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Red Platoon: A True Story of American Valor Paperback – Illustrated, May 2, 2017

by Clinton Romesha (Author)

4.8 9,791 ratings

Editors' pick Best History

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THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

The only comprehensive, firsthand account of the fourteen-hour firefight at the Battle of Keating in Afghanistan by Medal of Honor recipient Clinton Romesha, for readers of Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden and Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell.

“‘It doesn't get better.’ To us, that phrase nailed one of the essential truths, maybe even the essential truth, about being stuck at an outpost whose strategic and tactical vulnerabilities were so glaringly obvious to every soldier who had ever set foot in that place that the name itself—Keating—had become a kind of backhanded joke.”

In 2009, Clinton Romesha of Red Platoon and the rest of the Black Knight Troop were preparing to shut down Command Outpost (COP) Keating, the most remote and inaccessible in a string of bases built by the US military in Nuristan and Kunar in the hope of preventing Taliban insurgents from moving freely back and forth between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Three years after its construction, the army was finally ready to concede what the men on the ground had known immediately: it was simply too isolated and too dangerous to defend.

On October 3, 2009, after years of constant smaller attacks, the Taliban finally decided to throw everything they had at Keating. The ensuing fourteen-hour battle—and eventual victory—cost eight men their lives.

Red Platoon is the riveting firsthand account of the Battle of Keating, told by Romesha, who spearheaded both the defense of the outpost and the counterattack that drove the Taliban back beyond the wire and received the Medal of Honor for his actions.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“This ranks among the best combat narratives written in recent decades, revealing Romesha as a brave and skilled soldier as well as a gifted writer....Romesha remains humble and self-effacing throughout, in a contrast with many other first-person battle accounts, and his powerful, action-packed book is likely to stand as a classic of the genre.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“The book is riveting in its authentic detail....Romesha ably captures the daily dangers faced by these courageous American soldiers in Afghanistan.”—Kirkus Reviews

“[Romesha’s] account displays all the hallmarks of superlative wartime reporting: unflinching honesty; vivid, in-the-trenches description; and deeper reflections on the pathos of battle.”—Booklist

“[A] clear and expertly crafted account of an iconic fight during the Afghan War.”—Library Journal

“[Red Platoon is] compelling and rich with detail into a world most of us will not experience. It will make readers really think about what soldiers go through for their country. Romesha is a great storyteller, knowing how to draw you in and leave you breathless.”—News and Sentinel

“I couldn’t recommend [this] book, Red Platoon, any higher.”—Bill O'Reilly

“An amazing read....A gripping account of men in desperate combat against an overwhelming enemy.”—The Tampa Bay Tribune

“[Romesha’s] experiences blaze the pages of his new memoir.”—Investor’s Business Daily

“The battle, from start to finish, is riveting....I’m confident in saying that anyone who reads the full account—from the initial assault to the end of the attack—will be sucked into the action.”—Conservative Book Club

“Red Platoon is an exceptional book....[A] meticulous and powerful telling of the 2009 battle at COP Keating in Afghanistan.”—Military.com

“It is a gripping read. It's something that will have you gasping as you hold your breath, rooting for Romesha and his comrades to prevail. More important, it is something that rises to the level of literature in its portrayal of a battle most Americans probably know nothing about, as a part of a war our country still seems to be struggling to understand.”—Grand Forks Herald

“What sets Red Platoon apart is Romesha’s thoroughness in recounting the frantic scramble of events.”—Herald and News

“It is so well written you're likely to feel you're in the middle of the action....Red Platoon will make you marvel at the courage of our young men in the face of a much larger force and the stupidity of the generals who put them there.”—Minneapolis Star-Tribune

“This compellingly candid detail written by Medal of Honor recipient Clinton Romesha tells of the grisly tumult of the Battle of Keating through the rawest of lenses—his own.”—Parade

“Red Platoon by Medal of Honor recipient Clinton Romesha will probably prove to be the definitive literary contribution of the war in Afghanistan.”—Lincoln Journal Star

"I read the first half of Red Platoon in one sitting and that night had such intense combat dreams that I actually thought twice about picking the book up again. In addition to being a superb soldier, Romesha is an utterly irresistible writer. I'm completely overwhelmed by what he has done with this book. The assault on Camp Keating is a vitally important story that needs to be understood by the public, and I cannot imagine an account that does it better justice that Romesha's.”—Sebastian Junger, journalist and author of The Perfect Storm

“Rendered hour by hour and sometimes second by second, here is battle narrative the way it's supposed to be written. Gritty, plangent, and unflinching, Red Platoon is sure to become a classic of the genre. Through his courageous and no doubt painful act of remembrance, Romesha has done his comrades, indeed all of us, a great service—leaving an epitaph that will live through the ages.”—Hampton Sides, author of Ghost Soldiers and In the Kingdom of Ice

