Customer Reviews

The Coveted Black And Gold: A Daily Journey Through the U.S. Army Ranger School Experience

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Reading this book opened all the floodgates of memory of my own Ranger School class in the winter of 1970. I had forgotten so much of the physical punishment, of one C-ration a day while climbing the mountains and wading the swamps, of teeth-shattering snow and icy swamp water, of halucinating and sleeping on my feet, of dropping to 125 pounds on a 5-foot 10-inch frame. And more than the physical, there was the emotional and the mental toll. Heartbreakingly exhausting past exhaustion. There were times when the book invoked such vivid memories of misery that I really wanted to just put it down and walk away for awhile. What an outstanding book! I'm amazed that the author was able to pull off keeping the journal and his small Kodak cartridge camera through all the Ranger instructor equipment shake-down inspections. I'm also amazed at the consistency of his experiences and mine. People have asked me through the years, "What was Ranger School like?" I never could begin to find any words to do the experience justice. How do I describe the indescribable? Now, however, J.D. Lock has done just that. The next time I'm asked, I'll just hand them the book and answer, "Here. Read." Every Ranger or family of a Ranger should have this book. Rangers Lead The Way, Sir!

I have several friends who are Rangers, since they are known to be 'the best of the best' I wanted to see what it took to earn that (trust me, THEY DO) and what is expected of them. Plus these guys can't often talk a lot about what they do, so I figured learning about what they train for may give insight. This book did all of that. It goes day by day and shows the learning process-including the intentional stresses added to force the most out of them in the worst conditions. Plus, he also gives good history/added info on the schooling and Rangers as a whole. If you like to learn more about the military mentality and what all goes into it, its a fun read. Rangers Lead The Way!!

Our son is in Ranger school as we speak. He is a West Point Graduate and an infantry officer with 8 years to serve. While the book was dated it has been invaluable for us to follow essentially day by day the experiences our son is enduring. Each day we read the entry corresponding to our son's ranger training day. For me, that is the example of a book which has stood the test of time. Written in 1980 and useful in 2009. Well done.

I bought this book as I am intending to attend Ranger school myself soon. The day by day is great at letting you know how long and grueling it is, as well as offering a few good tidbits of advice along the way. Very motivational, hands down Ranger School seems to be one of the toughest military schools available but, reading this and the sense of accomplishment along the way only helped to motivate me even more in receiving the Ranger Tab.

Recommend this to anyone considering Ranger School as well as anyone that just has a passing interest in our militaries best.

Well written and documented. Great account for anyone interested in going to Ranger Course. Personally had a hard time remembering my personal experiences through the course. Doesn't include the desert portion that I had when I went through. Bought the book to remember myself and to help a student interested in going into the now R.A.S.P. Process that they call it now. RIP was only about 3 weeks long in 1988 when I went through. I understand now that it is 8 weeks and called RASP. Recommend for those that wish to remember or help someone to get an idea to prepare for Ranger School. If that is even really possible. RLTW 2nd Bn 75th Ranger Regiment.

If you have been to Ranger School this is a must read, as it brings back soooo many memories, good and bad. If you are thinking about attending Ranger School - you better read this and understand that on some days it is a lot worse than the book describes. In the US Militaries there are only two organizations that carry with it the distinction of "There are no Ex....." One being the Marine Corps, there are no Ex-Marines. There are no Ex-Rangers, you are, or you are not. Ranger School is a Badge of Honor that you will carry for the rest of your life.

Jack J. Laurie, Ranger Class 1-74.

This book is amazing because it contains his day to day activities. I, too, want to become a Ranger and I've done lots of research about them, but I must admit that I didn't always know what he was talking about, I did understand the hardship and I could picture myself going through what he did, it makes me think that I have no chance of making it through. I found that I would try to picture myself in his shoes, seeing what I would have done in his situation, or keep in mind on the tips he talks about to maintain weight, etc. It kinda gives you a heads up on what kind of mental preparation you need to have. It seemed that this course was EXTREMELY difficult physically, however mentally preparing oneself was the message I was getting from the book. I also liked all the little trivia he put in the book at the end, telling you who was eligible to go to Ranger training, and the meaning of hooah. hahahaha. Although i wish he explained things more in detail, i understand why that wasn't possible. I just hope i can prepare myself enough to take on the crap they dish out at you.

I personally want to become a ranger when I join the army, and this book was an eye opener yet also inspirational. It shows the commitment and self motivation required for Ranger School. This book is a good buy.

I have a whole library of of this type book , since I was in the Airbourn-Rangers 1951-1954.

This book was a pretty good account of the day in and day out trials of going through Ranger School. For those of you saying you want to become a Ranger, you need to know one thing, there is a huge difference between going to Ranger School and wearing the Tab after, and actually serving in a Ranger Battalion/Regiment. You should talk to people who served in those units.