Book: No Easy Day, By Mark Owens

[runco]

Just finished reading the book by Mark Owen No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden. I didn't know what to expect, the media had whipped this book up quite good, stating he was a profiteer, broke laws, divulged national security secrets, and turned his back on his Seal brotherhood. Even the guys at work thought I was wrong to buy this book to support a traitor.

After reading it and reflecting back, it was very interesting to read, but I have no real sense that I learned anything that I hadn't already heard in the media. I do not believe I learned any national security secrets. It was interesting to read how OBL was shot looking out a door on the 3rd floor, vs. a 40 minute firefight as I heard in the media, or how his wife shielded him. How OBL was not armed, but had a AK and a Makrov pistol close by on a shelf but not chambered, even though he had close to 15 minutes to prepare after the helo crash (what a coward). Was interesting to read how they dragged OBL's body over OBL's son's dead body, down a spiral stair case in a body bag, and then ultimately how the body was dragged out of a Toyota truck bed to flop on the concrete floor in the hanger back in Afganastan to show the General that it was OBL. I am surprised the media hasn't used this whip up disrespect to a corpse. It was very interesting to read about the helio #1 crash, the low fuel of helo #2, and the waiting Chinook that had already landed close by outside town with waiting fuel. How Pakistan scrambled 2 F16 fighter jets within minutes of the departure from the compound, but never made visual or radar contact with the 3 American helos in the area including two slow moving Chinooks. Finally, how convenient a electrical outage in the city occurred moments before the raid started and how the power came back on right before the Seals departure, hmmmm?

Finally, I felt better after paying $17 from Amazon on release day when the author stated that the majority of the profits were going to be donated to the following charities: All In All The Time Foundation, The Navy Seal Foundation and Tip of the Spear Foundation.

[Parrothead]

I have finished 30% of the book. Nothing new but i do have several close friends in Spec Ops (both army and navy) so i hear the jargon on a regualr basis. I'm interested i nthe book but i will hold judgment on the amount of info offered when i finish my reading.......

[TMF]

I don't read books like this, but I can't assume there is anything in that book which could possibly do more damage than what was done by the administration when they released all the intimate details. The Paki doctor being outed did more damage to strategic level source operations than any other leak in history. At least when Plame was offered up it was politically motivated. This will prevent future operations like this. Remember, we've had a $25 mil reward on UBL for a long time, and no one turned him in. This is why. Because we sell off our sources for political gain, and you can't spend $25 mil if you're rotting in a Paki prison or having your head cut off in a YouTube video.

My personal feelings on it are mixed. I feel as if the man is profiteering, since he is selling his first hand account. It is the norm these days, but I would have strong reservations about it. Mostly I would feel as if it was a dick move to the other guys I worked with. On the other hand, there is historical significance to the story, and what better source of information than a guy that was on the hit?

Probably the most classy way to handle it would be to donate the proceeds to a good cause, which it appears that is what he did. I guess I don't have a problem with him keeping a big chunk of change, because there is no way he is going to get work in the community after writing the book, IMO.

[Sam1]

One of the guy's at work gave me a copy yesterday, it is an easy read, got through a lot of it already. I wasn't expecting it to be secret or anything because it would've never made it on the shelves if there was anything restricted in it. When you perform certain actions in the military, you're required to sign the treason documents, I'm sure the SEALs go well above and beyond what they require normal soldiers to sign and hell they threatened us with getting a possible death sentence if anything was said about it before a 50 year time period has passed. What we were involved in was nothing more than you can learn on the history channel, so I can only imagine that with the types of work the SEALs do, they would not play games with this guy if there was risky information in the book.

From what I gather, the reason for this book is his frustration with a political view and it is the only way he feels he can affect the situation. I would say if you really want to know who this guy is, wait a few years and look for a retired SEAL running for office.

[Guest G23FM]

Great book... Bought it on Kindle on the 4th, finished it on the 6th... I really liked it...

Like said above, he's giving a lot of the money to organizations that help wounded warriors and SEALs that are struggling with coming back and things... He didn't really divulge anything that we haven't heard, except setting the story straight on some things that happened, that are already passed. If you read the Introduction on it he says that he changed everyone's names, he isn't giving any information that isn't already available to the general public, and even puts where they can find it, and that he isn't giving away anything on existing missions, intelligence, etc. I like it.

I thought it was funny that he had to shove the translator out of the aircraft when they jumped into the Indian Ocean on the Pirate rescue missions.... And getting to see all of his gear in the pictures was cool, too... Never really read a "mission book" like that before, but I thoroughly enjoyed it, and frankly, couldn't put it down... But I was traveling those two days.

I would read another one like it... Definitely.

Edited September 21, 2012 by G23FM

[dlm37015]

i am wating for it a mckays used books

[Howler]

Checked the book out of the library a couple days ago. It was what I expected it to be and a little more. I thought it was a good read with most of the stuff being old news. And it dosen't bother me that he's selling his own account of what happened.

[TN-popo]

I also have mixed feelings and I have not read the book.

My first thought was, "What ever happened to the 'Quiet Professionals' mentality?"

[TMF]

I also have mixed feelings and I have not read the book.

My first thought was, "What ever happened to the 'Quiet Professionals' mentality?"

SEALs don't get the funding they do for being quiet.

[willis68]

i have it on my Nook, i will read it next trip offshore

[Sam1]

I also have mixed feelings and I have not read the book.

My first thought was, "What ever happened to the 'Quiet Professionals' mentality?"

I think that went out the window when media manipulation started running rampant