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Red Platoon
- A True Story of American Valour
- Narrated by: Will Damron, Clinton Romesha
- Length: 12 hrs and 29 mins
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Red Platoon
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Summary
The only comprehensive, firsthand account of the 13-hour firefight at the Battle of Keating, by Medal of Honor recipient Clinton Romesha, for listeners of Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden and Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell.
"'It doesn't get better.' To us that phrase nailed one of the essential truths, maybe even the essential truth, about being stuck at an outpost whose strategic and tactical vulnerabilities were so glaringly obvious to every soldier who had ever set foot in that place that the name itself - Keating - had become a kind of backhanded joke."
In 2009 Clinton Romesha of Red Platoon and the rest of the Black Knight Troop were preparing to shut down Command Outpost Keating, the most remote and inaccessible in a string of bases built by the US military in Nuristan and Kunar in the hope of preventing Taliban insurgents from moving freely back and forth between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Three years after its construction, the army was finally ready to concede what the men on the ground had known immediately: it was simply too isolated and too dangerous to defend.
On October 3, 2009, after years of constant smaller attacks, the Taliban finally decided to throw everything they had at Keating. The ensuing 13-hour battle - and eventual victory - cost eight men their lives.
Red Platoon is the riveting firsthand account of the Battle of Keating, told by Romesha, who spearheaded both the defence of the outpost and the counterattack that drove the Taliban back beyond the wire and received the Medal of Honor for his actions.
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What listeners say about Red Platoon
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Steve B
- 03-11-19
Powerful, gritty & compelling
I’d never heard of Keating until I saw a documentary on TV that mentioned two Medal of Honor recipients. That got me googling and led me to the book.
A really powerful account of events, that had me sitting in the car listening for “one more minute” on several occasions. The details recounted, and the depth of descriptions add weight to help you understand (as well as you can I guess) what was happening on the ground.
Brilliant - have already recommended it to a few other audible subscribers.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- luke
- 26-08-20
Brilliant
It’s nice to get a book which totally takes you in as if you were stood there with the author, at times it’s a gripping listen at others it makes you sad.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Freneticmonk
- 19-12-19
This should be number one on your list.
As a veteran of Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait this book hit me hard. I don’t believe there is any other book that can accurately describe what it is like. The friendships, the pain, the dark humour, the brotherhood are things I will never forget.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Martin Scoley
- 11-12-18
Gripping Read
Every combat soldier has a story to tell regardless of what or whom they fight for. This account of the action in October 2009 in which a great number of people lost their lives is probably the best I have listened to. Meticulously prepared and researched, Mr Romesha provides us with a truly touching and emotional journey that left me almost exhausted just listening to it. Courage and leadership qualities right out of the top drawer which prevented, from the American perspective, a catastrophe. Sadly eight Americans lost their lives however it could have been far worse had their colleagues not fought for each other with tenacity and skill to prevent their brave and resourceful opponents from claiming the victory they very nearly had. One could argue that without the overwhelming power unleashed from the skies the American forces may well have been wiped out.
As an ex-soldier I can identify with the strength of the personal bonds which you develop with members of your platoon, the friendships which outlast your life within the services. I can only ask that when you listen or read this account that you remember that soldiers under fire don't fight for their country or their leaders, they fight for each other.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 20-02-19
Brutal and honest
A brutal, honest & gutwrenching tale of bravery and sacrifice. Gripping and impossible to stop
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Kindle Customer
- 13-08-19
A harrowing story, excellently read and written
It is a incredible book only able to be written by those who were there
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- Pink Lady
- 25-01-19
Stunning!!
An incredible listen and well written story, pulling no punches. It was extremely well read also. I cried listening to ‘In Memoriam’ at the reading of those that had perished and felt the loss in the author’s voice. A ‘must’ listen in my view.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- TRUDY C.
- 13-04-21
amazing story of a true band of brothers.
Well written thoroughly engrossing. True grit account of battle that was won by the hard efforts of small band of brothers . I feel guilty for enjoying it so much due to the loss of so many brave men.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Steve
- 16-08-16
excellent account
excellent and sometimes graphic moments of what the soiders endured during the assault on Copenhagen Keating
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- john lafferty
- 17-06-19
Utterly gripping from start to finish
Fantastic writing. You get fully immersed in the story. What a story to be told so well.
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