No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden

History. Military. Nonfiction. HTML: 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 readers alongside Owen and the other handpicked members of the twenty-four-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 readers 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 readers with a deep understanding of the warriors who keep America safe..… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member bretjordan

No Easy Day is the story of Osama Bin Laden‘s last few moments on this earth as seen through the eyes of a Navy Seal. This book tells of the preparation that an elite Seal team went through to make sure that this mission went out as flawlessly as possible. It’s the step-by-step story of the

compound from entry to exit, and the aftermath of the mission from the eyes of a Navy Seal. No Easy Day isn’t only about this single assignment. Mark Owen has written a story about his time as a Seal, from the difficult testing to become an elite Seal Team Six member, through several missions, and up until his retirement.

This is Mark Owen’s story, written in first person, and I found the account of his days as a Navy Seal fascinating. I purchased the book for a couple of reasons, mainly because of some morbid curiosity I had about Osama Bin Laden’s death. I wanted to know if a big gun battle took place, if there were followers at the compound fanatically dedicated to protecting him. I wanted to know if he hid with his family, and what sort of defenses he had around his compound. I wanted to know all that and more, and I wanted to hear it from someone who was there. This book answers the important questions – the ones I was most concerned about.

This isn’t just a story about the final minutes of Osama Bin Laden’s life. It’s the story of a Navy Seal, from a his perspective. It talks about earlier missions in Afghanistan, and a high profile job of rescuing a marine captain, Richard Phillips, from Somali pirates. He writes a bit about growing up in Alaska, and his obsession with becoming a Seal from a young age. On some Amazon reviews I’ve read people are complaining because the book isn’t just about Osama Bin Laden, but I found the background intriguing, making the book as a whole more interesting because it shows what it took for Mark Owen to be a Seal. It showed the dedication required to be a Navy Seal, and if it weren’t for that dedication and hard work the storming of Osama Bin Laden’s compound might not have happened without a loss of life.

As far as the writing goes…well, the story could have probably been told with a bit more flair. That’s not to say that it was full of spelling or grammatical errors – I’m sure I probably have more of those in this review than existed in all of Mark Owen’s book. (I call my own errors “Easter Eggs” just so it sounds better.) No, the writing style was a bit dry at times, though every chapter held my attention fully, but I was always left wanting a bit more. For instance, he describes his team mates, but I never got a true sense of who they were. I did get a good sense of Mr. Owen himself, and he is a character that the reader is drawn to. He’s a man who deserves the title of hero, though he seems humble in his writing. Mark Owen tells of simply doing his job with the help of brave men like himself.

I don’t know about the eBook version, or the paperback copies, but the hardcover edition of No Easy Day has several pages of full color photographs of Afghanistan, and Mark’s gear. As an added bonus there’s detailed images of the Osama compound that lays out what took place during the mission.

So, if you’re looking to learn how a member of Seal Team Six lives this book is for you. If you simply want to know the details of how Osama Bin Laden died then this book’s for you too, but you’re going to need to start reading around page 150. If you’re looking for a political agenda then I believe you’re looking in the wrong place. Mark notes a few personal opinions of President Obama, but nothing that isn’t obvious, and pretty typical running for all politicians. If you’re looking for secrets that the government doesn’t want you to know then this book isn’t for you. Mr. Owen doesn’t mention strategies, weapons, or technology that we don’t already know about, and that might be what I feel is missing at times. Maybe he was holding back so that the Seals will still have a surprise or two for the bad guys?

Was this the most exciting book I’ve read this year? Probably not, but considering that the majority of my reading is Fantasy and Science Fiction says a lot about it. I rarely read autobiographies, so the fact that I read though this one, and did it in just a couple of days, it quite a compliment. It even got me to visit Netflix and stream Black Hawk Down when I finished the story.

So, if you haven’t read it yet then get a copy. It’s a pretty good read, and it answers a lot of questions about the final moments of the world’s most renowned terrorist. There’s a final plus side. According to Mr. Owen, most of the proceeds from the book will go to charities that help out Navy Seals and their families.

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LibraryThing member msf59

“Killing Geromino.”

