One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer

LEADERSHIP 101

I would recommend this book to be required reading at all our military academies, and our officer training centers. Nathaniel Fick hits the nail directly on the head when it comes to fundemental leadership principles, and presents them in a truly fresh and more importantly authentic way. He proudly represents the best the Marine Corps has to offer, and rather than making a political statement, presents facts which the reader can digest. He paints a very vivid picture of combat, without dressing it up or down, and makes it intensely personal. He is the kind of officer that you would willingly follow into harm's way, and sets an example for all future officers to emulate.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Read through the night!

"One Bullet Away" will place the reader in regular patrols and fire fights in Iraq. The book is written from the viewpoint of a young Marine Recon Officer, Nathaniel Fick. Very well written. Lieutenant Fick is highly intelligent, capable and compassionate. He was fortunate to have seasoned Gunny Wynn under his command to offer suggestions and assistance. I simply could not put down this book and felt as though I knew the personnel intimately. Compassion for the Iraqis was hard to ignore but pride in our US Marine Corps is top-most with this Marine Mom.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

A wonderful surprise!

I don't normally read current military books but this was an excellent read. Its obvious Capt. Fick was a classics major. His writing was very inviting. I couldn't put it down. And he made you care about the other people in his book. It was admirable of him not to degrade anyone by naming names and pointing fingers. Its a shame he is still not in the Marines leading and learning other young men.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Best book on modern warfare ever.

This book is the best book I have ever read on modern warfare. I have re-read this book several times and enjoy it every time. This easily tops even the classics such as Black Hawk Down and We Were Soldiers Once. A great read.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Great account

Absorbing book that you just cannot put down. Fick's insights add much to what we assume the marines to be . With a nephew in force recon, it makes me appreciate more what he is doing and what he has sacrificed. Fick pulls no punches. The good bad and ugly are there tosee. It is one one the best histories I have ever read.

Great read

This is a well told story.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Great Book

Couldn't put it down. The author does a great job describing his growth as a Marine Corp Officer. Further... It really hit home that even though we send our troops into harms way to see horrible things, to work in horrible conditions... we sit at home unaware of their sacrifices. And we take it for granted. Great book. Semper FI

War from the Warrior's Perspective

Honest, revealing, well-written. This is an important book.

Great Read

Great Book. Highly Recommended

Great Read

This book offers a now hard to come by honest look into the war. Not only does Fick tell the stories of himself and his Marines, he makes them look good too. It goes from his hellish baptism by fire in OCS to his deployment in Iraq. Definitley a great buy.

Excellent personal account of Marine Corps

The author has a writing style well suited to telling his personal story. He doesn't get bogged down in details, but gives personal accounts that show the Marine Corp. from the eyes of a young officer at the outbreak of war. Despite not being a huge reader of military books, I found it hard to put down.

Making of a Marine Officer

As a former Marine officer from the 60's, I could both identify with the author's point-of-view and experiences. Attitudes toward leadership and responsibility are still the same. Lots of the training is different. Former Marine's will enjoy the book as an updating about preparation for war as done today, and the war from a small unit leader's role.

It was Like I was there with these Marines

I am the grandmother of a Marine and the words Fick used were the same words my grandson used to describe his 3 tours in Iraq! Each chapter was like reliving my grandson's stories over and over! A must read book for anyone that has had family serving in Iraq. They come home with a very different point of view and this book will help you understand them.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A True Depiction of What It Means to be a Marine Officer.

Extremely well written and accurate to last detail. Captain Nathan Fick experiences the transformation that occurs when one makes the commitment to wear the eagle, globe, and anchor, and lead Marines. He comes to realize the incredible responsibility that comes with putting on the uniform, and he learns how rewarding it is to have the privilege of working with the well trained and motivated men under his command. He soon not only sees the anticipation and excitement of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, almost like preparing for the most important sports event of his life, but he also suffers through the contradictions and uncertainties of combat. Through it all he forges a bond with those he leads that will stay with all of them for the rest of their lives. If you want a true accounting of the making of a Marine officer, as well as the rigors and fog of war that is told without hype and exaggeration, this is the book to read. I had the privilege of wearing the uniform of a both a Marine enlisted man and a Marine officer for almost thirty years, and this book is an accurate reflection of what I experienced in that time as well. For those who lived the life, this book will be a welcome look back at our "glory days", and for the rest it is an important piece of the history of the Corps.

Too Real

Captain Fick told it like it was and probably still is. It became clear that only a handful of fficers really know how to lead in this new hostile environment. Capt. Fick was pointed without being disrespectful, honest without being offensive, and thoughtful without being overbearing.

I could nt put the book down. I know two young active duty army officers in Iraq, and through their parents, they confirm Capt. Fick's descriptions. One will not re enlist do to the incompetence described later in the book. That tells it all.

2 Stars

This book one bullet away, i read it because i wanted to know a little more about the marines. It helped me somewhat, it was a little hard to read, its really discriptive, which is ok but to me it was a little disturbing.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Great Book

I found this book to be a great read for many reasons. Firstly, it portrayed a very human aspect of war and those who fight it. It put a name and face to a group of humble people who are defending a nation and asking nothing in return. Politics aside, these men and women deserve our recognition. Secondly, it told the story of the war from the front lines, directly from the witnessess and perpetrators. Many books about war are written by reporters who interview soldiers. These accounts lack the level of reality that a book by an actual soldier can portray. This book is a story of courage and bravery, internal struggle and the fight to remain alive and sane. I would recommend this book to anyone who has half a heart so they can see the truth in a world full of media lies, and know that real people are fighting this war and real people are dying.

Excellent work!

I enjoyed Fick's narrative of his experience in the Marine Corps. He described his feelings about things and showed that not everything is logical in a time of war. He made his readers care about the physical and mental safety of him and his men.

Standard Fare

Good book on leadership, and the Marines. A bit slow in the middle, and a decent finish.

Outstanding Read

Nathaniel Fick did a great job when he wrote One Bullet Away. he makes you feel like you are in the war in Iraq with his platoon, and he keeps you informed about anything and everything when it happens and why. Fick was a writer of interest after he wrote this book. Nathans page of accomplishments is very long and very impressive. i liked this book alot for the fact that he takes you with him on his journey through the United States Marine Corps. Overall, i would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read about war, adventure, and success.