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)

Awesome!!!! Thank you

Book was Awesome! Love the whole story, I could not stop listening.
I would definitely recommend it to anyone.

Outstanding story of what he is allowed to tell

As a well read reader of military books, No Easy Day ranks at the top of my list. Having been of the age of many of the men who volunteered to sacrifice their lives for the war on terror, I internally feel the greatness these men achieved. Their sacrifices are so great, our nation can never repay them enough. Their story is required learning for future generations. They are the Paul Revere’s, Nathan Hale’s, Audie Murphy’s, and Alvin York’s of our time. We as a nation, have quietly conducted war and have forgotten to celebrate the sacrifices our brave men and women have given to our nation. God bless them all.

A First Hand Account of Bin Laden's death

Where does No Easy Day rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Military history is one of my favorite genre of books. And I very much enjoy books about Navy Seals. This one is well told; easy to understand. And very obviously doesn't endanger anyone or anything by divulging information which is better left top secret.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The author of the book, because I related to him.

Have you listened to any of Holter Graham’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

no

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

When the second helicopter crashed. I actually didn't know this had happened. And the fact that the mission continued, successfully!!

Great listen

it is always very helpful to get the story without main stream media or politician interference.

Best SEAL autobiography

Would you consider the audio edition of No Easy Day to be better than the print version?

Narration was great, story very well told. superbly written

What did you like best about this story?

nothing to hide

Which scene was your favorite?

the bin laden raid

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

laughed at times. parts reminded me of deployment

Great Book!!

Would you listen to No Easy Day again? Why?

Yes, its just a great story from someone who was there.

What was one of the most memorable moments of No Easy Day?

The day of the raid.

What about Holter Graham’s performance did you like?

Very well done.

Awesome

Would you listen to No Easy Day again? Why?

As a Vietnam Vet I found it interesting and easy to listen to. Glad to hear facts

What other book might you compare No Easy Day to and why?

other goverment stories but true

Which character – as performed by Holter Graham – was your favorite?

all

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

yes

An amazing story of teamwork and courage

Would you listen to No Easy Day again? Why?

No, I listened to it carefully the first time. I rarely listen to a book more than once.

What was one of the most memorable moments of No Easy Day?

The final story about the raid on the compound.

Have you listened to any of Holter Graham’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not listened to any of his performances.

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

Various moments where he was in tense situations. In particular when he was being shot at through the door and the rounds hit the bolt cutters on his back.

Any additional comments?

Thank you for your service!

Interesting

The narration was good. Most of the book was about the training, selection process, and past missions the the author, but it was interesting to hear the actual events of the raid.

Good book but recorded badly

I like this book but there are constantly changing audio from the reader. It's like they recorded the whole thing then decided it needed MAJOR editing and instead of re reading the whole thing edited they just cut and pasted new sections of audio over the existing recording and it sounds awful and is super annoying and happens about once a minute.