“Red Platoon is riveting. Like many who were in either Iraq, Afghanistan, or both, I often read books about the wars reluctantly, because it is hard to capture the essence of the experience. In my view Red Platoon is a brilliant book. Had Clint Romesha depicted the soldiers at Keating as a collection of steely-eyed warriors, their feat would have been impressive. Because he captures the reality of a collection of personalities as diverse as America itself, their courage is truly inspiring.”—General Stanley McChrystal, U.S. Army, Retired

“Red Platoon celebrates the most crucial aspect of military operations: the team. Clinton Romesha and the men of Black Knight Troop faced harrowing conditions and a determined enemy during the Battle for COP Keating, and in the process discovered exactly who they are. This account is an important tribute to everyone who fought, and especially to the eight Americans who on that day made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.”—Mark Owen, author of No Easy Day and No Hero

“Red Platoon exemplifies the courage and resiliency our country was founded on. Clint is a true brother and a man that I look up to.”—Dakota Meyer, Medal of Honor recipient and author of Into the Fire

“The men of Red Platoon and their actions at COP Keating deserve to be known. Clint Romesha's story takes hold from page one and makes you feel every inch of the battle, but it is the bond between soldiers that will stick with you. Red Platoon is on my list of the best books about the Afghan war.”—Kevin Maurer, bestselling coauthor of No Easy Day

“A visceral, heart-pounding account of men in close-quarter combat that is simply impossible to put down. Astonishingly intimate and beautifully written. A word of advice: don't start this book if you're planning on doing anything else for the next few hours.”—Scott Anderson, author ofLawrence in Arabia

“Danger and death accompany combat. When unexpectedly surrounded and outnumbered by a Taliban enemy force, the stakes soared. Responses by the men of Keating were courageous. Led by Staff Sergeant Clint Romesha, this band of brothers countered with supreme valor. This true story will make you proud of the American soldier. You will not want to put Red Platoon down.”—Colonel Bill Smullen, U.S. Army, Retired

About the Author

Former Staff Sergeant Clinton L. Romesha enlisted in the Army in 1999. He deployed twice to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and once to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. At the time of the deadly attack on Combat Outpost (COP) Keating on October 3, 2009, Staff Sergeant Romesha was assigned as a section leader for Bravo Troop, 3-61st Cavalry, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. He is the recipient of numerous awards and decorations, including the Medal of Honor, which has been received by only twelve others for the heroism they displayed while serving in Iraq or Afghanistan. Romesha separated from the Army in 2011. He lives with his family in North Dakota.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Chapter One

Loss

I come from an old Nevada ranching family with military traditions that date back to my grandfather Aury Smith, who took his brother's place in the draft during the summer of 1943 and eventually wound up getting sent into Normandy as a combat engineer just a couple of days after D-day. Six months later, Aury got himself stuck inside the besieged perimeter of Bastogne with the 101st Airborne Division during the Battle of the Bulge. Somehow he made it through, then finished out his time in Europe helping to put on USO shows as a bareback rodeo rider.

Almost thirty years later, my dad was sent to Vietnam. And although he never said a single word about either of the two tours that he pulled up near the Cambodian border with the 4th Infantry Division, which was known to have taken some horrendous casualties during that time, his silence carried enough weight that all three of his sons enlisted in the military.

My oldest brother, Travis, enlisted in the army right after high school, participated in the invasion of Haiti, then later transferred to the air force. Next in line was Preston, who hitched up with the marines. By the time I was a senior in Lake City, California, a town so tiny that our high school graduating class numbered only fifteen, my brothers assumed that I would join up too, despite my father's hopes that I might break the mold and follow the path he'd laid out by enrolling me in the Mormon seminary I had been attending since ninth grade.

My brothers were right. I joined the army in September of 1999, and was assigned to Black Knight Troop, a mechanized armor unit whose sixty-five men were spread across three platoons: Red, White, and Blue.

In military jargon, Black Knight belonged to the four-thousand-man 4th Brigade Combat Team, which itself was part of the twenty-thousand-man 4th Infantry Division. In laymen's terms, what that boiled down to was that I was a tiny cog nestled deep inside the world's largest and most sophisticated war machine. It also meant that I was part of the very same infantry division in which my dad had served.

My first deployment was to Kosovo, where we performed peacekeeping duties and saw very little action. But following the attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001, I volunteered to go to Iraq. After a fifteen-month detour through Korea, I found myself commanding an M1A1 armored tank in Habbaniyah, an area about fifty miles west of Baghdad that sits directly between Ramadi and Fallujah. There we spent the better part of 2004 battling hard-core Al Qaeda fighters who specialized in improvised explosives. We took an average of roughly one IED strike per day.

