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smurf2416's review against another edition
4.0
I thought this book would end up being so so. But it was fantastic. The details of the raid were incredible. Only thing that brought it down to a 4 was that there were lots of intro seal stuff. The training, going to seal team 6. Little boring.
stevencard's review against another edition
3.0
Let's be completely honest. Whoever says this book isn't at least somewhat interesting is lying. The book is interesting. That being said it might be a slower pace (at the start) or different book than what the reader expects. The raid on Osama Bin Laden doesn't even take place until more than halfway through the book and even then the main facts presented are not anything new. The one thing the book does well is something that Wikipedia articles and CNN articles cannot do: put a personal voice and a first person view into the whole mission. That is what makes this book worth the read.
No Easy Day starts out with some basic, been there, done that, structure of how a Navy SEAL is trained. Although interesting, it is nothing new. The author even goes through some other unrelated missions, such as the Captain Phillips rescue mission, in detail which do add to the book and makes it more than just a book about this Navy SEAL and his team vs. Bin Laden.
While some might question his motives to write the book he does state that the majority of the proceeds will go to charities that benefit Navy SEAL families. Still, one has a feel that the author still has "bitter grapes" and resentment for those policy makers in Washington and others, especially those who take credit for his "hard work." It is clear he is no fan of President Obama and even refuses to sign a framed flag for him. It just leaves one saying to themselves, "Really, man?"
Leaving behind the character errors that I might have with the man (and who am I to judge?) the book itself is unique and one that is worth a read for all.
No Easy Day starts out with some basic, been there, done that, structure of how a Navy SEAL is trained. Although interesting, it is nothing new. The author even goes through some other unrelated missions, such as the Captain Phillips rescue mission, in detail which do add to the book and makes it more than just a book about this Navy SEAL and his team vs. Bin Laden.
While some might question his motives to write the book he does state that the majority of the proceeds will go to charities that benefit Navy SEAL families. Still, one has a feel that the author still has "bitter grapes" and resentment for those policy makers in Washington and others, especially those who take credit for his "hard work." It is clear he is no fan of President Obama and even refuses to sign a framed flag for him. It just leaves one saying to themselves, "Really, man?"
Leaving behind the character errors that I might have with the man (and who am I to judge?) the book itself is unique and one that is worth a read for all.
epitcock's review against another edition
5.0
This book describes a Navy SEAL's journey from the start of his career to retirement. I found the book inspiring and the retired SEAL, incredibly humble.
lorna_krist's review against another edition
3.0
The subject matter is 5 star, but the writing only merited 3 star for me. That being said, I enjoyed learning more about SEAL training and the "facts" on the killing of OBL.
martysdalton's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
tense
fast-paced
2.5
The autobiography tells the story of a truly remarkable military career. I had no idea that the men who helped kill Osama Bin Laden were the same men of some other famous missions in recent American history, including the rescue of Captain Phillips. The description of the planning, the raid, and the conclusion of the mission(s) were fascinating and fast-paced. Wow! But I am also struck by how radically different the author's worldview is from my own. He's extremely black-and-white about the world. There are good guys & bad guys. There are heroes and villains. For me, his calloused worldview is grating to observe between the lines. How overly simplified, how uneducated it is, how unempathetic it is. I've been a pacifist most of my life, I don't know if I still am in my late 30s (unrelated to this book). In contrast, the author grew up with a gun in his hands in Alaska, hunting & fishing, dreaming of becoming a soldier. We couldn't be more opposite in so many ways.
Yet, I recognize that the world does need people like him, because there are, in fact, some villains—violent ones who have even more destructive worldviews. I am about as far as a guy can get from being ooh-rah about the military. I view the US military primarily as exploitive of the poor & uneducated and responsible for an enormous amount of harm. But part of the point of reading is to expose yourself to other viewpoints; this autobiography did that. I'm interested in history, American history in particular, and that's what drew me to the story. I'm surprised to find myself saying here at the end of the book that I do have a great appreciation for the dedication of the Navy Seals that were involved in this--as opposed to pity for the culture that brought them into service, which is what I normally feel towards our service men and women.
I'd encourage everyone to lean into their biases and find other viewpoints, but I can't say I'd recommend this book.
Yet, I recognize that the world does need people like him, because there are, in fact, some villains—violent ones who have even more destructive worldviews. I am about as far as a guy can get from being ooh-rah about the military. I view the US military primarily as exploitive of the poor & uneducated and responsible for an enormous amount of harm. But part of the point of reading is to expose yourself to other viewpoints; this autobiography did that. I'm interested in history, American history in particular, and that's what drew me to the story. I'm surprised to find myself saying here at the end of the book that I do have a great appreciation for the dedication of the Navy Seals that were involved in this--as opposed to pity for the culture that brought them into service, which is what I normally feel towards our service men and women.
I'd encourage everyone to lean into their biases and find other viewpoints, but I can't say I'd recommend this book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Gun violence