Sea Stories

My Life in Special Operations

By: William H. McRaven

Narrated by: William H. McRaven

Length: 10 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's Summary

Following the success of his number one New York Times best seller Make Your Bed, which has sold more than one million copies, Admiral William H. McRaven is back with amazing stories of bravery and heroism from his career as a Navy SEAL and commander of America's Special Operations Forces.

Admiral William H. McRaven is a part of American military history, having been involved in some of the most famous missions in recent memory, including the capture of Saddam Hussein, the rescue of Captain Richard Phillips, and the raid to kill Osama bin Laden. 

Sea Stories begins in 1963 at a French officers' club in France, where Allied officers and their wives gathered to have drinks and tell stories about their adventures during World War II - the place where a young Bill McRaven learned the value of a good story. Sea Stories is an unforgettable look back on one man's incredible life, from childhood days sneaking into high-security nuclear sites to a day job of hunting terrorists and rescuing hostages. 

Action-packed, humorous, and full of valuable life lessons like those exemplified in McRaven's best-selling book Make Your Bed, Sea Stories is a remarkable memoir from one of America's most accomplished leaders. 

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2019 William H. McRaven (P)2019 Hachette Audio

Critic Reviews

"Exquisitely simple...superb, smart, and succinct." (Forbes)

Behind-the-scenes look at high level military life

tl;dr - Sea Stories offers a higher vantage point view of special ops than most military memoirs and benefits greatly for it. OVERALL - 4/5 ("It's Great") If you're into military memoirs, particularly anything special operations related, this is a good book. There isn't a ton of "on the ground" action, but it provides a look behind the scenes that acts as a nice supplement to the numerous other books that do.  McRaven comes across as a truthful, reliable narrator and I had no problem accepting his words at face value. This is not a book written by a politician.  PERFORMANCE - 3/5 ("Pretty Good") I am usually pretty wary of non-actors narrating their own books, but McRaven does an admiralble (get it!?) job here. He's not a natural born narrator, but he speaks with conviction and puts you into his mindset.  STORY - 4/5 ("It's Great") William McRaven has lead an extremely compelling and intriguing life. In books like these, the childhood days are often a part that must be trudged through to get to the real reason you bought the book. That isn't the case here. McRaven grabs you from the beginning and even his childhood stories had me fully invested and eager to hear more.

Overall excellent

The only part of the book i didn't enjoy was the first chapter where the author discusses his childhood. While it was essential to set the book up, it was relatively uninteresting. (in my humble opinion)

Amazing & Totally Enthralling Book!

Admiral McRaven has written a tremendously engaging book that will have you hooked from the opening words to the ending credits. He has done a fantastic job at retelling his life stories in a way that makes you feel as though you you truly know him at the end of his book. You will feel a deep sense of pride as you listen to every one of his stories and in the end you will have a deep connection to him as a man and leader! Loved every minute of this book and it definitely left me wantimg so much more!

Stories that touch your soul

True to its title, each chapter is a self-contained “sea story” that, for busy folks, can be “snacked” one chapter at a time or (as I did) all at once with the audio book READ BY ADM McCRAVEN. (Nothing beats a book read by the author!) In the he first two chapters, Adm McRaven teases the reader with dramatic stories of battle that...but no spoiler from me. You MUST read (or listen) it! But the book is more than just stories. Adm McRaven link these stories to the values that define him—patriotism, religious faith, family, the deep friendships forged in combat. He favorably interprets the millennial generation in the context of his role as Navy seal commander and as chancellor of the University of TX System The audio production is excellent. The beginning snd and of each chapter starts with the heroic, expansive music that I loved in the “Victory at Sea” TV series of the late 1950s about Navy ships and battles. If you are a hero-worshipper, this book is for you!

Top notch storytelling and content!

Bill McRaven has a very conversational tone and tells great suspenseful stories. He paces it perfectly. By far my favorite performance and overall story line of any book on audible hands down.

Great behind scenes look at the special operations!

Only negative was felt like he went on too long on front end about growing up and kid activities. Once that was behind me I really enjoyed these high profile missions. Well put together with OBL take down for final mission. Captain Phillips was crazy and made into a movie. Good book and great man

Great Listen

Compelling story given personally by an excellent storyteller about diverse experiences. Good from beginning to end

Great collection of Sea Stories

This sailor can really tell a story. From the very first chapter to the end,Bill McRaven writes a fascinating tapestry of his life. His stories about being a Seal Tram officer we’re a truly inspiring insight into Naval special forces. Thanks for sharing!

loved the stories

incredible stories! author/narrator was a bit dry (though what you'd expect from a senior military official) and the music between chapters made it all feel cheesy.

McRaven is a 5 Star Writer

This is an outstanding story by someone who dedicated his life to serve his country. He would make an excellent president. Thank you for your service Admiral McRaven.

Exceptional life story

Loved it. What for excellent and exceptionally life story. I'm in awe especially for his wife who stood beside him all those years.

Very, very good.

Great stories. presented in a way to make you laugh out loud and cry for other peoples pain.... but most of all makes you Think... The book is a lot of fun! Joy to listen.

An amazing Life and an amazing book

Loved this book and loved ow it was read. I loved the book from the first word to the very last. An amazing and inspirational man.

What a life this man has led!

I finish this book in awe and respect of a man who epitomises how everyone should live their life. Brilliant story, gripping, very well read and leaves you aching for more! Brilliant.

Brilliant book, well read by the author.

I was disappointed when it ended, throughly enjoyed it, some very funny stories in it.

A Truly Blessed Life

Riveting and thoroughly inspirational! It is seldom the real life experiences of another can be both entertaining and uplifting to such an extent

Neptune's Spear

A Remarkable Book about a remarkable man. The longest serving Navy Seal. Amazing to hear the life this man lead. Loved this book. #theonlyeasydaywasyesterday 👊🏻🔱🐸🇺🇸

5 Stars for the 4 Star Admiral!

A fantastic life story from one of the most influential military commanders in the modern era. What a read! Or, in this case what a compelling listen. Thank you Sir for your story. Thank you for your service!

Fascinating and gripping stories, brought to life by the man who lived them

I don’t usually write reviews, but I enjoyed this audio book so much I felt compelled to. For anyone interested in global affairs, the military or tales of valour and fortitude, this is a must listen. It is an absolutely fascinating window into some of the most high profile and significant military operations of the past 20 years, insightfully and thoughtfully narrated by the man who led them, without any hint of grandstanding or hubris. McRaven is an inspiring man, and I am grateful he shared these stories.

Fantastic

Inspirational man with some great stories and life lessons to take away! His other book is also fantastic but this is more personable and you get a better Idea of the man in this one as opposed to just a single speech.