At the end of that first Iraq deployment, we were sent back to Colorado and the entire unit was reclassified from heavy armor to light reconnaissance so that we could start preparing for the type of fighting we'd eventually be facing in Afghanistan. As part of that transition, I was shipped off to school to learn how to be a cavalry scout. Eleven months later, in June of 2006, we were back in Iraq, this time in a place called Salman Pak, about twenty miles south of Baghdad along a broad bend of the Tigris River and not far from a notorious military installation rumored to serve as a keystone of Saddam Hussein's biological and chemical weapons program. It was also a hotbed of extremist militia, and they did their best to make our lives as miserable as possible.

This was where my new training really began to kick in.

A cavalry scout is generally thought to function as the eyes and ears of a commander during battle. But in fact, a scout's role extends quite a bit further. We refer to ourselves as "jacks-of-all-trades, masters of none," and we are trained to have a working familiarity with-quite literally-every job in the army. We are experts in reconnaissance, countersurveillance, and navigation, but we're also extremely comfortable with all aspects of radio and satellite communications. We know how to assemble and deploy three-man hunter/killer teams. We're pretty good at blowing things up using mines and high explosives. We can function as medics, vehicle mechanics, and combat engineers. And we have a thorough understanding of every single weapons system, from a 9-mm handgun to a 120-mm howitzer.

Many soldiers find it challenging to master such an eclectic skill set. So it was odd that it all came so easily to me. Prior to the military, I found school to be quite difficult, especially when it came to abstract ideas. But these new disciplines came to me so instinctively that it was almost disturbing. Regardless of whether it was small-unit tactics or maneuvering an entire company's worth of armor, the logic seemed inherently obvious. What's more, I loved every aspect of being a scout-although I had a particular knack for something called "react-to-contact" drills, which involved coming up with a combat plan on the spur of the moment as the shit was hitting the fan.

There were two things, however, that didn't come easily at all.

The first had to do with the position in which we found ourselves in Iraq, where we were consigned to a reactive role, and where we found ourselves bound by strict rules of engagement, or ROEs, that prevented us from shooting first-which meant that we were usually able to return fire only when attacked.

I found this intolerable not only from a tactical standpoint but also at a psychological level. And to compensate, I developed an unorthodox style of leadership that hinged on provoking a reaction from the enemy. When I was leading an armored convoy, for example, I would often order my tank driver to abruptly switch lanes, taking the entire column down a city street directly against the flow of traffic, forcing oncoming vehicles to get out of the way or risk head-on collision. At the extreme end of things, I would even use myself as a decoy. To ferret out snipers, for example, I would climb onto the sponson box, a big rectangular storage compartment on the turret of our lead tank, pretend it was a surfboard, and balance myself out there as we clattered through the streets of Habbaniyah, daring any Iraqi marksmen to take a shot at me and expose their positions.

Often these tactics worked well, although they never fully relieved my frustration with the rules of engagement. But as impossible as I found the ROEs, this challenge was dwarfed by a second problem, one that arose as an inevitable consequence of serving in a leadership position in a war zone.

What I found harder than anything else, by far, was witnessing one of my guys get killed. The first time this happened to me was just outside of Sadr City, and it involved one of the finest soldiers I've ever known.

The summer and fall of 2007 was a bad time for all three frontline platoons in Black Knight Troop. By this point we were several months into a new strategy in which the administration of George W. Bush attempted to stabilize Iraq by sending in five additional brigades while extending the tour of almost every soldier who was already on deployment. While the surge did lead to a drop in overall violence, for reasons that remained mysterious (and which may simply have resulted from bad luck), our troop started getting hit harder and more often. In September, one of White PlatoonÕs team leaders got shot in the back, and although he survived, the bullet severed his spine and paralyzed him from the chest down. Not long after that, White lost two other men to a roadside bomb. And then, in September, Snell got hit.

Eric Snell was a thirty-four-year-old scout when I first met him in Iraq, but even as a newly enlisted private he'd managed to stand out as something extraordinary. He had been drafted as an outfielder for the Cleveland Indians straight out of high school in Trenton, New Jersey, but he had decided to forgo a career in the major leagues and instead focus on academics. He got a degree in political science, then moved to South Africa to work as a project manager for AT&T. He could speak French and he'd lived in Italy. He was also good-looking enough that he'd been recruited as a male model, appearing in magazines like Mademoiselle, Modern Bride, and Vibe.

Snell had the entire package, and he brought all of it to the task of being the type of soldier that did everything perfectly. You never had to give him an order or an instruction twice. He learned fast and he learned well. He showed initiative and he demonstrated leadership. In fact, that only thing that seemed even remotely off about the guy was the confusion he provoked among the rest of us over why he had signed on as an ordinary soldier in the first place.

"For Chrissake, Snell, you got all this education and all these credentials," we'd say to him. "Why the fuck did you come into the army as enlisted?"

