One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer

ISBN: 0618773436

Author: Fick, Nathaniel C.

Condition: New

The New York Times bestseller that provides a close-up and often harrowing look at Ficks service both in Iraq and Afghanistan (US News & World Report).If the Marines are the few, the proud, Recon Marines are the fewest and the proudest. Nathaniel Ficks career begins with a hellish summer at Quantico, after his junior year at Dartmouth. He leads a platoon in Afghanistan just after 9/11 and advances to the pinnacle-Recon- two years later, on the eve of war with Iraq. His vast skill set puts him in front of the front lines, leading twenty-two Marines into the deadliest conflict since Vietnam. He vows to bring all his men home safely, and to do so hell need more than his top-flight education. Fick unveils the process that makes Marine officers such legendary leaders and shares his hard-won insights into the differences between military ideals and military practice, which can mock those ideals.In this deeply thoughtful account of what its like to fight on todays front lines, Fick reveals the crushing pressure on young leaders in combat. Split-second decisions might have national consequences or horrible immediate repercussions, but hesitation isnt an option. One Bullet Away never shrinks from blunt truths, but ultimately it is an inspiring account of mastering the art of war.Ficks writing style sets this book apart from other accounts of recent conflicts and guarantees One Bullet Away a place in the war memorial hall of fame.-USA Today