In the pre-dawn hours on May 1st 2011, US helicopters approach a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. This is the hideout of the world’s most notorious terrorist, Osama Bin Laden. Suddenly the lead chopper crash lands into the building’s courtyard, jeopardizing this historic

mission.
Mark Owen has been a Navy Seal for many years and was part of Operation Neptune Spear. This is his first-hand account of how the mission went down, told in riveting and harrowing detail.
This is also a memoir of his childhood in Alaska and his yearning to become part of an elite force of soldiers. The best-trained military unit in the world. He also gives a fascinating account of other key missions, that his group participated in, including the rescue of Captain Richard Phillips from Somalian pirates.
All names of the soldiers involved, including the author’s, were changed for security reasons. Strongly recommended. Geromino was the code name given to OBL.

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LibraryThing member freelancer_frank

This is a book about working for the United States special forces, particularly in relation to the killing of Osama Bin Laden. It is couched in operation language that blunts the impact of the earlier sections, but the operation to find Bin Laden itself is compulsive and fascinating reading.

Perhaps unintentionally it conveys something of the necessary brutalisation process required to be successful in the field.

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LibraryThing member br13niya

No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission that Killed Osama bin Laden was an amazing book that told the story of Mark Owen, a member of the special forces, who ended up helping to kill Osama Bin Laden, the number one criminal for over five years on the FBI’s Most Wanted List. The book

began in the middle of a helicopter flight in a Black Hawk helicopter on the way to Bin Laden’s compound near the Afghanistan and Pakistan border. But that, that was only the prologue. Mark Owen then takes us back in time to the kill house, a fake house in which soldiers can practice clearing a house with armed enemies inside. As Mark attempts to complete the challenging task at the kill house, he forgets a simple command which tells his teammate to move. This seemingly minor task was a safety violation and ends his and his partners session in the kill house. As Mark exits, he is shot many disappointed looks from the soldiers who had previously completed green team, the most challenging camp that the army has to offer.
The book then goes on explaining Navy Seal Owens’ multiple missions, which range from clearing the houses of ten highly regarded Taliban members to saving Richard Phillips, a fellow soldier who was captured by Somali pirates. His success in these missions led to him being selected to be one of the Seals charged with the task of killing Osama bin Laden.
Mark Owen puts immense details into each story and mission. He makes you feel as though you, too, are slowly climbing up the stairs that lead to a door behind which Osama Bin Laden is hidden. Dialogue is common, and it seems very realistic. The book, unlike other books with similar topics, did swear but did not swear a lot. Truthfully, that was a very well made decision by the author, so when the occasional four letter word comes along, it adds emphasis to how serious the situation is. This book is extremely well written and it paints amazing pictures in your mind. I would recommend the book to anyone who has ever played a Call of Duty: Modern Warfare type game because it really gives you an insight to what is really happening in the game. Also, if you do play Call of Duty: Modern Warfare because you want to be in the army, this book can help you feel as if you’re really a soldier. Definitely read this amazing story if you are interested in discovering a real, inside peek at what the military is truly like.

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LibraryThing member realbigcat

An exciting and interesting book on the 2011 mission that killed the most horrible terrorist Osama Bin Laden. This book is by one of the actual Seal team 6 members that was on the mission Mark Owen (not his real name). In addition to a very complete telling of the actual mission the book contains

stories of life as a Navy Seal and stories of many missions Owen was on. The book is a great insight to a more secret group of soldiers and shows the tremendous training and sacrifice each Seal team member makes just to be part of the team. I found the book very interesting and exciting.

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LibraryThing member eeharris

"No Easy Day" by Mark Owen (a pseudonym) is published by Dutton Adult. It is the story of a Navy SEAL, an elite special operations warrior with its climax in the story of the raid and death of Osama Bin Laden.

Immediately striking is the author's ability to picture himself as a real, flawed person.

He shows appreciation for others in his line of work without painting them as either unbelievably superhuman or as some kind of fringe military extremists. The characters are revealed to be dedicated to an intense level of self-dicsipline and while admitting to errors in performance, they have the persistence to improve their skills at the highest levels of military training and preparation in the world today. It is the very humanity of the characters that brought me into the story. It's a book about struggle and those who find the work-arounds to defeat.

