians are not targets!"

Movie

Universal and Peter Berg are developing a movie about the book's events. According to Luttrell's Facebook page, he has flown to Los Angeles to "oversee" filming. The expected release date is sometime in 2013.