Code over Country

The Tragedy and Corruption of SEAL Team Six

By: Matthew Cole

Narrated by: Braden Wright

Length: 12 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

A hard-hitting exposé of SEAL Team 6, the US military’s best-known brand, that reveals how the Navy SEALs were formed, then sacrificed, in service of American empire.

​The Navy SEALs are, in the eyes of many Americans, the ultimate heroes. When they killed Osama Bin Laden in 2011, it was celebrated as a massive victory. Former SEALs rake in cash as leadership consultants for corporations, and young military-bound men dream of serving in their ranks.

But the SEALs have lost their bearings. Investigative journalist Matthew Cole tells the story of the most lauded unit, SEAL Team 6, revealing a troubling pattern of war crimes and the deep moral rot beneath authorized narratives. From their origins in World War II, the SEALs have trained to be specialized killers with short missions. As the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan became the endless War on Terror, their violence spiraled out of control.

Code Over Country details the high-level decisions that unleashed the SEALs’ carnage and the coverups that prevented their crimes from coming to light. It is a necessary and rigorous investigation of the unchecked power of the military—and the harms enacted by and upon soldiers in America’s name.

©2022 Matthew Cole (P)2022 Bold Type Books

Spicy

If its true, it's terrible. If its false, where did the tales come from? Judge for yourself. The take away; no matter how "elite" a man, he's still just a man.

Not sure of accuracy

Always good to have checks and balances and other opinions. I'm not sure this author has a balanced view.

This book takes a critical look at SEALs.

The headline says it all. If a reader is looking for a book of "attaboys" that buys into the the SEALs mythos or seeks to vicarsiouly enjoy the death and destruction these men have wrought and the injuries they have endured as the result, this isn't the book. This an attempt at a critical snapshot of one specific group of SEALs, how they are trained and led, and how they are managed (and in some cases mismanaged) and deployed. It's a thoughtful book that deserves consideration,

I am unfamiliar with Cole's previous reporting, but I am aware of many of the issues he outlines because much of this has been reported in the press. Special warfare seems to be his beat, and I sense that a lot of operators were willing to talk with him, including Richard Marcinko, which testifies to his crediblity. Whatever his political leanings, I think he wants what we all want which is a compentent military that is both battle ready and moral; they are not mutually exclusive. And you can't have that if you're not willing to learn from mistakes, and make adjustments. And you can't have that if careerist officers ingnore, enable and pass the buck on bad behaviors and outcomes. And you can't have that if you won't look at the facts. He makes the point well.

No New Content

Technical Synopsis:

99% of this information is already present in the intercept articles previously published. There is also an increase in focus on politics that I don't think is strictly necessary and hints that the author may have a political motive. Unfortunately this adds some doubt about the voracity of the book which is unfortunate since its ostensibly important information. The narrator is robotic.

Thoughts:

The SEALs are a brand and those that wish to join their ranks are often impressionable nieve youths. There is nothing wrong with wanting to serve your country, fight, and be the best you can be. That being said, its important to know what you might be getting into and this book does an admirable job of showcasing some of the pitfalls and realities of life within the SEAL organization. The book shouldn't dissuade anyone from pursuing their dreams and instead should be viewed as a cautionary warning that you should develop a strong sense of morality before you embark down a road of violence or you can easily become a victim in your own right. Hopefully this work will inspire some younger incoming SEALs to improve the organizations culture.

A Requiem for accountability and honor

An overview of SEAL mishaps in the last decade. Occasionally insightful but nothing new if you've been watching the news.

There may be some validity in the claims of "pirate culture" in the teams but highlighting only the failures of a few men under extraordinary pressure barely scratches the surface of the accountability problem that seems to be rampant in American politics.

The Struggle with Power

As good as these guys are at what they do, they still have to resort to pushing, No, destroying the boundaries. Like the police they have to police each other. That code of silence is deadly.

Interesting view

An interesting and unusual insight into a difficult profession that is not discussed often in public.

Calling the Kettle Black

Essentially. This is a book depicting SEALs and specifically Team 6 members as taking advantage of their position as SEALs. Yet at the same time used a kitted soldier and seal team 6 on the cover. Literally using seal team six as marketing for his book, while telling everyone how awful these guys are but using their positions to advance in life. Wtf.

hits and misses

I just don't see the culture being as malignant as he tries to make it out to be. Plus, at the end it got political and the other side of the Eddie Gallagher story is that the NCIS prosecutor did some pretty unscrupulous things. It was a great book but I think it tried to shoehorn a narrative and sure SEALS will embellish but on the other hand you also have to take into account the Seals interviewed had an axe to grind. It was a great listen and it was nice to hear the other side of allot of these stories. The point he tried to make though with the Seals are a brand he did a great job.

Truth unveiled

This book brings a side that we never thought we would hear. In a world of honor and integrity you get to hear about pirates and savages. Truly an eye opening book in my opinion.