"Well, yeah, I'm gonna go and be an officer one day," was his response. "But first I want to know what it's like to be a soldier."

That impressed us too.

He was promoted to sergeant two years after he enlisted, far ahead of his peers. Just over two weeks later, on September 18, 2007, me and him and two other guys were ordered to perform overwatch just outside of Sadr City on a group of Iraqi soldiers who were setting up concrete barriers to block suicide bombers. White Platoon had been on duty for most of that morning and our captain had ordered Red to relieve them-an idea that me and my platoon sergeant deemed unwise, because if there were any snipers in the area, they now knew our pattern of movement.

Our objections were overruled, so me and Snell started setting up our perimeter security. I was leaning inside the Humvee, coordinating on the radio with another platoon on the other side of the battle space, and Snell was standing right beside me in back of the vehicle with just his head exposed, when a sniper from across the way got him. The bullet came in just beneath the lip of his helmet, went through his right eye, and blew out the back of his head. As soon as I looked down and saw him lying on the ground, I knew he was dead.

It was the first time I'd seen one of my own guys get killed.

Up to that point, I'd been convinced that there was some sort of connection between how good you were and what happened to you in the theater of battle. But after watching Snell get assassinated like that, I realized that one of the fundamental truths about war is that horrible things can-and often will-happen to anybody, even to a soldier who has everything dialed to perfection.

In the days that followed, I found myself wrestling with the implications of this. While you could strive to be your best, and while you could demand that everyone under you adhered to those standards, the reality was that in the end, none of this might make a rat's ass of difference-even for an ace like Snell.

When you lose a man like that, it can fuel a sense of resignation that can be totally debilitating. If there is no causal link between merit and destiny-if everything on the battlefield boils down to nothing more than a lottery-what's the point of bothering to hone your skills or cultivate excellence?

The loss can create a practical problem too. When a soldier as good as Snell gets drilled through the brain, even if you want to try to replace him, how could you ever find someone to fill his shoes?

As it turned out, however, the rotten luck of losing Snell wound up having a silver lining to it because it triggered the arrival of a soldier who was destined to become my right-hand man in Afghanistan. A man who would provide the foundation of what Red Platoon was to become, and what it would later accomplish during its trial by fire in Afghanistan.

About a month after Snell died, a batch of new replacements arrived in Iraq from Fort Carson, just outside of Colorado Springs, to fill the ranks of our dead.

Whenever a surge of soldiers arrived, the sergeants from all three platoons would size up the new guys and then haggle over how to divvy them up. These assessment-and-bargaining sessions were often intense because the outcome would have a big impact on the quality of each platoon. And the criteria on which everything hinged basically boiled down to our greatest pastime: platoon-on-platoon football.

Ray Didinger, a sportswriter who covered the NFL for more than twenty-five years, once said that football is the "truest" team game because nothing happens if all the players aren't performing their roles to perfection. "Everyone has to contribute on every single play," he argued. "You could have the guys up front all do everything exactly the way they're supposed to; but if one guy breaks down-if he doesn't get the play right or goes in the wrong direction-then the whole play falls apart."

That's not a bad summary of small-unit military tactics either-especially when you consider that football is all about assaulting another team's territory, then holding that ground against a series of counterassaults. Plus, and this is Didinger again, "football is also a violent game and the guys who play it have to accept that fact." Maybe that's why we bonded so deeply with the game-especially in Red Platoon, where we took it with such hyperseriousness that we literally went for years without losing a single platoon-on-platoon matchup.

Brad Larson was a recruit from Chambers, Nebraska, a town whose population (288) was almost as tiny as the miniscule spot where I'd come from. He had jug-handle ears that kicked out from the sides of his head, cartoonishly thick eyebrows, and almost nothing to suggest that he possessed the sort of athletic prowess we were looking for in Red Platoon. So when we wound up getting stuck with him, I initially made a point of ignoring the guy and saying as little to him as possible, despite the fact that he was serving as the driver of my Humvee. Aside from "go left" and "turn right," I don't think I directed a single word to him for more than two weeks.

As it turned out, Larson had played free safety at the junior college he'd attended in Nebraska before joining the army. But as we discovered after finally condescending to allow him on the field during one of our platoon-on-platoon games, he could play just about anywhere because he was so astonishingly fast. Even more impressive was his uncanny sense of vision. Whenever the quarterback drew back his arm to throw, Larson knew exactly where the ball was heading. Except for one guy who had a weird sidearm throw that was almost impossible to read, Larson could figure out where the ball was headed just by looking at the quarterback's eyes and the angle of his forearm. And then, thanks to his ferocious speed, he was able to make a beeline for that spot and destroy whoever was the target.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Dutton; Reprint edition (May 2, 2017)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 400 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1101984333
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1101984338
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.32 x 1.08 x 7.97 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #51,343 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #30 in Afghan War Military History
- #32 in Afghan War Biographies
- #1,674 in Memoirs (Books)

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Customers praise the book for its compelling and dramatic story. They find the writing skillful and easy to read. Readers appreciate the realistic portrayal of combat action and the author's insight into deployment. The book conveys the human suffering and heroism that the soldiers experienced.

