Horse Soldiers and the Lone Survivor

When I read a history book it is usually about early American History or about World War II, but recently I have picked up some books that are about recent U.S. history or you may even call it current events. Here are two books that I highly recommend. We may not all agree on what is going on over there and what or level of involvement should be, but these books are not political in nature and display amazing feats of heroism during the heat of battle.

Horse Soldiers by Doug Stanton
This is about the Special Forces teams that were the first to put "boot on the ground" in Afghanistan. There was even a modern day Calvary charge. I could not believe how ill equipment the teams were. They had such old equipment that they were given credit cards with no limit to go purchase what ever they needed from civilian retailers. That's why they all had on North Face fleece jackets. Their GPS was too large and bulky, so they bought the small handheld units that civilians use. This book really takes you into the mindset of the these soldiers and the way they integrate themselves into the communities where they are operating. They are doing things they have never done before, but the keep going. Their medic may as well be a doctor, but does not always have the proper tools for the job. No bone saw, no problem I got a Leatherman. The action is intense and it all really happened. Easy to read and I could hardly put it down. Highly recommend this book.

Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell
Wow. This mans account of being the "Lone Survivor" from his team is nothing short of a miracle. It is simply an amazing story. The decisions that get made when the stumble across some Afghan tribesman will set the wheels in motions for this amazing tale. He would not have survived if it was not for the hospitality of some locals that found him. I would put this book in my top 5 books I have read. I do not highly recommend this book, but I highly insist that you read it.