Tough Rugged Bastards
A Memoir of a Life in Marine Special Operations
by John A. Dailey
You must sign in to see if this title is available for request. Sign In or Register Now
Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app
1
To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
2
Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.
Pub Date Aug 13 2024 | Archive Date Sep 13 2024
Simon & Schuster | Knox Press
Talking about this book? Use #ToughRuggedBastards #NetGalley. More hashtag tips!
Description
Following the 9/11 attacks, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld directed the Marine Corps to establish a unit that would answer to US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). The eighty-six-man “Detachment One” was formed with a two-year charter to train and deploy as a “proof-of-concept” to assess the viability of a larger Marine Special Operations contribution in support of the Global War on Terror.
For such a departure from the norm, a special leader was needed. The Commanding Officer—Colonel Robert J. Coates, a Marine Force Recon legend—was given his pick of personnel. One of the four team leaders he selected was Gunnery Sergeant John A. Dailey. Coates gave Dailey and the others free rein to select their men from a crew of proven Force Recon Marines with the sole stipulation that they be: “Tough, rugged bastards with strong backs and hard feet.”
These men built a unit from nothing, trained for unknown missions in an unknown location, and deployed amid controversy and skepticism. Once in Iraq, they were dubbed “Task Unit Raider” and quickly won over the naysayers who doubted the Marine’s ability to operate successfully in the fluid and unconventional special operations environment.
This book tells Dailey’s story of the creation, training, and volatile 2004 Iraq deployment of Task Unit Raider that led to the creation of the Marine Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC). Det-1 served as the bridge between the Raiders of WWII and the Marine Raiders of today.
A Note From the Publisher
John A. Dailey was born and raised in Louden County, Virginia. He joined the Marines at seventeen, leading to a career of over twenty years. Most of that time was spent working in special operations, with tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. He received his MFA in creative writing from UNCW in 2018. He shares his views on life in a weekly substack, Think. Read. Write. Repeat. and his thoughts on developing mental toughness through physical fitness at RTFU.substack.com. He shares an empty nest in Hubert, North Carolina with his wife Tracy, and their dachshund, Max.
Advance Praise
"[I]n a word, riveting [...A]n insightful, hard-hitting memoir of his experiences as a member of a Force Reconnaissance platoon during combat operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan."
—Major Bruce H. Norton, USMC (Ret), author of Force Recon Diary, 1969; Force Recon Diary, 1970; and others
“Many stories about soldiering lack the literary touch of an artist. In his memoir, Tough Rugged Bastards, John Dailey shows that he did not stop at being a great Marine—he is one of those rare literary talents who writes beautifully—with clarity and wisdom. This first book promises literary gifts to come.”
—Clyde Edgerton, author of The Floatplane Notebooks
“Part elegy, part homage, John A. Dailey’s memoir is a powerful work of art, an exploration of a life lived in service, in peace and in war, filled with memories and reflections of that 'beautiful, horrible thing.’ It is unforgettable. ”
– May-lee Chai, American Book Award-winning author of Useful Phrases for Immigrants and Tomorrow in Shanghai
"This memoir is the closest most of us will ever get to the inside of the Marine Corps’ most dangerous command. Beautifully written and brutally honest, Tough Rugged Bastards is a reflective and unapologetic tour of the complexities of combat. Just as John Dailey joined an elite American fighting force in 2003, he now joins elite American writers—Anthony Swofford, Tobias Wolff, and Tim O’Brien—with this unflinching chronicle of war."
—Nina De Gramont, New York Times best-selling author of The Christie Affair
“A frontline memoir coarse with the harshest truths of combat, Tough Rugged Bastards is not for the faint of heart. Where this book finds weight, however, is in its thoughtful, honest reflections, an invaluable perspective that could only be earned with distance and time. Neither vain nor sentimental, John Dailey has delivered a must-read on the backside of America’s twenty-year war.”
—David Joy, author of Those We Thought We Knew
“Writers and Marines are not as dissimilar as one might imagine. Both are called to pursuits demanding discipline; courage, be it moral or physical; and the willingness to expose oneself, to become vulnerable. John Dailey is a writer and a Marine in the fullness of both. With Tough Rugged Bastards he gives us the truth of a life lived between domestic normalcy and the ragged edge of experience. [...] Read Tough Rugged Bastards to learn what it is to commit oneself to living beyond accepted limitations as part of a story offered in the voice of a man who has committed himself to telling it in a voice far more thoughtful than that of most military memoir.”
—Russel Worth Parker, Marine Raider and Bestselling Writer
“As someone who has never served in the military, it is wonderful to read a book that opens a door to the life of special operations personnel in a way that is fascinating and accessible. John does so much more than tell the story of a pivotal time in the Global War on Terrorism, he offers the reader an unapologetic look into his heart and his mind.”
