Lone Survivor (book)

Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of Seal Team 10 is a non-fiction book 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 U.S. Navy SEALs. It has since been slated for a 2013 film adaptation of the same name.

Synopsis
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 Wings, 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 shepherds, including a boy. The team debated sparing or killing the shepherds but after a vote, team leader Michael Murphy decided to uphold the rules of engagement and let the shepherds go. About an hour later, the four SEALs were surrounded by more than a hundred Taliban warriors. 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." The theme of hospitality as understood by the Pashtun culture is a central theme and attempts to validate the release of the shepherds.

Reception
Criticism of the book has been mostly positive. Conservative commentators Glenn Beck and Michelle Malkin have spoken their support. Mainstream news media, such as NBC's The Today Show and CNN also showcased the book. The Washington Post wrote "If you're looking for a true story that showcases both American heroism and Afghani humanity, Marcus Luttrell's Lone Survivor ... 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."

Accuracy
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.

Film adaptation
In a June 2012 interview about his new book Service: A Navy SEAL at War, Luttrell was asked "is a movie going to be made about Lone Survivor," to which he replied, "We will start shooting this September [2012]. It will star Mark Wahlberg who I spoke to a couple of times by phone. I want to make sure that the movie is true to the book. Most people get their information from movies and TV and don't read so I want to make sure this movie is as realistic as possible."

The film, Lone Survivor, stars Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Ben Foster, Emile Hirsch, Eric Bana, and Alexander Ludwig and is scheduled to be released in December 2013. It was directed by Friday Night Lights TV series creator and director Peter Berg.