No Easy Day

The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden

By: Mark Owen, Kevin Maurer

Narrated by: Holter Graham

Length: 6 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

For the first time anywhere, the first-person account of the planning and execution of the Bin Laden raid from a Navy Seal who confronted the terrorist mastermind and witnessed his final moments....

From the streets of Iraq to the rescue of Captain Richard Phillips in the Indian Ocean, and from the mountaintops of Afghanistan to the third floor of Osama Bin Laden's compound, operator Mark Owen of the U.S. Naval Special Warfare Development Group - commonly known as SEAL Team Six - has been a part of some of the most memorable special operations in history, as well as countless missions that never made headlines.

No Easy Day puts listeners alongside Owen and the other handpicked members of the 24-man team as they train for the biggest mission of their lives. The blow-by-blow narrative of the assault, beginning with the helicopter crash that could have ended Owen's life straight through to the radio call confirming Bin Laden's death, is an essential piece of modern history. In No Easy Day, Owen also takes listeners onto the field of battle in America's ongoing War on Terror and details the selection and training process for one of the most elite units in the military.

Owen's story draws on his youth in Alaska and describes the SEALs' quest to challenge themselves at the highest levels of physical and mental endurance. With boots-on-the-ground detail, Owen describes numerous previously unreported missions that illustrate the life and work of a SEAL and the evolution of the team after the events of September 11.

In telling the true story of the SEALs whose talents, skills, experiences, and exceptional sacrifices led to one of the greatest victories in the War on Terror, Mark Owen honors the men who risk everything for our country, and he leaves listenres with a deep understanding of the warriors who keep America safe.

©2012 Mark Owen and Kevin Maurer (P)2012 Penguin Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"This harrowing, minute-by-minute account by one of the highly trained members of Navy SEAL Team Six is narrative nonfiction at its most gripping.... No Easy Deal puts you right there for every tense moment." (Entertainment Weekly)

"Gripping.... There is no better illustration in No Easy Day that SEALs are ruthless pragmatists. They think fast. They adapt to whatever faces them. They do what they have to do." (The New York Times)

"[Mark Owen] has given us a brave retelling of one of the most important events in U.S. military history." (People)

Excellent and gripping

Wonderful narration and fast-paced story. Despite all the 'controversy' of it giving secrets, that's just the Defense Dept making much ado about nothing. He goes into why he wanted to be a SEAL and all the hard work they do. His fellow SEALS are also charmingly portrayed. He also, rightfully, explains the reason he didn't go through traditional military channels before publishing is because he was afraid some higher-ups would want to change things to make themselves look better. He wanted his accounted to be as accurate as he could possibly make it.

Riveting story

The story itself is riveting, I found myself sitting in the truck waiting for the chapter breaks because I didn't want to miss anything. The audio editing leaves a lot to be desired. The cut ins of different voices (or voice tones) was a little distracting.

Thank God for men like this!

What did you love best about No Easy Day?

The inside view of what being a Navy Seal is was very interesting!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Several of the events moved me. I follow the news so I was familiar with the action depicted but the "inside baseball" commentary was insightful and powerful.

Good reading

This was the first yime ever I could finish an audiobook. I link this fact to the narration and the way the story is told. recommended

Stands out from the rest

From the beginning Mark states that if your looking for a book on tactics and secrets of STS, look elsewhere. I appreciate that he was able to tell such a great story about his time in service without sharing actual secrets or worrying about the political backlash (yeah, I know he's worrying now). Its a shame that he's now paying the price for speaking the truth, but I guess he broke the rules. If your a intel pro or military vet, don't be afraid to read this book - this guys not a sellout and tells a humbling tale that is a true version of the crap you've heard on the news.

Not what you would expect

A modest account of an epic and historical mission. Great insight into the lives of these heroes, and the chances they take on a regular basis.

It's good

Any additional comments?

As the author states, the target audience is middle school boys. Even so, I am the mother of a middle school son and daughter. All three of us enjoyed it. It is an interesting insight into the personality of a Navy Seal. Seals are not choir boys and not what the typical mother wants her son to become, but after listening to the audiobook, I have a renewed respect and appreciation for the Seals. The language and pranks described in the book are typical of what one could expect from a Navy Seal. Not the language or pranks I want my children to emulate, but, they are wise enough to make good choices. I recommend this book. It provides some important points for young people to consider as they mature to be wise adults. It a view in to the real world.

In regard to the controversy of the potentially classified information disclosed, the author's position and motivations are very well stated. Now, can we please move on?

Great Book!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes! The story was quick moving and very engrossing. I enjoyed every second of it. I highly recommend for a very enjoyable read.

Memorable

It's a great story primarily because of UBL. Could have been better voiced. The narrator has too childish a voice for such an action packed macho exploit.

Great read

Enjoyed the narrative, great story wonderful what our military does to serve. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to hear the story of how we captured and killed bin Laden