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Readability Story quality Writing quality Intensity Insight Heartbreaking Pacing Picture quality

599 customers mention "Readability"596 positive3 negative

Customers find the book engaging and well-written. They describe it as one of the best military books they've read. Readers say it reads like an action movie and is excellent on many levels.

"...can never recall and articulate—and wrestle with—so fully, effectively, and touchingly...." Read more

"...One of the best perspectives that bring out emotions. Great Book!" Read more

"...This is a great book and I heartily recommend it. Romesha's retelling almost puts the stench of blood, guts, and death in one's mouth...." Read more

"...Maybe Red Platoon will be made as such. The movie was really good so do yourself a favor and watch it after reading this book- just remember The..." Read more

582 customers mention "Story quality"571 positive11 negative

Customers praise the book for its engaging story. They find the author's storytelling skillful and the account compelling. The book details the events of the battle, immersing readers in the action.

"...of the fight, and (2) in pointing out flaws, he also highlights the strengths each soldier, each human being, each buddy, truly deserves credit for,..." Read more

"...In this exceptional true story, you will meet all kinds of people...." Read more

"...The author is a recipient of the Medal of Honor and humbly tells the story of a battle that he and his unit were in...." Read more

"...Beautifully written by Clinton Romesha, it is the story of the Battle of Kamdesh on that faithful day on October 3, 2009, when 350 Taliban-led..." Read more

359 customers mention "Writing quality"328 positive31 negative

Customers appreciate the book's writing quality. They find it well-written and easy to read. The author describes the battle in detail, using vivid storytelling and genuine dialogue. While some readers feel the English is not polished, they appreciate the author's command of the language and his ability to portray the love between a true team.

"...work from anything else I’ve read: (1) he weaves a far more complete, human, and intimately accurate narrative of the fight, and (2) in pointing out..." Read more

"...Clint takes much time and deliberation in character development, for which I am appreciative...." Read more

"The descriptions given during the battle are detailed and intense. One of the best perspectives that bring out emotions. Great Book!" Read more

"...He then returns back to the day of the battle and tells it in amazing detail...." Read more

305 customers mention "Intensity"297 positive8 negative

Customers find the book gripping and inspiring. They describe it as an outstanding portrayal of combat action that stirs their emotions. The book teaches readers about love, courage, and humility. It makes them more military-minded in how they operate.

"...and touching them in a human way that equals or exceeds the best character development I’ve ever encountered in the most moving literature in any..." Read more

"The descriptions given during the battle are detailed and intense. One of the best perspectives that bring out emotions. Great Book!" Read more

"...The Dead, writes of the lives of individual soldiers and and makes them come alive," Read more

"I loved the orderly accountant and the realism of the battle as told by Clinton...." Read more

145 customers mention "Insight"141 positive4 negative

Customers appreciate the book's insights into deployment. They find the details vivid and the writing informative, demonstrating the bravery and determination of American military against seemingly impossible odds. The book provides a gritty first-hand account that is unparalleled for its solid research and demonstrates the best values and character in American servicemen.

"...even with their mistakes and human flaws made plain, their grit, determination, comradeship, and professionalism shine through with brilliant and..." Read more

"...of you in a negative way, rather because it is such a rare window to the absolute truth of what up close and personal combat is...." Read more

"...of young men, from all over America, who are brought together, trained well and sent in harm’s way...." Read more

"...is a must read for those that have no idea about combat, the tools our military uses, and the men who lead them...." Read more

65 customers mention "Heartbreaking"54 positive11 negative

Customers find the book heartbreaking and patriotic. It conveys real human suffering, heroism, and misery. They say it's one of the best and most tragic combat memoirs they've read. The book brings them to tears and is one of the most stunning, disturbing, and readable accounts of fighting through a scary situation.

"...Romesha's retelling almost puts the stench of blood, guts, and death in one's mouth...." Read more

"...It's well done. And yes, you'll even find yourself laughing at times. But you may well also find yourself in tears...." Read more

"...It's not. It's real life, real human suffering, real heroism." Read more

"...battles which were fought by these American warriors are gut wrenching and will bring you into the battle...." Read more

62 customers mention "Pacing"51 positive11 negative

Customers find the pacing of the book fast and engaging. They say it's timely given what's going on in Afghanistan, and that the performance is outstanding. The story starts slowly but moves quickly and efficiently.

