No Easy Day

Having read a handful of books written by, or about special operators, this book was recommended for specific reasons. Namely, the author's humility.

With clean writing and well crafted detail, this book delivered on the promises I had heard. Rumor and speculation surrounding the operation conducted to kill or capture Osama bin Laden (UBL) have plagued American society. This account provides back story, relevant context, and a bit of human interest while avoiding the self aggrandizement seen elsewhere.

The introduction, proclaiming a tireless emphasis on security and intelligence-based content adjustment, was the best foot to put forward. Those promises seemed to have been kept. The epilogue, calling Americans everywhere to donate time and/or funding to wounded warrior programs and groups, earned even more respect. As a wounded warrior myself, this touched me.

While I appreciate the SEAL narratives and the almost behind-the-scenes details of an historic mission, Owen does not seem to know exactly what he wants from this book and from the public. He wants respect for these highly trained men but is frustrated with the nonstop public attention the SEALS face after this high-profile mission. He laughs at a description of SEALs as perfectionist egomaniacs while describing himself as exactly that (though perhaps he sees himself as a morally righteous public servant, I would call that ego-maniacal). The mission itself is rather morbid - yes, this is a terrorist mastermind they are killing, but Owen and his team seem less focused on Bin Laden than on the thrill of the hunt and the joy of bringing down prey.
Overall, rather disturbing that these “intelligent” men can't see the hypocrisy of their actions. It also really bothered me that Owen claims that SEAL Team 6 “respects” Obama as Commander in Chief while Owen includes unnecessary details designed to discredit the President. If you're looking for a good insider-SEAL book, check out The Heart and the Fist.

You don't read this for its literary merit but for the factual account of the events during the mission to kill Osama. The author throws in some of his history with the SEAL team but mainly focuses on the mission and some of his personal feeling during the aftermath.