To the last breath

Just before dawn on 4 March 2002, a fierce battle raged just below the 3190-metre summit of a mountain in eastern Afghanistan. John Chapman, a US Air Force Combat Controller, and a handful of Navy SEALs were fighting against overwhelming al-Qaeda forces, trying to push up to the peak in a desperate attempt to find a fallen comrade.

Chapman, leading the charge, was wounded in the initial assault. Believing he was dead, his SEAL team leader ordered a retreat. Chapman regained consciousness alone, with the enemy closing in from three sides.

John Chapman then demonstrated incredible courage, first saving the lives of his SEAL teammates. Knowing he was mortally wounded, he single-handedly engaged two dozen hardened fighters to save the lives of an incoming rescue team. For his bravery, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. Chapman is the first airman in 50 years to receive the award reserved for America's greatest heroes.

The book also offers a behind-the-scenes look at the work of a US Air Force Combat Controller. This is the world's most capable and versatile special operations force, whose members must not only exceed the abilities of Navy SEAL and Delta Force teams but also act with vigorous decisiveness and perfect precision – even when facing mortal danger.

Drawing on eyewitness accounts, classified documents, dramatic video footage, and extensive interviews with commanders and survivors of the operation, this book tells the story of one man's extraordinary courage in an impossible situation, and of the brotherhood that shaped him.