Fearless

The Undaunted Courage and Ultimate Sacrifice of Navy SEAL Team SIX Operator Adam Brown

By: Eric Blehm

Narrated by: Paul Michael

Length: 10 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

Audie Award Nominee, Inspirational Nonfiction, 2013

Fearless takes you deep into SEAL Team SIX and straight to the heart of one of its most legendary operators.

When Navy SEAL Adam Brown woke up on March 17, 2010, he didn’t know he would die that night in the Hindu Kush Mountains of Afghanistan - but he was ready: In a letter to his children, not meant to be seen unless the worst happened, he wrote, “I’m not afraid of anything that might happen to me on this earth, because I know no matter what, nothing can take my spirit from me.”

Long before Adam Brown became a member of the elite SEAL Team SIX - the counterterrorism unit that took down Osama bin Laden - he was a fun-loving country boy from Hot Springs, Arkansas, whose greatest goal had been to wear his high school’s football jersey. An undersized daredevil, prone to jumping off roofs into trees and off bridges into lakes, Adam was a kid who broke his own bones but would never break a promise to his parents.

But after high school, Adam fell in with the wrong crowd, and his family watched as his appetite for risk dragged him into a downward spiral that eventually landed him in jail. Battling his inner demons on a last-chance road to redemption, Adam had one goal: to become the best of the best - a US Navy SEAL.

An absorbing chronicle of heroism and humanity, Fearless presents an indelible portrait of a highly trained warrior who would enter a village with weapons in hand to hunt terrorists, only to come back the next day with an armload of shoes and meals for local children. It is a deeply personal, revealing glimpse inside the SEAL Team SIX brotherhood that also shows how these elite operators live out the rest of their lives, away from danger, as husbands, fathers and friends.

Fearless is the story of a man of extremes, whose courage and determination was fueled by faith, family, and the love of a woman. It’s about a man who waged a war against his own worst impulses and persevered to reach the top tier of the US military. Always the first to volunteer for the most dangerous assignments, Adam’s final act of bravery led to the ultimate sacrifice.

Adam Brown was a devoted man who was an unlikely hero but a true warrior, described by all who knew him as fearless.

©2012 eChristian Inc. (P)2012 eChristian Inc.

Critic reviews

• Audie Award Nominee, Inspirational Nonfiction, 2013

Powerful life

This is the power of GOD! What an awesome account of what GOD can do in a person willing to give his up.

Rising from the depths…

Very personalized with characters
Appreciated families’ involvement
Hero’s are ordinary people doing extraordinary things… in their own way. Somehow, I sense the peace this story gave the family members. I appreciate attention given to the people who give that others may live and be free.

Must Read (Listen!)

Would you consider the audio edition of Fearless to be better than the print version?

The author and narrator put together a great version of this piece. Made it more personal.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Adam Brown. Courage. Honor. Commitment. No Quit.....

What about Paul Michael’s performance did you like?

personal emotions put into his narration.

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

ALL!

INSPIRING

Where does Fearless rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

"Feerless" ranks in the top five books...

What did you like best about this story?

It was real...no fiction here....just an American Hero, his family, friends and GOD>>>

What about Paul Michael’s performance did you like?

His performance possesses feeling commensurate with the story line.

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

The whole book moved me!

Any additional comments?

As a former Marine NCO, I believe this book should be mandatory reading for all non-commissioned officers in he military...Every military chaplain should offer this book for reading to those personnel who are battling depression and demons....

To know the SEAL you must know the MAN.

Introduction
I am an avid audio books listener (Audible) and always keep a full library of books queued up to listen to so I can move right from one to the next. I purchased Fearless back in November of last year (11/12/2013). I don't usually migrate toward military themed books, this is the first I've read in years and I couldn't even tell you what the last one was. But when I saw this one, I felt a pull and knew that it was something that, even though I didn't really want to read it, I knew that I should. Like most books I purchase for this reason, I avoided it, never feeling like I was "in the mood" to start it up. Boy was I mistaken.

The Beginning
The first thing I noticed was that the book I was beginning had been produced by Christian Audio. I am spiritual myself, but having grown up with the "language", the phrases that much of the Christian community use left and right so much that they have lost their meaning ("saved", "moved to...", "voice of God", etc. etc.), I usually steer clear from clearly Christian material, feeling that much of the intent is lost in translation. While the book itself is not a "religious" one, the story certainly is. Never the less, I had the book and I was damn well going to read it.

