Rogue Warrior

by Richard Marcinko

Book Overview

The author describes his career with the Navy's first anti-terrorist unit.

Customer Reviews

Ignore the Chad Reynolds review unless you want a laugh!

Firstly before I review the product one has to wonder at the sheer lack of intelligence and research demonstrated by Chad Reynolds review. I am suprised that he hasn't deleted his review as of yet as it's so stupid. To rebuff: the intial chapter is a training exercise, as Marcinko points out at the end of the chapter. Marckino/Wiseman or whoever put it all together is just using a literary device to... tell a story. As for the jumping from 19,000ft. That is nothing. I used to work at 18,000ft... on the ground - it's called Skiing! Special Ops people can perform HALO and HAHO jumps at 30,000ft, because they use oxygen apparatus. What is Chad going on about here? He does not know what he is talking about. Chad Reynolds claims to be a full commander and I honestly hope that this isn't a reflection on the rest of the US Navy. For all you Marcinko insiders maybe Chad Reynolds = Pinky! He might want to do his research before he posts, or try reading the book! However there are definately some knowledgable US Navy personnel, one of who is clearly Richard Marcinko. I happen to own all of this series and even my girlfriend reads them now. They are ripping yarns, made much better by Marcinkos clever insights and understanding of the topics. He is clearly a first rate spec ops leader and a great soldier as well. The book gives you a wonderful grasp of the subject from an insiders perspective not seen in your Tom Clancy/Dale Brown type novels. It is similar in some ways to Charlie Beckwith's Delta Force book. Its very much written from the perspective of a guy in the know. Because it is an insiders perspective it covers the more gritty and violent aspects of war, with all the sailor language included. While this might be difficult for us to accept having not been in his world, it gives a great appreciation for the things that he has done to serve his country and his men. The free world needs people like Marcinko and Beckwith (to make up for all the Chads and Pinkys), and I am thankful for those that can live in it and freely do so to defend out freedoms. A worthy read.

Blunt talk from a guy who was SOF before it was hip

I read this book not long after Marckinko's interview with 60 Minutes. At the time, I was very impressed with Marcinko's testosterone filled prose. However, as time went by I began to see Marcinko more as sort of a loud mouth alcoholic than as a guy to be taken seriously. Marcinko definitely went "rogue" after his SEAL Team Six command was up and he created Red cell.Personally, I believe Marcinko would have gone much further in the Navy chain of command had he stopped drinking. Had the guy had the sense to cut the boozing out, he probably would have made Admiral. I seriously doubt he would have ended up in prison had he cut out the booze. Its obvious the guy lives for booze and is a hardcore alcoholic. Because of his boozing, I dont see Marcinko as someone to look up to, like say I would look up to Colonel Charlie Beckwith or Dick Meadows.As for the book itself, its basically a more flamboyant, testosterone filled version of Charlie Beckwith's "Delta Force." Marckinko describes basically the same exact problems in establishing SEAL Team Six that Beckwith encountered in establishing Delta Force. Principle among these problems were intense disagreements over the SEAL Team Six chain of command. Marcinko describes how he was oftentimes more at war with the conventional Navy bureaucracy and the established SEAL community of the early eighties era than with international terrorists. Marckinko describes how conventional SEAL officers of the early eighties era fought vigorously to keep SEAL Team Six in the east coast SEAL chain of command. Basically keeping it regular Navy and having total Navy control. Whereas Marcinko wanted Team Six in the brand new, "high speed" JSOC chain of command that Delta Force was part of. Marcinko wanted Team Six as part of the JSOC, whereas the east coast SEAL Headquarters and conventional Navy resisted this severely. It was only thru repeated bypassing of the normal chain of command that Marcinko got his way. And he obviously made a ton of enemies within the regular Navy and even the conventional SEAL community doing this. Marcinko was an independent officer who did his own thing, rather than bowing down to the conventional Navy and the conventional SEAL officers of the late seventies and early eighties. Again, many of his problems are exactly what Charlie Beckwith describes in his own book "Delta Force," written in the early eighties. In addition, some of the things Marcinko mentions in his book are pure bull. Such as his claim that his men had to be able to bench press 500 lbs to climb special ladders to clandestinely board ships underway. Being able to bench press 500 lbs has little to nothing to do with being able to climb ladders or ropes. In fact, the muscle groups used in these activities are totally different. Again, much of this book is testosterone filled bull, from someone who is obviously a megalomaniac.Despite this, its still a good read and Id recommend it to anyone interested in SEALs or SOF. One thing I ad

Hardcore

CDR Marcinko bears all in his first book of a widely successful series. As the first Commanding Officer of the highly secretive Seal Team 6, his adventures took him across the globe. The reader is included in the story in the clever style of writing that Marcinko delivers. He "talks" to you, as though he were standing right beside you. But Marcinko is not Rambo. He is not invincible, nor does he think he is. His adventures leave him (and his team) battered and bruised. In an embarrasingly blatant story about himself, he leaves out the hype and glory, and instead finds himself slammed, smacked, dropped, whacked, dinged, scraped, and coming back for more. He tells how his missions consistently go FUBAR, and how the everpresent Command Master Chief Murphy (of Murphy's Law fame) is along for the ride to ensure all his plans are ruined. His "shocking" language is just what you'd expect from a mustang sailor. This book is not a Hollywood creation... it's not even a movie (yet). If you want to hear it from someone who was there, this is it. This book is a ride.

Unbelievable, but true Autobiography

I have actually read all of Capt. Marcinko's books to date; however, this book is the best by far because its his true-life adventures in the World Of SPEC War. Growing up not too far from where Capt. Marcinko was born, I became fascinated with his story. To read of his adventures and his antics and to see what was done to him in return is unbelievable. What makes it scary is that it is true. I'm not going to go into the scemantics of the writing style or break down the entire book for you, but what I am going to do is tell you the truth... Yes, this book may be hard for some of you to read. Yes, he may be an egocentric adrenaline junky, but first and foremost, he is a soldier, who has served his country and fought for the freedom we all take for granted. In the times in which we live, we need a true hero like Dick Marcinko to make us proud to be Americans, because we have so few hero's to look up to now. If you don't like his abrasive philosophising and his "take the world by the balls" attitude then all I have to say is "Doom on You". Dick Macinko is a true hero and a present day warrior and its men like him who have served our country in times of need, and who have fought and given up their lives for our country, that makes me proud to be an American.