—Joe McCormack, Bestselling author of Brief and Noise
“John Dailey’s personal reflections puts the reader right by his side during the early days of Marine Special Operations Command (MARSOC)…this book provides an insider’s account and historical framework you won’t find anywhere else. His attention to every detail and authentic storytelling style makes this book the premiere source for the chronology of Marines into SOCOM.”
—Amy Forsythe, Marine veteran and author of Heroes Live Here
“Travel with Marine Raider, John Dailey, into the unpredictable and brutal world that exists only behind enemy lines. For the first time, Dailey shares his personal experiences following 9/11 of nerve-wracking desert patrols, midnight firefights, and missions where he and his team were often on their own. This is a page turner and burner— a must-read for anyone who is interested in our military and what they do.”
– Carole Avriett, Author of Marine Raiders: The true story of the legendary WWII battalions
Available Editions
| EDITION | Paperback |
| ISBN | 9781637587355 |
| PRICE | $18.99 (USD) |
| PAGES | 288 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Russell P, Reviewer
John Dailey is as good a writer as he was Marine, something I feel comfortable, saying, as someone who has made a living under both titles myself. Writers and Marines are not as dissimilar as one might imagine. Both are called to pursuits demanding discipline; courage, be it moral or physical; and the willingness to expose oneself, to become vulnerable. John Dailey is both a writer and a Marine in the fullness of both.
With Tough Rugged Bastards he gives us the truth of a life lived between domestic normalcy and the ragged edge of experience. It’s a book that sometimes feels like a chat with a favorite uncle and at other times like a Hollywood thriller, all of it leavened by an artist’s soul. In that span we find truths about what it is to be a human pursuing a personal zenith in the worst of conditions.
Read Tough Rugged Bastards to learn what it is to commit oneself to living beyond accepted limitations as part of a story offered in the voice of a man who has committed himself to telling it in a voice far more thoughtful than that of most military memoir.
LtCol Russell Worth Parker
Marine Raider and Bestselling Writer
A J G, Reviewer
Tough, Rugged Bastards is just as much about Dailey's exploits in the Marine Corps as it is discovering what it means to live a life well. It's rare to find an author with such a wealth of experience--both lived firsthand and learned from philosophers and writers.
You don't need to serviceman to find valuable lessons from this book. Tough, Rugged Bastards is about belonging, working hard, and committing yourself to being as much as you can be for the sake of those you care about--and for the sake of yourself.
"Doing hard things makes hard things easier," Dailey writes. But a life lived hard doesn't make for a life that's cold, unpleasant, or brutal. Dailey shows us how those hard things we do make life's pleasures that much more richer, satisfying, and meaningful.
Steven S, Reviewer
The Tough Rugged Bastards book is an easy 5 stars.
I thought the book was a masterpiece and enjoyed reading the book. I was really interested in the Marine's time in Iraq and gave it more meaning, knowing the author has lived through different situations enclosed in this book and finding out about people like Berg, which I may have missed in the news at that time.
Overall, a great read and I would like to thank NetGalley, John A Dailey and the publisher for providing this ARC book for review.
Mike M, Media/Journalist
I didn't know they made people as tough as these guys are. Regardless, this was a wonderful book that was a lot of fun to read, and very informative.
Geoff W, Reviewer
As a former Reconnaissance Marine, I began reading Tough Rugged Bastards with a certain amount of trepidation. Special Operators’ memoirs these days tend to be an unnecessarily overly dramatized version of a difficult, if fairly standard selection process followed by unbelievably difficult missions, sprinkled with poor attempts at amusing anecdotes. It’s often painfully apparent that the subject of the memoir did little of his or her own writing and merely told a few stories to a ghost writer then sat back and took credit for an uninteresting, mediocre, quickly forgettable work. The first chapter convinced me that the author had trod the ground he described and then convincingly, informatively and entertainingly passed along his experiences to the reader. John Dailey writes with insight, humor and above all, authenticity. Mr. Dailey’s authenticity comes across on every page and I was hooked by the first chapter. Tough Rugged Bastards is that rare special operators’ memoir: an honest telling of experiences common to the uncommon men and women of the special operations community. I highly recommend Tough Rugged Bastards to anyone seeking an unvarnished history of the men of Detachment One and the fledgling MARSOC, authoritatively and authentically written by a skilled author.
Ryan R, Media/Journalist
This book is a must read for all Special Operations Forces, and for anyone who truly wants to know what war can be like. It also gives an historic view of the inception of what what we know as Raider Battalion today. This book is a must read!
Understanding the servicemen and women of the GWOT era is something that a lot of folks struggle with. This book will helps clear up some of the confusion. I would recommend the book to anyone. The Author is a down to earth man, with an extraordinary view from his perch!
Readers who liked this book also liked:
Kathleen Sheppard
Biographies & Memoirs, History, Nonfiction (Adult)
