Chronicles of the World’s Most Elite Fighting Heroes- US Navy SEALs

Book recommendations and review

I’ve been a fanatic for books on Navy SEALs and American Sniper was the first book I picked up. What made me pick up the book? I came across the article about the book release on the Times. 160 kills ? Wicked! But as I read on, I realized the amazing world these elite men are made to reckon with. The SEALs are by far the toughest Special Operations Forces on the planet, in line with British SAS. 

 

  Believe it or not, but for the last 2 years I have read 6 books, all of them about these elite warriors. These books are essential military action packed novels for any aficionado to pick up. Readers have realized this the world over, as each of these novels have been on the NYT Bestsellers list for weeks, as and when they were released. The following are the ones that really left their mark on me:

1.       American Sniper – Chris Kyle

 

  Read my review of American Sniper for the movie and book here -
 American Sniper (2014)

2.       Lone Survivor – Marcus Luttrel

 

 This book is written by Marcus Luttrel, the lone survivor of the fateful Operation Red Wing, which took the lives of more than 20 special operators . His writing style is very engaging and he does write in a very humorous tone when it comes to talking about himself. This attitude is clear in what makes him thrive and survive as a man in such pressing situation. His battling of demons on returning back and facing the families of lost comrades in the operation is heartening. A must read. The movie by Peter Berg is quite concise and does do justice to most of the story, with amazing action and direction

3.       No Easy Day – Matt Bissonette a.k.a Mark Owen

 

 An objective account of the DEVGRU operator who was a part of the mission to kill Bin Laden, it’s written with great objectivity and detail. The book is all the more relevant to us as it happened in our time, so it’s easier to digest this one. The guy got pretty screwed up because of revealing classified details of the operations and letting out CT techniques of DEVGRU. Nonetheless, the level of operational clarity and perseverance of the men behind the operation machinery has been beautifully put.

4.       Rogue Warrior – Richard Marcinko

 

 Now this book demands the title of ‘ We’ve got a badass over here!’. Richard Marcinko is by far one of the most decorated SEAL of all times. The man was a part of the Underwater Demolition Teams – predecessors to SEALs, became a SEAL, fought in Vietnam so hard that the Viet Cong put out one of the biggest bounties on his head. He returned back to be charged with the task of designing DEVGRU, so basically this is the founders account. Later, He was tasked with designing Red Cell, the elite organization that tested security of armed naval bases across the globe, they even breached the Air force One in an exercise. He was  a maverick at heart and mind, he ruffled too many feathers in his time to have become a military outcast by the end of his carrier. There’s enough action, bombs, bullets, f*bombs, one-up man ship and competition in this man’s story to keep you wondering, how the hell did he do it?

5.       Seal Team Six: Memoirs of a NAVY SEAL sniper – Howard Wasdin

 

 A SEALs account of his journey that culminated in the battle of Mogadishu, the one Ridley Scott detailed beautifully in Black Hawk Down. He speaks in the most in-your-face kind of manner you’ve ever read. From talking about his experience with child abuse that hardened his tolerance mentally and physically, albeit in an unfortunate and inordinate way. He sees no other way than to make that his strength, train, clear and walk onto the urban battlegrounds of Somalia. It is nothing short of a punch in the gut of any action novel you’ve read. It was so gripping, I couldn’t leave the damn book for a 3 days.

6.       Fearless: The Undaunted Courage and Ultimate Sacrifice of Navy SEAL Team Six Operator Adam Brown – Eric Blehm

 A posthumous account of a man more than warrior. Adam brown is a unique character to all the people you have come across in books. From falling down to the vices of life to rising from the ashes of injuries to becoming a part of the world’s most elite special ops group – DEVGRU. It doesn’t detail much upon his initial training, but stresses more upon his life and how its turns shaped him. This is not a war veterans story, it’s the story of a man and his will to conquer his demons to the last breathe. He rose up after each fall, each drudgery and still managed to come out as the perfect husband, father, son , comrade and soldier.

Why pick one of these up?

Each of these books have definitely etched their place in my mind. Each of these individuals who became a part of the kind that serve their country at the cutting edge had a particular personality type. Everyone of them was a fighter at heart before they came into the kind. 

They were those few, that weren’t necessarily the best in every athletic activity they did, none of them were perennial winners in life. All these men brought with themselves while they walked into the hallowed sands of Virginia Creek was the soul that didn’t know the very meaning of the word ‘QUIT’. You could have put them through heaven and hell, piercing their sides to hear those words, “I QUIT”. Believe me, they would no sooner kill or die before that could’ve happened. 

 These books give more rush than any action novel you can imagine picking up, because you know for a fact that, these events did indeed happen. This is exactly what being in the “green zone” meant and you’re reading a warriors account of it. And the most haunting fact of it all, life continues beyond the green zone, when they come home.

Civilian life takes the longest time to make sense to these men, who have been through a crash course in the absurdity in humanity, just to protect their own. To face realities on their home ground is something no amount of training in the world can prepare them. Here, they come clear of their reputations, with a need to re-integrate; as fathers, mothers, husbands, wives, children, civilians.

 

  At the end of the day, these are normal men, out through abnormal circumstances and the stories tell about their journey; the journey, which forever changed their perspective on humanity, innocence, truths, hierarchy and order. I recommend all these titles for anyone that wants to experience the lives of these elite heroes, albeit vicariously. Its a hell of a journey.

If you do take a liking to this kind of literature, I honestly feel this tells a lot about you as a person.But thats a discussion for another post.

Cheers!