There is nothing in my reading of this book to signal the author is being deceitful or embellishing his role in warfare for personal gain. The author was straightforward in the introduction by informing the reader that he has taken necessary precautions for preventing the inadvertent release of classified information. He neither sets himself up as a some kind of national hero or as a potential platform for a future political career. It is smoothly written without being crass or overly graphic. It reads with the smoothness of Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War or We Were Soldiers Once...and Young: Ia Drang - The Battle That Changed the War in Vietnam without the focused, constant intensity.

As becomes evident, the author is motivated out of a desire to positively influence other young men to pursue their dreams regardless of whether it works out as military service or not. Owen's personal tale begins as a young man who was profoundly influenced by the reading of a book about a special operations predecessor. The author, if the story is to be believed, wanted nothing more to hone his skills and to experience the most he could by overcoming his weaknesses with the help of others. Indeed, iron sharpens iron.

I have known similar men (Hal Moore and William Wingett, for example), with whom I've disagreed with their refusal and reluctance of being called "hero." One theme that runs through my discussions with them is that even though the story is about their experience, they are more excited to describe the successes of those around them. They don't boast about themselves, but about camaraderie, struggle and the willingness of those around them to take on the most hazardous experiences with the sole determination of overcoming any obstacle. They show their heroism by stressing the success of others. And those of us who come after them learn we can achieve the seemingly impossible, because, quite simply, these guys have done the same and more.

Overall, this book has provided me with great insight into how courageous people behave and think. This book provided me with a number of opportunities to reflect on what I perceive as heroism. This book by Mark Owen was inspirational.

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LibraryThing member buffalogr

The story of a USN SEAL who just got lucky enough to be included in the hunt for Osama Bin Laden. The book has received a lot of hype lately. It's a good read with threads throughout the book that make it an exciting experience.

LibraryThing member gma2lana

I enjoyed this book very much. I started the book on a Friday afternoon, and finished it early Sunday morning. I think the author did a great job, well written, page turning. My husband whom doesn't much read books, is next in line to read this.

LibraryThing member arielfl

I picked this up wanting to know more about what went down the day bin Laden left this earth. My problem is not with the author himself who along with the other men who participated in the raid are genuine American heroes but rather with his flat emotionless writing style. Ex. I shot some guys,

drank some beer, shot the bull with my buddies, killed some more enemy combatants, drank more beer. The whole book drones on like that. Another thing I didn't quite get was the original plan was to bring Osama bin Laden in alive to stand trial. If he did not pose a threat he was not supposed to be killed. Personally I would have liked to see him stand trial. When he was killed he was in a bedroom unarmed with two of his wives. I don't see what threat he was posing and that was never clarified in the book.

The best part of the book for me was when the author related meeting CIA operative "Jen" who was responsible for tracking bin Laden over the course of five years and providing the intelligence that brought him down. I love that a woman was responsible for bin Laden's take down. The Taliban's treatment of woman as if they are beneath them is well known so it is especially fitting that it was a woman who was ultimately responsible for ending his reign of terror. If "Jen" ever writes a book that is the one I want to read. This book didn't provide anything past the facts that the team trained, they were sent in, bang band he's dead.

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LibraryThing member br13nich

So for starters, this book ( no easy day by Mark Owen) is a biography of mark owen and his navy seal career. As the book goes on he talks about missions before the attack on Osama Bin Laden. He states how the mission was sent to congress, and how they were deployed and trained for the mission.

Eventually the mission is done and then he gives it about 2 chapters worth of an explanation for the things that happened later. The book is like mostly life and career and later tells the mission.

I can say that this is one of my favorite biographies that I have read in a while.This book came with many enjoyable times but with crude jokes and somewhat strange writing style you really have to get used to how he writes. Like most people I can say that this book is really insulting against congress and the president. They say things like “with these new rules I bet the next raid will have us with paintball guns and tazers”. I think that though this book has rude ways to attack congress I believe that his rights to put feelings into this book is not bad. This is what he has been living through and it just seems right that he says what he wants. His writing isn’t so bad either. He made the book easy to read and as people have said, noteworthy. I loved the book and enjoyed learning about this event and finally getting revenge on the criminals from 9/11. Though I enjoyed the book, I doubt he will write anymore books considering it is a biography of his career.