"...the high ground above them, yet these men were able to defend an indefensible position even though they were virtually trapped by a force that..." Read more

"...His writing style imparts a sense of the grittiness and immediacy as he describes the conditions our troops encountered in the OEF deployments...." Read more

"...-to-day tasks: stoically focused on getting it done, intelligently, efficiently, no excuses...." Read more

"...book and one of those that's tough to put down, and which stays with you all day...." Read more

46 customers mention "Picture quality"44 positive2 negative

Customers appreciate the book's vivid and compelling portrayal of the event. They find the views and actions of everyone mentioned in the book well-presented. The graphic and raw narrative keeps readers on the edge of their seats. The concise photos of the battle space and men who fought and died there are helpful for reference. Overall, customers find the presentation original and well-written, providing excellent background into the development of the conflict.

"...is structured with a personal depth, fluidity, and originality of presentation such as I have never encountered...." Read more

"...author, Clinton Romesha, does a splendid job of telling the story in a clear, easy-to-read style...." Read more

"...is so clearly written, the story told with such honesty, that it is clear and easy to understand, and appreciate the situations these men dealt with...." Read more

"...This book gives you a real good glance at one of those collective experiences...." Read more

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D. M.
Best I’ve Ever Seen
Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2017
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I’ve taught History at USMA (West Point), served 24 years on active duty, and published a book myself. I’ve read military history for nigh on 50 years now, with a very heavy emphasis on memoirs. How many, I couldn’t say for sure, but probably 1000+.

And I have never read a memoir as powerful, gripping, and vivid as this one.

The narrative of the fight for Combat Outpost Keating in Afghanistan is structured with a personal depth, fluidity, and originality of presentation such as I have never encountered. Nothing else is even close to this book in getting the reader into the minds and personalities of the soldiers involved, and touching them in a human way that equals or exceeds the best character development I’ve ever encountered in the most moving literature in any genre.

This is also superbly-researched history, as the author does an excellent job of weaving a tale that places COP Keating within the larger scheme of things in Afghanistan, and presents aspects of the battle that the author pulled together from participants and documents long after the battle. Logistics, air support, Quick Reaction Force (QRF) employment, are related to the facts on the ground, in the fight, for which this Staff Sergeant served in multiple roles as a platoon sergeant and squad leader, team leader and assistant base defense commander.

He clearly focuses in Red Platoon’s role in the fight—his platoon—and the actions of Blue and White platoons on Keating and nearby outpost Kitsche are sketched out insofar as their actions bore on Red Platoon’s part of the fight. That is perfectly in keeping with the author’s intent to portray the battle fought by him and his platoon, and it also serves as a continual reminder to readers that SSG Romesha’s vision was limited dramatically by the fog of war. Indeed, the book’s narrative portion and primary focus is on his continual confrontation with the fog of war and his relentless attempts to see through it and take action.

Clinton Romesha doesn’t fall into a common narrative difficulty faced by memoirists, which is to treat every comrade as a flawless hero and cover everyone’s faults. Yet, precisely by examining and critiquing those faults, mistakes, miscommunications, and mishaps, he accomplishes two things that separate his work from anything else I’ve read: (1) he weaves a far more complete, human, and intimately accurate narrative of the fight, and (2) in pointing out flaws, he also highlights the strengths each soldier, each human being, each buddy, truly deserves credit for, and thereby honors them more highly, sincerely, and grippingly than in any memoir or battle history I’ve ever seen. These are young American soldiers, not fictional superheroes. But even with their mistakes and human flaws made plain, their grit, determination, comradeship, and professionalism shine through with brilliant and touching clarity.

This microhistory of a one-day battle on a remote outpost necessarily reads differently than most first-person memoirs. It also reads differently than a historian’s microhistorical recreation of a day’s fighting by a small unit in an utterly desperate situation. Because the microhistory here is provided by an active participant, who observed, recalled, and recreated this battle with an immediacy that even the best historians can’t attain, and which even the most gallant participants can never recall and articulate—and wrestle with—so fully, effectively, and touchingly.

I am at a loss right now to praise this book adequately, and am not sure I could ever do so in any case. This is a one-of-a-kind tale that takes the reader into the innermost workings of a dismounted cavalry troop of the 4th Infantry Division, fighting a battle against all odds, and eventually prevailing. It is impossible for a reader to walk away from this experience without a sense of awe for the training, dedication, commitment, courage, tenacity, and skill of the very human young American soldiers who held Keating against all odds.

Clinton Romesha obviously used this book to come to grips with what he saw and did at COP Keating, and to pay homage to men he loved closer than brothers after passing with them through this crucible. Although his book differs in so many important ways from other books that have moved me deeply about American soldiers and Marines at war, I will close by placing his book on my personal top shelf, along with “Company Commander” by Charles McDonald, “With the Old Breed at Pelelieu and Okinawa” by E.B. Sledge, “Visions from a Foxhole: A Rifleman in Patton’s Ghost Corps” by William A. Foley. I hate to omit other deeply moving accounts deserving of mention, but I am so impressed with Romesha’s book; the fighting man he proved himself to be; and the fighting men he led, followed, served with, and boldly risked his life for and helped lead to victory; that I feel it appropriate to simply call it, The Best I’ve Ever Seen.

