Violence of Action: The Untold Stories of the 75th Ranger Regiment in the War on Terror

(1302 customer reviews)

$14.00

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Violence of Action is much more than the true, first-person accounts of the 75th Ranger Regiment in the Global War on Terror. Between these pages are the heartfelt, first-hand accounts from, and about, the men who lived, fought, and died for their country, their Regiment, and each other. Objective Rhino, Haditha Dam, recovering Jessica Lynch, the hunt for Zarqawi, the recovery of Extortion 17 and everything in between… These stories have been told many times in barracks rooms, bar tables, and backyard barbecues but they have never before been shared with the general public. It is time for those stories to be heard. So much more than just stories from a specific unit; this book reveals the sights, smells, and emotions of everything that happens in war – good or bad. It will be seen as the quintessential, ageless work on the human condition in combat. Whether you served in the military, are a fan of military history, or just want to know more about your fellow man in times of war – this is the book for you.

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1302 reviews for Violence of Action: The Untold Stories of the 75th Ranger Regiment in the War on Terror

  1. irishpropheticart –

    Awesome short stories from Rangers themselves that covers the ten year period from 2001-2011 and almost all their actions/combat/firefights from the 1st person view,not from AAR(After Action Review/Reports). Some stories are very funny about the Spartan,harsh lifestyles and then gut wrenching tales of Close Combat,lost of friends,wounding and lost of limbs.

  2. flatlander –

    I loved this book. It is a real eye opener to the sacrifice and literal blood, sweat, and tears that the Rangers and their families have shed fighting the war on terror. The best book I have read in a long time.

  3. Sam –

    Fantastic recollection of the Ranger’s personal role in the war on terror, could not put it down, was great to read about U.S SOF.

  4. discdisease –

    Violence of Action: The Untold Stories of the 75th Regiment in the War on Terror is flat out superb. I have read over 350 books about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan so my standards keep geting higher and higher of what makes a book a good book or a book you just can’t put down or a book that is a “page turner” and so on. So when I read a book that is this good I feel that it must be truly special and “Violence..” is just that, Truly Special! It is definitely right at the top with the GREAT one’s that I have read over the years. To me Violence of Action had everything in it that I consider important, relevant and educational without being over the top full of bravado.
    Violence of Action takes the reader through experiences had by the 75th Rangers Regiment from September 11, 2001 through September 11, 2011. We hear from many different soldiers about anything from a “boring” day to what is was like to be in the middle of a terrifying gun battle. I have not been “into” a book like I was with “Violence” in a very long time. The chapters just flowed together almost like I was reading several different journals except that this was in chapter form and just full of information provided to us by allowing us to live through the eyes and ears of the soldier doing the expressing at that given moment.
    There were many missions discussed that scared me to death and on the very next page there was something that just made me smile. It wasn’t as if I was on a roller coaster ride because the author did a great job of balancing everything so that I (the reader) wasn’t confused by miltary jargon or something to specialized for me to understand, I actually felt like I was right there with the other soldiers discussing what was going on.
    I was treated to hearing different things from a vast group of men and women which is a rare thing with these types of books. There were soldiers who were on their 1st deployment talking to other soldiers who were on his/her 12th deployment and I never felt like the author was trying to fill dead space. Even during what the soldiers consider down time or times when they are awaiting their next mission the author made sure that something was discussed that was very pertinent to the overall book. I twas truly moved by this book and am very grateful for all of the men and women, mothers and fathers and others who allowed me into their lives during very hard times so that I could learn better what our troops were actualy going through day by day and mission by mission.
    Some of the material is sad, some made me angry and some opened my eyes to what war is and it certainly isn’t fun and games. It is something that shouldn’t be takes lightly and after reading this book I absolutely appreciate, even more, what our military men and women do for each of us to help keep us safe from those who want to do nothing more than to destroy the American way and the American will. I have read very few books that caused me to feel so many different emotions as this one did. Violence of Action is absolutely a must read and when you finish reading it take some time to reflect on what we ask the 1% of our population to do so that we can go to Starbuck’s or we can get together and complain about our Government or so that we can go to a football game or so that we can…..pretty much do whatever we want to, wherever we want to and whenever we want to and not have to worry about being swept up and thrown in jail or being punished in some other way. My hat goes off to author Marty Skovlund, Jr for finding a way to make me actually feel like I was in the desert with my military brothers and sisters fighting evil, sharing a special moment or crying because a friend had just been killed. There haven’t been too many books where the author truly made me feel as if I were right there in the fray as Skovlund has done. Great job Mr. Skovlund and thank you for taking the time to put into words such important lessons and helping me better understand just how damn good our soldiers are, thank you! God Bless America and God Bless the men and women of the United States Military.

