Battle Ready
Memoir of a SEAL Warrior Medic
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4.2 • 132 Ratings
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
The gripping memoir of Navy Cross, Silver Star, Bronze Star, and Purple Heart recipient SEAL Lieutenant Mark L. Donald, Battle Ready.
As A SEAL and combat medic, Mark served his country with valorous distinction for almost twenty-five years and survived some of the most dangerous combat actions imaginable.
From the rigors of BUD/S training to the horrors of the battlefield, Battle Ready dramatically immerses the reader in the unique life of the elite warrior-medic who advances into combat with life-saving equipment in one hand and life-taking weapons in the other. It is also an uplifting human story that reveals how a young Hispanic American bootstrapped himself out of a life that promised a dead-end future by enlisting in the military. That new life begins with the Marines and includes his heroic achievements on the battlefield and the operating table, and finally, of his inspirational triumph over the demons caused by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder that threatened to destroy him and his family.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
After humbly eschewing the "haunting label" of "hero," Donald, with the help of Navy vet Mactavish (The New Dad's Survival Guide), recounts his struggle to break free from an impoverished youth by joining the Marines and then the elite Navy SEALs, in whose service he fought and saved lives as a medic in Afghanistan. That experience left him with PTSD and an enduring desire to help veterans. Like most soldiers, he writes best about soldiering (the book is based on journals originally intended as part of his post-combat therapy), delivering a superb description of the infamously brutal weeding-out ordeal of SEAL training, the nuts-and-bolts duties of a medic, and the battle actions that won him the Navy Cross but claimed the lives of more than one close friend. Attempts to exorcise his personal demons back on the home front are less successful, but the suffering they point to is palpable. A few military memoirs like Anthony Swofford's Jarhead gloriously break the bonds of their genre; Donald's has no such ambition, but this is an admirable addition to the flourishing phenomenon of SEALs sharing their stories in print. Its audience will welcome the familiar macho elements no less than the original, often horrific medical details. 16-page color photo insert.
Customer Reviews
Semper Fidelis
As a Marine Veteran this book has been on my reading list for some time now. I finally got around to reading this on my vacation and I could not put it down, finishing it over the course of 3 days. I found it very real and insightful and highly recommend it to everyone, not just Veterans. Semper Fidelis.
A Holistic Story worth reading!
A tremendous story of dedication, service and leadership built around courage and self-awareness. Not your typical book. The stories of the horror of war are in the bigger context of how it effects the person. Thank you for your service Mark both to the country and to those with the after effects.
Battle Ready
A deeply meaningful story about a determined man of character whose guidance by a woman of substance and profound insight, his mother, produced a selfless and good person who worked hard, and sacrificed comfort and his own peace to defend freedom and help others.
This book covers a series of important episodes in Mark's career. Without getting buried in details, he tells the story so it is captivating and educating, reveals its essence, and leaves the reader with an emotional connection to the author and the events.
Mark's account of his career and experiences serve as a sweeping overview of the nation's experience before and through the global war on terror, both regarding the big picture of the conflict , and the impact of that conflict on an individual in the fray itself.
The evolution through his years in the Navy from junior medical provider to an experienced medical professional is inspiring and exemplary to all young Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines who will answer the calling of medicine to grow in their career.
As a Physician myself to SOF members, I have dealt with individuals who continue to recover from horrific experiences in service to our nation. This book provided moments for reflection for me on how we citizens have to provide support and love for our men and women who are emotionally affected by their experiences in dangerous places, and doing jobs they perform on our behalf. Mark provides a few opportunities at the end for us all to contribute to.
I commend Mark for laying himself open with his honest appraisal of his situation. He has helped himself and will help others by doing this, and be a shining light for others who need to understand their predicaments and to accept or seek help to heal. This is just another step in his career as a health professional in helping and saving brothers in arms.
The depth and breadth of interesting and profound anecdotes and insights is enhanced by the declarative nature and clarity of the writing, making the points all the more effective, and easy to read.
Finally, the triumph of love, social support, a sense of purpose, optimism, persistence and hard work in overcoming challenges are all the lessons any of us or our children need to face a challenge.