From the first sentences, I was pulled into the story. Because it was so fascinating? No. Because it started with a very clearly stated purpose - to understand the SEAL, you must first understand the man. You can't know how far someone has risen until you know how far they have first fallen. The story was not one of a Navy SEAL. It was the story of Adam Brown - the man.

The Story
What the story did, the way it was constructed, was pull you in. It made you feel like you knew Adam, his friends, his family, his town. The story was put together so as to make you feel like you were intimately a part of Adam's life, loved him like family, and appreciated his humanity. The writing, the story telling, was like you were sitting in a room with the people who knew him best and they were literally telling you about him and his life, from their unique perspectives. When you meet someone new, you form an idea of who they are in your head. Then as you hear things about them or stories about them from other people, that view begins to shift, and that is what this story feels like.

The Middle
The middle of the story, the transition from broken man to Navy SEAL, was by far my favorite part. Seeing someone so normal, so real, overcome extreme personal odds in order to succeed at the highest caliber one can. You admire his strength, his humility, his incredible tenderness, and moreover - his balance between SEAL and Husband & Father. It finds a piece of your soul and makes it say, "Hey, I could be something that matters too".

The End
You weren't left at the end with a generic "no one will ever truly know the number of lives that were touched" sort of an ending. You were left with quantifiable evidence in the way this man, just by living his life and always striving to be better, touched the lives of everyone he met. Including your own.

Something I may have gotten that those who sit down and read the hard copy book may not have, was an interview with the author at the end. I usually listen to these when they are included, but sort of suffer through them since they all pretty much sound the same. I can't imagine this book being complete without that interview. I can't say much about it for fear that it would give away, what I feel, are some significant parts to the story. But I feel that interview really completed the work with proper closure.

Overall
I have read a lot of books. I've read a lot of good books. I haven't read many great books. This was by far the most incredible story. The story of a real man, with the most human and debilitating of flaws, who not only never let life get him down - but LIVED every second of his to the fullest, never missing out on anything.

This story will make you want to do belly-flops off the high dive. Six times in a row.

A Must Listen!

Would you listen to Fearless again? Why?

Yes. Great inspirational story!

Any additional comments?

If you are looking for stories of elite warriors and their combat missions this is not the book. If you are looking for the inspirational story of a American Hero this is a must listen.

On a whim

If you could sum up Fearless in three words, what would they be?

Amazing, must read!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Adam Brown

What about Paul Michael’s performance did you like?

Read the book well.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This was an excellent book I will suggest to others. The end made my eyes water a bit and that don't normally happen. The nicknames and stories made me laugh. So I would answer both to the questions above. My heart goes out to his family, friends, and people whose life he touched. Simply put read it.

Any additional comments?

This was an awesome book that I downloaded on a whim, I figured that I would give it a try. I was greatly surprised by how good it was and found myself eagerly wanting to hear more. Must read.

Wow! This is a must listen!

The is a story of a true super-hero. From beginning to end this book touches on every emotion. I have enjoyed many of the latest batch of military books (Lone Survivor, American Sniper, etc.). This one is the best! I actually started to listen to it again to pick up on parts that I may have missed. You witness a man rising to the pinnacle of the military special forces only after crawling from the depths of drug addiction and despair. Like the other reviews, I am starting to sound like this book is only about Mr. Brown's personal life and struggles. Don't worry, there is lots of SEAL team background and action! You will not believe how hard this guy worked to stay on top. Just one example: Losing an eye and fingers and having to teach himself to shoot with his weak hand/eye. Unbelievable! This is one book that could easily be transitioned to a fantastic movie.

I thank Mr. Brown for his heroic service to our country. My deepest sympathies to his wife and children.

WOW

Open, Honest, Informative! God Bless this family and these warriors. Hope there is more to come! I'm so sorry for their loss.

A humbling story to share with your kids.

Adams accomplishments are only eclipsed by his humility and humanity.

Blehm honors Adams legacy in a well written account of the challenges of addiction, and the battle that it wages on individuals and their families.

Much respect to the Brown family for their sacrifice and willingness to share their very personal story. God Bless All Who Serve!