Rating: 
Summary: If you're scared, then go to church!
Review: I actually read this book in 1996, so it has been a while. I can tell you that it influenced me to enter the military to find a life that most people never experience. After being in the service I can tell you that the language in this book is par for the course, it is the nature of being in an environment where quick responses are valued and the majority of your training really does f*$!ing suck. So if you are scared or offended by the language then just suck it up and try to deal with it. If it is too much then put the book down and be glad you never joined the service, it may have been too "rude" of an environment for you. There are alot of important lessons to be learned if you pay attention to why the training is set up the way it is and why you lead from the front. While Marcinko is arrogant you have to love the man's style. From the outside I can easily see how he could irritate the people not directly under his command. On the other hand there are very few things in the military as valuable as a leader who is willing to put you through the most realistic training possible and do it with you. There is no doubt whatsoever that Marcinko leads from the front! The more people we have like him the better.
Rating: 
Summary: Shark Man Strikes again!
Review: Tom Clancy's books just plain suck compared to the "Rogue Warrior" series. It is refreshing and at the same time a little disturbing to know that we have such panty-waisted, pill clerks running major resources of the US Armed Forces. Thank God that there was an odd bird like Marcinko to keep everyone on their toes. This story is fundamentally a retell of Melville's "Billy Budd." Where the individual is supressed for doing what is right, inspiring the men, and scoffing in the face of authority.
Rating:
Summary: Rogue Warrior review
Review: An absolutely fascinating look into one of the last true warriors on the face of the earth. And a ,no-holds-barred, non-Hollywood, no-teary-eyed perspective of the Vietnam War and what should have been done to win that war.
Rating: 
Summary: There needs to be a zero star choice for this one
Review: This book is pure crap. I received a book from a book club and this book was mistakenly in the book cover instead of the one that I wanted. I was not aware of this and when I sat down to read the book I had ordered I was totally disgusted. I could not read any further than a page and a half. EVERY SINGLE SENTENCE in the first paragraph has the F(*^ work in it. I can handle being around cursing and do curse a bit myself, but to put it in print in every sentence is unnecessary and just makes a totally unenjoyable read. If I were not able to return this book it would have immediately been in the trash can or maybe a nice little fire to start my barbeque.
Rating:
Summary: Good Read on SpecWar Ops
Review: Possibly one of the few good books I have read. Marcinko's arrogant, humorous and down to earth style made it easy to read. I was really looking for more information on Seal Team Six and I found it here. I think this book is major motion picture material. This guy is one tough Navy Commando. The only drawback would have to be the eleborate details about the visual atmosphere I skipped over some of those parts. Bottom line is I could not put book down. Doom on you Navy for putting this patriot away.
Rating:
Summary: It only takes 5 seconds......
Review: Firstly, let's cut to the chase on this one. Richard Marcinko takes you through a realm that very few of us will ever get to experience. This book is well written, but even more so, it is well-LIVED!! The factual information in this book is astounding, considering the action packed pages read more like a movie. Richard Marcinko proves to be the ultimate warrior in a time when warriors are few, yet greatly needed. Anyone who even hints that this book was uninteresting didn't take the required 5 seconds to read the opening two sentences. If you are a military history buff, this is a definate buy.
Rating:
Summary: The worst non-fiction I have ever read
Review: I enjoy reading about military history and Tom Clancy (at least up until his last three novels) is one of my favorite authors. I bought this book thinking I would really enjoy this autobiography, envisioning it as a sort of real life Clancy novel. I was mistaken. Very, very mistaken. This book was so bad I threw it away (literally) when I finished it.The main storyline of this book - hardworking blue collar kid becomes a Navy SEAL, has adventures in Viet Nam, bucks the system, becomes leader and innovator of counterterrorist squad - has all the makings of a good tale. Two factors ruin the story: first and foremost, Marcinko has an ego that makes the loudest-mouthed professional wrestler seem shy and introverted. Marcinko constantly brags, in virtually every paragraph of this book, about how tough, smart, hard-working, hard-drinking, hard-womanizing he is and it just becomes sickening. It ruins his credibility - if he really was such a super soldier, he would not need to tell us about it so much. I am surprised that Marcinko hasn't caved in his own ribcage with all the juvenile chest pounding he commits. Marcinko shows his own intellectual limits, wondering why his wife divorced him after spending many pages boasting about his usual 120 hour work week away from home and his dozens of female conquests at ports of call throughout the world. The second, surprising factor contributing to the downfall of this book is that there is just very little interesting about the story. Marcinko really does not tell us any particularly interesting tales about Viet Nam; he does describe a very mildly eventful patrol in some detail, but that's really it for his Viet Nam "adventures." His recollections of the training he put his men through after forming an elite counterterrorist SEAL squad is moderately interesting, but not enough to save any part of this book. If Marcinko actually had many exciting adventures, he must be rationing them out between his subsequent books, just to string people along and get them to buy sequels. Rogue Warrior concludes with Marcinko attempting to convince the reader that the court martial he ultimately received is simply the result of being too candid with too many old-school, narrow minded admirals (he was convicted, among other things, of misappropriating Navy funds, including the purchase of a new Mercedes for his unit). If you have ever heard pathetic convicts whining and falsely claiming that they are innocent, Marcinko will sound familiar, as he is one of that sort - hardly a real tough guy. I have never been less sympathetic of anyone and I am certain he did what he was alleged to have done. If you have an interest in military history and you have a mental age and maturity beyond 14 years old, please have the discrimination not to buy this wasteproduct. If you are interested in an exciting biography about Viet Nam, read Marine Sniper, the biography of Carlos Hathcock, a crack Marine sniper who actually had numerous exciting missions (the author may take some journalistic liberties here and there, but it is still an excellent read). Hathcock, unlike Marcinko, was a quiet, unassuming man and equally unlike Marcinko, was a true American hero. If you think that any book, video or DVD that shows a guy on the cover carrying a gun is "really kewl, dude" you might like this book so that you can share it with the other insecure 13 year old boys who are desparately trying to pretend they are "real men." Otherwise, do yourself a favor and skip this childish drivel.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely filled with action
Review: This book is That-DAM-GOOD. I have read many books on navy seals and the Rogue Warrior series is absolutely, hands down the very best. Richard Marchinko is a true hero who put his life on the line, put the country's best interest first, protected his men and always believed a true leader leads from the front. The writing is very believeable and explained thoroughly. As the top covert team in the military, cmdr. Marchinko believed everything he did was in the best interest of the navy and then they turned on him. You almost feel like Marchinko is telling you the story directly to you. By far, the best book in the series because it is true accounts of his life. Recommend to all.
Rating:
Summary: A great book
Review: This autobiography seems like it was made up from twenty fictional authors. Marcinko has seen so much and expresses his emotions and feelings very clearly. He tells of his entire life story and of course his time in the Navy SEAL teams and the infamous SEAL Team Six. Richard Marcinko is a great author and an inspiration for anyone who is a military prospect or special operations hopeful.
Rating:
Summary: WOW!
Review: I read all the time. However, the original Rogue Warrior autobiography was the only book I ever read where people actually stopped me to tell me they read the book and loved it. It is that good. Currently Marcinko and Weisman co-author novels which are fiction but possibly based on real situations. the rest of the series is fiction but its the type of fiction that borders on being or at least seems real. But this book, the first and the actual autobiography of Marcinko is unbelievable. Exciting, interesting, historical it does it all. No fiction you will read will ever match this book. The SEAL Training, Vietnam, the missions...this book is the real deal. If you have not read this original autobiography or if you are simply looking for a good but this is for you.
|
