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Roberts Ridge: A True Story of Courage and Sacrifice on Takur Ghar Mountain, Afghanistan Audiobook
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(4.00) - 595 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
For the US Navy’s elite team of SEALs, the mission seemed straightforward enough: take control of a towering, 10,240-foot mountain peak called Takur Ghar, a key post in their plan to smash Taliban al Qaeda in eastern Afghanistan. But the enemy was waiting, and when the Special Forces chopper was shredded by enemy fire, a red-haired SEAL named Neil Roberts was thrown from the aircraft. Roberts’ fellow SEALs were determined to bring him out—no matter what the cost. This harrowing true account captures in dramatic detail their seventeen-hour battle, fought against near-impossible odds, to save one of their own.
This is a gripping you-are-there account based on stunning eyewitness testimony and painstaking research by journalist Malcolm MacPherson.
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"Alan read this a couple years ago and has been bugging me to read it ever since. It is a true story of Chinooks that got shot down in Afghanistan while inserting troops on a mountain peak. As Alan is a Chinook pilot, and flew past Roberts Ridge all the time while deployed in Afghanistan, this story was especially intriguing for him - he also met one of the guys whose hand got all but blown off. It is an incredible story. I listened to the audio - the narrator needs some pronunciation lessons (for instance, someone should have told him how to pronounce CHINOOK, since he said it about once a minute for the entire book. Bagram was another really bothersome pronunciation. It is only the hugest base in AF - you would think someone would have told him he was pronouncing it wrong!) The audio was kind of hard to follow - I would have to rewind and relisten to parts to picture everything just right. Alan said the book has pictures/maps which would have been extremely helpful! Regardless of the audio issues, the book was an amazingly detailed account of this incredible story. It's just so real - so recent and close to home. It was a great read."
— Melanie (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“An impressively detailed account of one heart-wrenching battle in the invasion of Afghanistan. MacPherson gives readers a rare, behind-the-scenes look…A great read.”
— St. Petersburg Times -
“[A] harrowing seventeen-hour drama every bit as perilous and courageous as the Rangers’ ill-fated Battle of Mogadishu, Somalia…MacPherson eloquently captures this gripping tale…with aplomb.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Well told and frightening as well as true, this is a book that bridges the breach between the increasingly professional American military and a civilian culture possessing little knowledge or experience of the military.”
— Booklist -
“A true story of courage that captures—over the course of seventeen hours—all the drama and sacrifice of war. Impossible to put down. Highly recommended.”
— James Bradley, author of Flags of Our Fathers -
“At once a terrifying and compelling narrative, Roberts Ridge strikes awe for its unflinching and honest portrayal of the courage, determination, and capability of American fighting men. This true tale resonates with vitally important lessons of success and failure on the field of battle.”
— Eric Haney, author of Inside Delta Force -
“MacPherson vividly brings to life this harrowing story of courage, pathos, and war at its grittiest. For military history buffs, or those interested in the front lines of the war on terror, Roberts Ridge is a must read.”
— Jay Winik, author of April 1865 -
“Roberts Ridge is a reminder that combat, despite America’s huge technological advantages, always boils down to the basics: men, machinery, maps, and mojo…Ultimately, Roberts Ridge is a study in courage and comradeship.”
— Flint Journal
Roberts Ridge Listener Reviews
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" Reading SEALs biographies for a research project...this one was a good one, very poignant story, well written, loads of examination of what happened. "
— Anne, 2/17/2014 -
" Good stuff on the individual and tactical level, but it never addresses how the whole thing could be seen as a total clusterf**k and asks how in the hell it happened. "
— Dan, 2/4/2014 -
" This is the best nonfiction war book I've ever read. A heart breaking, but true story. "
— Mikey, 1/24/2014 -
" Great, quick read. Real life heroes. Encouraging, sad, and inspiring all at the same time. "
— Cate, 1/22/2014 -
" Good book, true story of dramatic events that happened in the mountains of Afghanistan. The only draw back is that the author uses a bit more technical/military language than thew average civilian is used to. Still a very good read. "
— CMG, 1/20/2014 -
" A story of one mishap after another one. Then a story of not leaving anyone behind and how the special forces work together.Always sad at parts of the story but very brave men to do what they do. "
— P.e.lolo, 1/19/2014 -
" awesome book, will bring tears to your eyes "
— Becky, 1/11/2014 -
" Good book, reminiscent of Black Hawk Down. Fair details, intense fire fight on a huge mountain. "
— Nick, 12/26/2013 -