There are many questions left unanswered by his narrative, which I would like to talk to Romesha about someday, or research elsewhere. But no book can cover everything, from every angle, at every operational level, with the gripping power Romesha achieves in his narrative of Red Platoon. So I’ll simply repeat my bottom line and close with it: The Best I’ve Ever Seen.

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Rum Runner
Must Read for Comfortable, Non-combatant Americans
Reviewed in the United States on November 3, 2019
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I believe EVERYONE needs to watch Taking Chance, Ken Burns' The Vietnam War, Saving Private Ryan . . . . and read Matterhorn and Red Platoon. No war or Police Action is understood well except those who have been there. My father's war was centered around a submarine on combat patrols in the Pacific. He remains a charter member of Brokaw's Greatest Generation, and he came home to bands, parades and kisses in Central Park. My war was the unsavory, unpopular, smelly, manipulative, cluster%$#@& of a domino chain in Vietnam. Clinton Romesha was thrust in to an epic battle with a unit that came together when they needed to in order to survive. What separates this work from others is that Mr Romesha does not focus on his Medal of Honor awarded to him for this action, rather the acts of many . . . . and the ultimate sacrifice of 8 comrades in arms played out in an unbelievably vicious and hard fought engagement.

I came upon this book as as a result of watching a NETFLIX documentary on several recipients of the Medal of Honor over the last century. Romesha was one of the men highlighted in the film, and he talked about his need for Catharsis which he realized could only come about by removing much of the burden he carried, and placing it on our shoulders too. He knew at his core, as you the reader/listener will also discover, that the medal belonged to the unit both those who lived and those who died. As I mentioned in my header, non-combatants should read this . . . not because I judge you or think of you in a negative way, rather because it is such a rare window to the absolute truth of what up close and personal combat is. Well, at least insofar as mere words can convey.

In this exceptional true story, you will meet all kinds of people. Clint takes much time and deliberation in character development, for which I am appreciative. Please take a few hours to get to know some of our finest who continue to man a post for you and me.

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JuneBug
Attention to detail
Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2025
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The descriptions given during the battle are detailed and intense. One of the best perspectives that bring out emotions. Great Book!

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marcelo
An authentic and exciting story of the horror of war.
Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2024
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In the style of Naked and The Dead, writes of the lives of individual soldiers and and makes them come alive,

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Ty
The Best War Novel I've Read!
Reviewed in the United States on June 14, 2016
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If you want to know what's going on in our endless wars overseas, then this book will give you an idea. The author is a recipient of the Medal of Honor and humbly tells the story of a battle that he and his unit were in.

He starts out the morning of up to the attack, then he goes back and introduces us to each character/soldier in his platoon. He then returns back to the day of the battle and tells it in amazing detail.

The part I like the best is that it isn't just from his viewpoint, in fact, the majority of the book seemed to be from that of other people. He includes the points of view of many others engaged in the battle, i.e., the doctors, other soldiers, pilots, staff, and other agencies, and how they all scrambled to save these men. There was a lot of behind the scenes action going on that the author did not know about at the time that he lets us in on.

There were some black & white pictures of the soldiers referenced and the Base Camp interspersed throughout the book. The pictures were a bit hard to see in myKindle Paperwhite, but my iPad displayed them pretty well.

It was sad to read how preventable much of this was as the Army picked a pretty stupid location to build this base, but that would be the Army, wouldn't it? It almost read like a small scale version of Dien Bien Phu from the early Vietnam War with the French - the enemy had the high ground and our heroes were camped out at the bottom.

I have nothing but the highest respect for the men & women in our armed forces and thank them for their service! God bless you all!

Highly recommended, especially for anyone considering joining the Army or Marines.

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mommagal
good
Reviewed in Canada on February 13, 2024
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my son got it for Christmas this past year from us , he was interested in it after seeing a Netflix special on hearts of Valor receptents

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Toni
Wicked
Reviewed in Spain on October 11, 2021
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Delicious book, quick shipment.
Excellent Cover

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Jean
Excellent roman d'action réaliste car du vécu
Reviewed in France on November 15, 2020
Verified Purchase
Excellent roman d'action réaliste car du vécu. On y apprend beaucoup de chose sur la vie des vrais soldats déployés à l'étranger, leurs faiblesses, leur valeur et le manque de sens de la vie que l'on éprouve dans les combats, quand on les vois mourir sans parfois avoir eu même la chance de riposter.

