Leave No Man Behind - by Tony Brooks & Bob Welch (Paperback)

About the Book

On June 28.2005, Turbine 33, carrying eight Navy SEALs and eight members of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, was struck by a rocket propelled grenade, careening the dual rotor Chinook toward the rugged peak of Sawtalo Sar. The result was the single deadliest incident in Special Operations history at the time. Commanders called on the largest element of US Special Forces, the 75th Ranger Regiment. The rescue mission: Operation Red Wings II. Author Tony Brooks gives a first-hand account of the daring recovery of Turbine 33 and the subsequent search for the remaining compromised Navy SEAL recon team--one of whom was Marcus Luttrell, the lone survivor.

Book Synopsis

A story of courage, perseverance, and patriotism behind the 75th Ranger Regiment's rescue mission following one of the deadliest Special Ops incidents in Afghanistan-a grueling search for twelve Navy SEAL casualties and eight downed Night Stalkers . . . but just one lone survivor

On June 28th, 2005, a four-man Navy SEAL reconnaissance team under Operation Red Wings was ambushed in northeastern Afghanistan-as depicted in the book and film Lone Survivor. A quick reaction force was dispatched. Turbine 33, carrying eight Navy SEALs and eight members of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, was struck by a rocket propelled grenade-careening the dual rotor Chinook toward the rugged peak of Sawtalo Sar.

The result was the single deadliest incident in Special Operations history at the time.

Commanders called on the largest element of US Special Forces, the 75th Ranger Regiment. The rescue mission: Operation Red Wings II.

Author Tony Brooks gives a first-hand account of the daring recovery of Turbine 33 and the subsequent search for the remaining compromised Navy SEAL recon team-one of whom was Marcus Luttrell, the lone survivor. The Rangers were up against lack of intel, treacherous terrain, violent weather, and an enemy that was raised to fight.

Tony Brooks lived-and many of his fellow Rangers died-by the axiom, "Leave No Man Behind." He is the first to tell the story other books and films have omitted, one of overcoming overwhelming odds to accomplish a mission: to bring every American soldier home.

Review Quotes

"A vivid, fast-paced, first-person account of the actions by US Army Rangers on the ground in one of the episodes in Afghanistan that best illustrated the commitment in the Ranger creed: 'I will never leave a fallen comrade to fall into the hands of the enemy.' An extraordinary-and truly inspirational-story of sheer determination, physical toughness, and mental fortitude, as well as a fierce desire to never let one's comrades down on the battlefield."
-General David Petraeus, US Army (Ret.), former Commander of the Surge in Iraq, US Central Command, US and International Forces in Afghanistan, and former Director of the CIA

"You need to read this book! Dr. Tony Brooks gives a first-hand account of the extraordinary lengths America will go to rescue one Lone Survivor. The sacrifices that Tony and his buddies made to rescue Marcus Luttrell and recover his fallen comrades will inspire anyone who reads Leave No Man Behind."
-Jeff Struecker, best-selling author, pastor, and decorated US Army Ranger veteran of "Black Hawk Down" during the Battle of Mogadishu

"A heart-wrenching story of one of the most important military missions of our generation. In his compelling story, Leave No Man Behind, Tony Brooks shows us that war stripped to its core is a human endeavor where young men and women are willing to fight and die for each other under a solemn code of cohesion and brotherhood that binds them."
-John Spencer, Chair of Urban Warfare Studies at the Modern War Institute, United States Military Academy, author of Connected Brothers

"A gritty narrative that combines a new perspective on one of the most disastrous special ops missions of recent years with a first-hand account of life in America's most elite light infantry unit."
-Sean Naylor, author of Relentless Strike: The Secret History of Joint Special Operations Command and Not a Good Day to Die: The Untold Story of Operation Anaconda

"Leave No Man Behind is an exceptional read that combines thrilling, you-are-there narrative with the introspection of a modern warfighter during one of recent military history's most renowned moments. It is an excellent and very important addition to the genre."
-Ed Darack, author of Victory Point: Operation Red Wings and Whalers-The Marine Corps' Battle for Freedom in Afghanistan

"An engagingly honest view of a young, middle-class American's journey from the golf course to the mountains of Afghanistan-and the realities of combat. As instructive as it is entertaining, Tony Brooks has captured both the pain and camaraderie of combat in an unforgettable way."
-General Stanley McChrystal, US Army (Ret.), former Commander of US and Coalition Forces in Afghanistan

"Leave No Man Behind is a crossover war story that will resonate across a broad spectrum of readers, from the combat hardened vet to the suburban soccer mom. Tony Brooks is the personification of the citizen soldier, your next-door neighbor who served his country with honor as an elite U.S. Army Airborne Ranger in the 75th Ranger Regiment. In his first combat operation, a search and rescue mission in the mountains of Afghanistan, Brooks and his fellow Rangers were thrust into a whirlwind of menace and dread that few warriors ever experience. Leave No Man Behind is a firsthand accounting of the untold story of the Rangers' search for survivors from a U.S. Navy SEAL reconnaissance operation that went tragically wrong on the treacherous slopes of Afghanistan's Sawtalo Sar. In the spirit of Stephen E. Ambrose's Band of Brothers, Tony Brooks writes with a humble, authentic voice that speaks to all Americans."
-Jeffrey Layton, author of the The Vigilant Spy, The Faithful Spy, The Forever Spy, and The Go

About the Author

After enlisting in the U.S. Army in 2003 at the age of 21, Dr. Anthony "Tony" Brooks graduated from Infantry and Airborne school followed by the four-week Ranger Indoctrination program, officially checking in to the 2nd Ranger Battalion in Fort Lewis, Washington, in September 2004. He deployed to eastern Afghanistan in April 2005, based at Bagram Airfield. His first mission was Operation Red Wings II. Tony subsequently deployed to the Ramadi region of Iraq.

He is now owner/operator of a chiropractic clinic and creator of Ranger Pure, a healthy lifestyle social venture. He was featured on a Discovery Science channel episode and a Smithsonian Air and Space documentary as a subject matter expert on Operation Red Wings and is also featured in the Backbone docuseries. Dr. Brooks lives in Everett, Washington.

Bob Welch is a speaker, author, award-winning columnist and writing teacher who has served as an adjunct professor of journalism at the University of Oregon in Eugene. He is the author of more than 20 books. He and his wife, Sally, parents of two and grandparents of five, live in Eugene, Oregon.