" A quick read. Very focused narrative on a tragic accident that turned into a major small arms firefight that cost the lives of seven service members. Not quite 'Black Hawk Down' (which is the gold standard of modern military histories) but a good read nevertheless. "
— Alain, 12/4/2013 -
" Very enjoyable book about close combat special forces in tough conditions. Great true story of modern warfare and the professional soldiers that fight today's fights. "
— Ashley, 5/30/2013 -
" Unique - it spans only 17 hours. SEAL team goes in. SEAL team gets shot up, loses man, chopper falls out of sky. SEAL team breaks contact with enemy. QRF team goes to save them. QRF team gets shot up. A one-sided tale, but interesting regardless. "
— Aaron, 5/10/2013 -
" While the narrative structure of this book is kind of confusing, the story is riveting. detailing some of the events that took place during "operation anaconda" when a navy SEAL fell out of a helicopter and the subsequent attempts to rescue him. "
— Shay, 5/5/2013 -
" Ok Great if you like Military type books. "
— Becca, 2/16/2013 -
" Really great book about one of the most intense, but little known, battles in Afganistan. "
— Taddow, 11/23/2012 -
" I bought this to help me get some background on SEAL TEAM 666, a book I'm writing for St. Martin's Press. This provided a lot of great insight into the sorts of missions they perform and is giving me tremendous help in formulating my fictional SEAL team. "
— Weston, 8/15/2012 -
" Inteliggent & Brilliant & Courgages Soldiers. A must read. "
— Peter, 4/2/2012 -
" I'm not typically a fan of military non-fiction, but this is a very well written account, almost close in quality to Blackhawk Down (the book, not the movie). "
— George, 3/30/2012 -
" Great book detailing Operation Anaconda. If you enjoy books about current military history, this is an absolute must read. "
— Michael, 1/30/2012 -
" This is one of the best books I've ever read...my MMCS at ODS knew this guy and my wonderful husband gave me this book for our anniversary "
— Stephanie, 10/5/2011 -
" Fantastic book. I would recommend reading this book along with Two Wars. "
— Rose, 7/15/2011 -
" Good book. You need a lot of technical knowledge to understand what they are talking about during it. It demonstrates how poor communication can get people shot up. A decent book, entertaining, and intelligent. "
— Kevin, 4/19/2011 -
" Great book detailing Operation Anaconda. If you enjoy books about current military history, this is an absolute must read. "
— Michael, 4/12/2011 -
" Fantastic book. I would recommend reading this book along with Two Wars. "
— Rose, 1/1/2011 -
" A quick read. Very focused narrative on a tragic accident that turned into a major small arms firefight that cost the lives of seven service members. Not quite 'Black Hawk Down' (which is the gold standard of modern military histories) but a good read nevertheless. "
— Alain, 9/26/2010 -
" I'm not typically a fan of military non-fiction, but this is a very well written account, almost close in quality to Blackhawk Down (the book, not the movie). "
— George, 10/17/2009 -
" While the narrative structure of this book is kind of confusing, the story is riveting. detailing some of the events that took place during "operation anaconda" when a navy SEAL fell out of a helicopter and the subsequent attempts to rescue him. "
— Shay, 10/1/2009 -
" awesome book, will bring tears to your eyes "
— Becky, 9/3/2009 -
" Good stuff on the individual and tactical level, but it never addresses how the whole thing could be seen as a total clusterf**k and asks how in the hell it happened. "
— Dan, 2/14/2009 -
" Good book. You need a lot of technical knowledge to understand what they are talking about during it. It demonstrates how poor communication can get people shot up. A decent book, entertaining, and intelligent. "
— Kevin, 1/10/2009 -
" This is one of the best books I've ever read...my MMCS at ODS knew this guy and my wonderful husband gave me this book for our anniversary "
— Stephanie, 8/11/2008 -
" This was an incredible account of a rescue of an operation gone wrong in Afganistan. It certainly brought the War on Terror close due to the documentary-style writing. "
— Peter, 7/28/2008 -
" Great, quick read. Real life heroes. Encouraging, sad, and inspiring all at the same time. "
— Cate, 8/14/2007 -
" Good book, true story of dramatic events that happened in the mountains of Afghanistan. The only draw back is that the author uses a bit more technical/military language than thew average civilian is used to. Still a very good read. "
— CMG, 6/14/2007 -
" Unique - it spans only 17 hours. SEAL team goes in. SEAL team gets shot up, loses man, chopper falls out of sky. SEAL team breaks contact with enemy. QRF team goes to save them. QRF team gets shot up. A one-sided tale, but interesting regardless. "
— Aaron, 5/28/2007
About Malcolm MacPherson
Malcolm MacPherson is a journalist and author of several fiction and nonfiction books. He served in the Marine Corps, and worked as a staff journalist for Time and Newsweek magazines, the latter for twelve years as a foreign correspondent. Most recently, he reported from Iraq on assignment with Time. He lives in Warrenton, Virginia with his wife and two kids.
About Joe Barrett
Joe Barrett, an actor and Audie Award and Earphones Award–winning narrator, has appeared both on and off Broadway as well as in hundreds of radio and television commercials.