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Francesco Bersani
Imperdibile, cinque stelle sono poche.
Reviewed in Italy on August 5, 2020
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Le storie di guerra sono tra i miei generi preferiti, in modo particolare quando sono storie realmente accadute e raccontate dai protagonisti, questo libro è uno dei più belli e coinvolgenti in assoluto. Imperdibile.

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Honeybal Lektor
Schonungslos offen und ehrlich - harte, aber absolut empfehlenswerte Lektüre
Reviewed in Germany on June 1, 2020
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In diesem absolut fesselnden und spannenden Buch schildert Autor Clinton Romesha als unmittelbarer Augenzeuge den massiven Angriff der Taliban auf den Combat Outpost Keating am 3. Oktober 2009, der in einem dramatischen Kampf ums nackte Überleben für die amerikanischen Soldaten endete.

Zunächst stellt der Autor in seinem Buch Stück für Stück die Mitglieder seiner Einheit und ihre persönlichen Hintergründe und Lebensgeschichten vor und wie sie sich gemeinsam auf den Einsatz in Afghanistan vorbereiteten. Stationiert wurde Romesha mit seiner Einheit im Jahr 2009 schließlich im Combat Outpost Keating – einem kleinen und entlegenen US-Stützpunkt in der Provinz Nuristan, der extrem verwundbar und sprichwörtlich von allen Seiten aus erhöhten Positionen heraus angreifbar war.

Wenn man die Schilderung über die Lage und Gegebenheiten vor Ort liest, wundert man sich schon, welcher inkompetente, fahrlässige und verantwortungslose Entscheidungsträger in der höheren Befehlskette eine derart schlechte Entscheidung in strategischer und taktischer Hinsicht treffen konnte. Aus Romeshas Informationen und den im Buch enthaltenen Fotos wird schnell klar, dass ein potentielles militärisches Fiasko im COP Keating nur eine Frage der Zeit war.

Nach diesen einleitenden Kapiteln folgen die dramatischen Ereignisse, die mit dem Beginn des Angriffs im Morgengrauen des 3. Oktobers 2009 ihren Lauf nehmen. Für die Attacke haben die Taliban ca. 300 Kämpfer zusammengezogen, die COP Keating über Stunden aus einem Radius von 360 Grad ununterbrochen unter schweren Dauerbeschuss nehmen und im weiteren Verlauf auch in den Stützpunkt eindringen und ihn beinahe vollständig überrennen.

Romesha gelingt es dabei extrem gut, ein unglaublich intensives, nachvollziehbares und auch nachfühlbares Bild von den dramatischen Ereignissen während des Angriffs zu zeichnen. Ebenso toll schafft es der Autor, praktisch gleichzeitig ablaufende oder sich zeitlich überschneidende Ereignisse so zu schildern, dass man sich das Geschehen vor Ort unglaublich gut und intensiv vorstellen kann. Er erzählt die Erlebnisse und Ereignisse während des Angriffs in einer extrem offenen, schonungslosen und ehrlichen Art und Weise, dass man an einigen Stellen auch mal ordentlich schlucken muss – gerade wenn es darum geht, wie er die Umstände des Todes seiner eigenen Kameradens schildert, aber auch wenn er berichtet, was die eigenen Waffensysteme mit den Gegnern anrichten.

Ich habe in meiner Sammlung mittlerweile sehr, sehr viele Bücher, die Soldaten über ihre Erlebnisse während der Kriege in Vietnam, auf den Falklands, im Irak oder in Afghanistan etc. geschrieben haben, aber Clinton Romeshas Schilderung über den Angriff auf COP Keating gehört definitiv zu der besten, die ich je gelesen habe. Romeshas Buch ist praktisch frei von Pathos und großem Geschwafel über Patriotismus, sondern vermittelt einfach einen sehr ehrlich und authentisch anmutenden Blick auf die Schrecken des Krieges.

Von meiner Seite 5 Sterne und absolute Empfehlung!

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Top reviews from the United States

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5.0 out of 5 stars Best I’ve Ever Seen

5.0 out of 5 stars Must Read for Comfortable, Non-combatant Americans

5.0 out of 5 stars Attention to detail

4.0 out of 5 stars An authentic and exciting story of the horror of war.

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best War Novel I've Read!

Top reviews from other countries

5.0 out of 5 stars good

5.0 out of 5 stars Wicked

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent roman d'action réaliste car du vécu

5.0 out of 5 stars Imperdibile, cinque stelle sono poche.

5.0 out of 5 stars Schonungslos offen und ehrlich - harte, aber absolut empfehlenswerte Lektüre

Best I’ve Ever Seen

Must Read for Comfortable, Non-combatant Americans

Attention to detail

An authentic and exciting story of the horror of war.

The Best War Novel I've Read!

good

Wicked

Excellent roman d'action réaliste car du vécu

Imperdibile, cinque stelle sono poche.

Schonungslos offen und ehrlich - harte, aber absolut empfehlenswerte Lektüre