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LibraryThing member joeteo1

"No easy day" is the story of the raid that killed Osama Bin Laden. Only the last third of the book details the events of that day and the first part of the book details the early life, training, and other missions of the author, who was a member of the SEAL team that carried out the mission.

Overall it was a well paced and enjoyable book. I do not understand the fit raised by the DoD over the contents of the book as it reveals frustratingly few details. Overall the actual story is quite anticlimactic from the crazy stories that were carried by the major news outlets. The book is a well written glimpse into the workings of the elite anti-terrorist SEAL team and the events that took place during one of the most important covert operations in the last 30 years.

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LibraryThing member DaleCogdell

THE book on the Osama Bin Laden raid. Government tried to stop the release of this book.Written by one of the seals present in the raid.

LibraryThing member thewanderingjew

No Easy Day, Mark Owen
The author seems sincere in his effort to describe the Seal experience. One thing comes through very clearly; the arduous training and dedication of the Seals is of the highest order. The book reads like a novel. In its honesty, it is totally refreshing. Being a whistleblower

is not easy and I can’t help but wonder who gave away his identity. The book was originally attributed to Mark Owen, an assumed name. His real name is Matt Bissonnette
The Pentagon and some military spokespeople have portrayed him as a traitor to his oath. For me, the only thing this young man seems to be guilty of is fighting patriotically and bravely for his country. He should be hailed as a hero, nothing more and nothing less. Anyone who feels differently should try walking in his shoes.
If his only crime was that he didn’t vet the book properly, I don’t blame him. There is no way this President or anyone in this administration, would have let this truth be exposed, but the American people do deserve, and also have the right, to know what really went down in Pakistan when Bin Laden was captured.
The book is about more than the Bin Laden capture. It is this man’s story, beginning with his childhood and how his life in Alaska, hunting and fishing alongside his dad, laid the groundwork for his ability to be a Navy Seal. It is about his dream, nurtured in high school, to become one. With his dad, he learned how to survive even under dreadful conditions of cold and exhaustion, so he was mentally ready for the Seals, and he went through the rigorous training, succeeding and eventually becoming part of Seal Team Six.
The main thrust of the book concerns the time period he was with the Seals, from 1998-2012. He describes the way the rules of engagement changed as the years passed, often preventing them from doing a proper job, and how the decision making process ground to a halt at times, moving too slowly. Some men felt that risking their lives under such conditions was becoming too risky. They had to warn their enemy before they approached, provide photographic evidence of their militancy and if captured, the emphasis was often on whether the enemy had been abused rather than his militaristic activity.
I am not sure why there is such brouhaha about the information in the book. Yes, Bin laden was shot in cold blood, without even a loaded weapon in his room; contrary to the story told by the White House, but the Seals had been fired upon, entering his compound, even if the shots were not fired by Bin Laden. Yes, they dragged his body down the steps, disrespectfully, when we were told he was treated with respect, but then, this man was responsible for the death of thousands of Americans so is anyone really surprised?
Paraphrasing, the main objection this Seal voiced, which was a sentiment shared by other Seals, as well, was that the President had a need and/or tendency to take credit for everything to advance himself politically. Even before they captured Osama Bin Laden, they joked about Obama taking credit for it. Still, they said, their mission was what was important, not his speeches or grandstanding.
I think the book had a bit too much detail, but still, I found I could not put it down. I thought it was interesting reading about the training, preparation and deployments. I respect what these men sacrifice to guarantee my security, and I applaud their efforts. On the other hand, my husband found it a bit tedious reading about all the preparations for the missions, so reader beware.
You may ask if it was necessary to treat Bin Laden’s body like a car seat or was it necessary to throw him onto the tarmac “like a dead fish”. I just don’t know if he deserved better. Making friends with our enemies has not served us that well, so far. If Washington compromised the safety of the Seals with their leaks of information and pictures, just for political capital, then I think this Seal was within his rights, to write this story.
Mr. Bissonnette states that he is donating the majority of the profits from the book, to veterans’ or wounded warrior charities. I donated, have you?

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LibraryThing member HadriantheBlind

This is not a well-written book, nor is it even an exciting one, but it brings up several important questions.

