• Not a Good Day to Die

  • The Untold Story of Operation Anaconda
  • By: Sean Naylor
  • Narrated by: John Henry Cox
  • Length: 19 hrs and 36 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (676 ratings)

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Not a Good Day to Die  By  cover art

Not a Good Day to Die

By: Sean Naylor
Narrated by: John Henry Cox
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Publisher's summary

At dawn on March 2, 2002, America's first major battle of the 21st century began. Over 200 soldiers of the 101st Airborne and 10th Mountain Division flew into Afghanistan's Shah-i-Kotvalley - and into the mouth of a buzz saw. They were about to pay a bloody price for strategic, high-level miscalculations that underestimated the enemy's strength and willingness to fight.

Now, award-winning journalist Sean Naylor, an eyewitness to the battle, details the failures of military intelligence and planning and vividly portrays the astonishing heroism of these young, untested US soldiers. Denied the extra support with which they trained, these troops nevertheless proved their worth in brutal combat and prevented an American military disaster.

©2005 Sean Naylor (P)2007 AudioGO Ltd.

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What listeners say about Not a Good Day to Die

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

50/50

50% story 50% after Action Report. well written and extremely well narrated. this book tells the story of operation Anaconda in a very detail-oriented way. it gives the account of the Warriors on the ground taking fire to the generals far removed and everyone in between, exposing the listener to the complex reality that is Modern Combat. if you're looking for a book purely about firefights this may not be for you but if you want to hear the in depth history behind the battle you will find this book to be fascinating. because this book was written in 2004 new information has become available and I highly recommend reading Pete Blaber; The Mission, The Men, and Me (2008) and Malcolm MacPherson; Roberts Ridge (2005) which fills in the holes on TF 11, AFO, TF Green, and TF blue.

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7 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Thorough, well read.

Very detailed. I recommend, prior to listening, a primer with maps of the area and being familiar with the command structure and names of officers at colonel level and higher.

This will allow you to focus on and understand the small unit tactics, team work and events which are truly the most inspirational part of this book.

Jimmy
Manteo, NC

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

turning the battle

quick reaction force turned operation Anaconda around . Was a very good listen. i have listen to it twice now. Just so i didnt miss anything.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

3rd Read

This is the 3rd book I've listened to or read on Operation Anaconda. This being the only book written by a non-sof member, I really appreciated the external perspective and due diligence performed by the author to pull the info from every corner of the op. Naylor displayed a deep understanding of the community, more so than I'd expect from an outsider anyway. Absolutely worth the read.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Probably okay to read, horrible to hear

What disappointed you about Not a Good Day to Die?

Incredibly boring narration/reading. This might be okay to read, though it really needs a lot of editing. Every aspect has to be explored in ridiculous detail as it assumes the reader/listener has no prior knowledge of history, the military or even the distinction between Army and Navy. I'm only in to Chapter 9 and am abandoning the book as not worth the tortuous time to wait and see if it ever gets better.

Would you recommend Not a Good Day to Die to your friends? Why or why not?

No. This book is trying to be everything at once, and succeeds only in being very boring. The writer simply has no ability to tell a story. Instead he substitutes tons of little bits of trivia and name-dropping and detailed explanation of the difference between Army and Navy special operators. There may actually be a pony in this pile somewhere, but I'm not willing to dig through the pile to see if there is.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

No change of pace or tone whether describing a hot insertion or background history, or fuel consumption logistics.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Not that I can find. It's much too detailed and scattered for someone that's not already a military history fan. At the same time it goes into details and history bits that assume the reader has no prior knowledge of anything.

Any additional comments?

Good editing and a different narrator cold probably save this, but it's too late now. Sure wish I could preview bits of audio books here the way you can for music on iTunes store.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

God save our troops from swinging d**k politics!

Slow setup. Great listen.
Officers or not... The majority mentioned in this book deserved to be busted down to E1. It details all of the reasons why I the degree doesn't also come with common sense. I'll take the enlisted Chief Warrant Officer, Captain, or Major over a 30 year desk General any day of the week.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Incredible

This was an experience! I, a marine 0311, has read the mission, the men, and me every year for guidance principles and operation anaconda have been the most researched operation that I have conducted. This was an important story to listen to to understand all sides of the operational task force they had to conduct this operation. You must take the time and listen to the story for its principles can guide any young leader and any experience warfighter to prepare themselves in whatever operation that is in store for them. Nonetheless the most important guiding principle in the story is always understand the guy on the ground.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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Accurate

I served as a civil Affairs officer at Bagram during operation Anaconda. I thought I knew a lot, but this book really opened the door into truth about the US Military and it's tremendous power and fortitude. I wasn't surprised as I learned of the complicated issues regarding chain of command, arrogance, and miscommunication. this book was a total revelation that completes my understanding of events surrounding operation Anaconda.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Fantastic

Absolutely the best account of OP Anaconda and Robert’s Ridge. This is a well told story of courageous soldiers, a few great leaders and some absolutely PsOS leaders.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Too much jumbled information

Jumps around a lot and tries to explain who made what decision and why and how things got so screwed up. Narrative doesn’t help with his methodical monotone narration. Same old story about too many chiefs and not enough Indians. So sad that our boys are let down by their command in every story about this misguided war. Nation building? God be with the families who lost their blessed sons, fathers and brothers. Bring the boys home!

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