  5. mfrobbins –

    A WELL WRITTEN BOOK AND QUITE BELIEVABLE ABOUT THE SENIOR OFFICERS
    WHO ONLY FOUGHT THE WAR FROM BOOKS OR BEHIND THE LINES OF TRUE
    HEROES.HOW DID THESE OFFICERS OBTAIN THIER BATTLE MEDALS.

  6. Kevin Dawson –

    I prefer books like this written by those who trained to fight, who have seen the full spectrum of conflict. So many stories so many perspectives , all with one binding thread, they’re Rangers and they’re proud to be so, don’t get me wrong this isn’t the only book I have read about units and regiments, but like some of the best book I’ve read they do not come across as untouchable superheroes, but as soldiers asked to do the impossible on a routine basis and deal with the consequences of success, failure, loss and trauma to those they have grown close to and themselves, they chapter on the Mother of one such soldier is especially poignant and gives better understanding to the fact soldiers have families and they to, are more than often called upon to bare the burden of these conflicts with the same heroism as there sons and daughters on the frontline

  7. Matthew –

    I liked the way the book was written, it was different. The stories are great.

    However, unless you have a decent military background, there are some things you won’t pick up on. While most of the stories are in the correct chronological order, they repeat eachother. A lot. I can respect the men who contributed their stories, but every other word is “Ranger.” Ranger, Ranger wife, Ranger family, Ranger brothers, Ranger buddy, Ranger this, Ranger that. This seems to be little more than a hasty attempt at telling as many Ranger stories from OEF/OIF with as little effort as possible. Don’t forget, Rangers told these stories. Reading the book, it became more and more like a kid brother’s desire to feel important. Seriously, it was just as bad, if not worse, than hearing about some brand new Marine’s boot camp-fueled, motivationally driven war story. Ranger. All joking aside, I appreciated all of the Ranger contributions to this Ranger story, and it was very life-like. It kept me on the seat of my Ranger pants. Good Ranger book, a lot of redundancy and overlapping in Ranger stories, but worth the $Ranger.99 I paid for it.

    Did I mention it’s about Rangers?

  8. Eric Anderson –

    I read the book in 4 days. 488 pages according to Amazon (though I have the Kindle version) and I only read after work while lying in bed.

    It is a great book and I’m not saying that because I know some of the authors. It is great because of the diversity of topics, time, and units covered. Each year starts with a brief overview and ends with a listing of those Rangers who gave the last full measure. I can say that it is gut wrenching, exciting, funny, and a bunch of other buzz phrases….but you already knew that; if you didn’t, choke yourself. Some events are covered from multiple perspectives and it really gives you a sense of how oral history and narratives are formed. Every participant sees it a little differently, remembers something different, or overlaps experiences with others like a Venn diagram. Another wonderful quality is that it is simple….not simple as in “Stupid” but a simple concept which flows from one story to the next. It is good, old fashioned storytelling and that’s priceless. For a military book, it also does a great job at not bogging down in military jargon. There’s plenty of it, how else could you tell these stories, but only the most obtuse individual would be distracted by those unfamiliar terms. They would also have to be utterly incompetent to miss the excellent list of abbreviations at the end of the book.

    Cons? I’m hard on authors and books, but Violence of Action? A few typos a spellcheck would miss, I do mean a few, and maybe one sentence which could be worded better.

    That’s it. A first time author(s)…and that’s it: a few typos. My hat’s off to the editors and proofreaders. It really is. The worst part of this book is whatever you produce next will be judged against Violence of Action.

    So go buy this book. Not because of who wrote it, but the contents and how they are presented to the reader. Your background doesn’t matter, if you can read you should buy this book. There are even sections by wives and a Gold Star Mother so you’re receiving a nearly 360 degree view of a Ranger’s world. The good, the bad, the anger, the tears, the fear, the exhaustion, the elation, the pride, the Brotherhood, everything.

    Great book, guys. 5 out of 5 stars or jump wings or scrolls or whatever. Your first work has set the bar high (so start working on a second volume).

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