The man's exploits are exciting and laudable, but the writing style does them little credit. Only the last few chapters go into any depth on the raid itself. The ghost writer did a rather

substandard job at taking the author's stories and turning them into a readable book. There are some interesting technical bits near the beginning, but most of the rest is rather dry stuff. Mr. Owens' interesting life is turned into cheesy B-movie schlock.

The news articles about the book already discuss the good bits of the raid anyway. Most notably, his testimony differs from the official White House version in several places.

In two ways, however, Mr. Owen sets a dangerous precedent. First, in that a military serviceman, in a public venue, criticizes his commander-in-chief during election season. He does this not even from discontent, not from fear for his country, nor for national security, nor revealing a crime - but simply out of minor political differences.

The second point is the possible, yet presently unconfirmed leak of classified information, again under questionable circumstances, and the refusal to sign any Non-Disclosure Agreements. The Pentagon considers legal action as I write this. Now that Fox News has revealed the author's real name and that death threats are set up by Al Qaeda against him, I am suddenly reminded of Valerie Plame. Again information spread too quickly at the wrong time can become dangerous.

A book which relies on controversy and provocative timing to turn a profit for the publisher. The author aimed to donate the money to veteran support charities, but it seems even they have rebuffed him.

I, a mere outsider, might not have any say in this, but is it right to have our most secret individuals selling their secrets? No doubt they do their jobs impeccably. But something's been infecting perceptions of the military recently, and it's hard to explain what comes next.

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LibraryThing member Hubert.Smits

The author is so adamant to not reveal any secrets that the story gets bland, there is no detail, nothing interesting in the book.

LibraryThing member lieto70

The book ‘No Easy Day’ by Mark Owens is a personal account of the Navy Seal experience from the soldier himself Mark Owens. This book takes you from training to the ultimate mission to take down the top leader of Al Qaeda network Osama bin Laden. It will never let down the tension and

excitement this book holds from page to page.

What’s great about the book, No Easy Day, it really explains in a simpler version of how this mission went down. It makes it much more clear and understandable without jeopardizing the leaders of the operation. Barack’s account of the Osama bin Laden killing is far different than the first hand action fulfilled event given by Mark Owen the Navy Seal, who was there when the Osama bin Laden fatal shots were fired. Normally all actions under specialized missions are secret and completely hidden from the people and due to Obama’s thought this mission wasn’t exactly kept secret. News and media were all over this subject as soon as bin Laden was killed.

“Since my first deployment as a SEAL and the attacks on September 11, I’d dreamt of being involved in the mission that would kill or capture Osama bin Laden. I was lucky enough to play a role.”

Another great aspect to this book is that Mark Owen’s reflects back and forth from his current
operation to the acts of 9/11 and how he felt at each and every situation led up until the “Day.” He goes into depth of each time period over the last 12 years. Also the strategic training for months of how the mission would go down. Although this mission was insisted to be a “capture” mission it ended up being an assassination. This book really takes you to the edge of where certain information should not be released.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested with current wars and our government today. I give Mark Owens a lot of respect for releasing his point of view and information that most did not know. Overall this book is action packed and thriving with exclusive information to keep you flipping pages.

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LibraryThing member twylyghtbay

I enjoyed this book and recommend it to others. I look forward to the day when the classified information becomes non-classified and is released to the public. It's disgraceful that the authors true identification was leaked because he authored a biography about his experience as a Navy SEAL ,

disclosing only his personal opinion and did not include any information that was not available from outside sources. The White House has leaked more classified information and endangered American military personnel at times in the past, so I'm not clear on why the government made such a huge issue regarding this book. Osama bin Laden had two weapons at hand reach and the team had already taken live fire. How could anyone expect the SEAL team members to be aware of the fact a that a known terrorist, responsible for the death of thousands of Americans, had unloaded weapons. Captain Obvious needs to visit these complainers. Kudos to "Jen"and her team for years of dedication and work. Kudos to all the government agencies and personnel who worked together so that Operation Neptune Spear was successful with zero American causualties. Some parts of the book do seem slow, but the book is written in a manner that non-military personnel, such as myself, can easily understand the sequence if events. Read the book in one day. I hope the person who leaked this mans name was appropriately consequenced.

