'Lone Survivor' Marcus Luttrell

One of the great things about books is the way they can just take us away, giving us the chance to experience other worlds and other realities. At my very fittest and strongest as a young man, I never had the kind of gravel in the gut as a guy like Marcus Luttrell and his buddies who make up our Navy SEAL teams, but he was kind enough to share with us his experiences in becoming a SEAL, and what it was like for him to slip into the violent, far off places we send our armed forces.

Marcus was there, along with three of his buddies, Daniel Dietz, Matthew Axelman and Lieutenant Michael Murphy as part of a four man SEAL sniper team, looking for a Taliban leader that they were tasked to eliminate. What were Navy SEALs doing in the peaks of the Hindu Kush? Well, they are the most stealthy snipers in the business, and Mikey, Danny, Marcus and Axe would go most anywhere their country asked them to.

How luck ended up with their chance discovery by three goat herders who literally just happened to walk right over the top of them, their decision to let the goat herders go, and the consequences of that decision make for a compelling tale. As a story, an adventure and an insight into the world of our special forces teams, it's quite a ride.