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LibraryThing member Kelslynn

A Navy SEAL, part of Team Six, tells of the preparation for and details of the killing of Osama Bin Laden. It was a book filled with descriptions of guns, gear, strategies and precision training for assaults; I think I learned most about the mentality and focus of the men in these specialized

military units. They deserve our respect and gratitude for the service they perform in hostile situations.

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LibraryThing member br13nifo

Geronimo EKIA! “No Easy Day” describes the intense warfare of the war on terror, and up to the assassination of Osama Bin Laden, the mastermind Al Qaeda terrorist. This book takes you through hunting terrorists related to the 911 attack and Osama Bin Laden. This is a great book for those who

like war books and action/adventure. I loved how the author Mark Owen described each experience, on missions, on base, and the raid on Bin Laden’s compound. All the events that occurred in the story was leading up to the one mission, the compound raid, and the death of Osama Bin Laden, the world’s most known and targeted terrorist.

“No Easy Day” really gives you input on all the missions in the last 10-18 years of hunting down terrorists, and tracking down all of the terrorists involved in the 911 attack. I liked all the intense detail of combat in the book. I would not recommend this book to people older than 13. It can be detail, but it is a great story. I give this book 5/5 stars for intense story, great detail, and a great topic!

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LibraryThing member phlll

Ok for a quick read. The author says he is writing to inspire a future kid to want to become a SEAL, and the writing style shows.

The book is interesting, and possibly no less factual than any news report seen or read before.

LibraryThing member Heduanna

Not the greatest writing I've ever seen, but let's be honest: nobody's reading this because of any glowing prose. I found Owen's book direct, accessible, & thoughtful. There's not a lot on the larger place of bin Laden in history, just the predictable broad strokes of this being the dream

assignment of pretty much anyone in the military/intelligence community. But even that was helpful, in its way: in the end, bin Laden was an assignment for Owen. And I liked the way he described the SEAL/special forces community (it was a welcome antidote to Marcinko's books, of which I read a couple when I was a teenager/early 20's). An important current affairs book.

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LibraryThing member ganesh.kudva.groups

Very easy reading and hard to put down - the book deserves 4 stars! However, I gave it a 3 star considering its a very single sided story.

Its very impressive what and how the NAVY SEALs operate and their achievement. Particularly impressive is their team work and how the team protects each other.

Every one has back of each other.

On the other side, one cant help but notice the ugly violence. And the fact that the US fights wars outside its soil and engages enemy on their soil. US can decide when to engage and when to disengage the foreign fighters and withdraw - but the other party have nowhere to go but get cornered in their land. Having said that, its very impressive how US has chased its enemy for years without giving up, found them and brought them to justice.

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LibraryThing member yeremenko

This book disappointed me. It isn't the writing or the detail. The ghost writer did a good job and the details are interesting. What is disappointing is the hero, member of Seal Team Six, has a remarkably uninformed, narrow view of the world. Parts of the books where he discusses and celebrates

earlier missions where hapless over matched adversaries are dispatched with ease are chilling. Owen as he calls himself, is critical of the Obama admin delaying missions, failing to make the call to launch the mission, putting up road blocks to protect civilians. According to Owen no civilians or innocents were killed in his missions, so he assume the safeguards were unneeded. While he derides Obama for taking credit for successes he offers no credit to the president for his decision to send the mission, or the controversial authorization to allow his team to fight back against Pakistan if confronted by Pakistan's military. Though quick to criticize Obama there is no mention of George W, Bush's decision to send him and thousands of others into Iraq. Apparently wearing a flight suit and declaring "Mission Accomplished" for a nonexistent victory bothered him little. Owen's obtuseness is exceptional, in a single paragraph he laughs at the CIA saying they were 100% sure Bin Laden had been located, noting how difficult it would be to support such ideas, and that awesome super tough guys had died because of analysts that were so sure of themselves, and questioning the Presidents bravery for delaying the mission. That's right. Two big complaints 1. The CIA is never sure, 2. Why haven't they sent me to kill the person in that house that the CIA probably has wrong.

I am grateful professional killers like Owen are available for such demanding work. I am also grateful more level headed civilians keep the reins on them.

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LibraryThing member DeniseToby

A little bit technical but overall good

LibraryThing member MarkBeronte

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 readers alongside Owen and the other handpicked members of the twenty-four-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 readers 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 readers with a deep understanding of the warriors who keep America safe.

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