Sea Stories

April 22, 2019
McRaven, a retired U.S. Navy admiral, follows his self-help guide, Make Your Bed, in which he shared principles for success learned during his more than 30 years as a Navy SEAL, with this collection of fascinating stories from his time as commander of the Special Operations Forces. In the book’s first half, McRaven describes his early life and his SEAL training and experiences, including a gripping account of his time as part of Operation Desert Shield during the first Gulf War in 1990, when he was tasked with intercepting an Iraqi tanker. Here, McRaven focuses on how the SEAL experience “builds unbreakable bonds among your fellow warriors.” The book’s second half shows how these bonds are tested when he becomes a SEAL team commanding officer and then later the commander of the Special Operations Task Force, directing the rescue of Captain Phillips from Somali pirates and the capture of Saddam Hussein. But the highlight of the book is McRaven’s detailed account of the successful mission to track Osama bin Laden (in order to confirm that it was actually bin Laden they killed, McRaven had a SEAL lie down next to the 6’4” corpse to measure his size). McRaven’s war stories deliver remarkable insight into the life of a wartime leader.

September 1, 2019

Retired Admiral McRaven was a Navy SEAL whose career was the stuff of which legends are made. Though he's probably best known for his line from a commencement address in which he stated that if one wants to change the world one should begin by making one's bed in the morning, McRaven saw combat as a SEAL and oversaw the operations which captured Saddam Hussein, rescued Captain Richard Phillips, and killed Osama bin Laden. From his youth as a military brat, his drive and daring were a nearly perfect match for Special Forces. While not a polished narrator, McRaven is an excellent speaker, and his reading of his own work is very pleasant on the ear. It is more like a conversation than a performance and his reading quickly captures the listener's attention and keeps it throughout. VERDICT Public libraries and those with a significant military clientele should consider--Michael Fein, Central Virginia Community Coll. Lib., Lynchburg

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2019
A retired four-star admiral serves up a readable memoir that's long on blood and guts--including those of Osama bin Laden. McRaven (Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World, 2017) grew up a military brat--and a Texan when his father was sent to San Antonio after suffering a mild stroke ("something to do with cigarettes and Jim Beam whiskey, the doctor would say"). He also grew up in the 1960s under the influence of James Bond movies and The Man from U.N.C.L.E., all of which would come into play when the young Navy ensign applied to become a SEAL, "reportedly the toughest physical training in the entire military." Certainly the drill instructors worked McRaven hard; of an entering class of 155, he writes, only 33 completed training and became SEALs. He himself would serve longer than any other SEAL, rising to become the commander of the entire U.S. Special Operations Forces. His book is anecdotal but without many surprises for anyone with military experience, but his account of finding and killing bin Laden is one of the best in the literature, told from the eagle's-eye viewpoint of one who oversaw the entire operation. There his story shines, full of twists and turns ranging from the politics of the military's engagement with the intelligence community ("those CIA officers who disliked SOF the most seemed to be our staunchest supporters") to confirming that it was indeed bin Laden the SEALs and other special ops troops had killed. (McRaven recounts ordering a 6-foot-2 SEAL to lie next to the corpse of the 6-foot-4 bin Laden to be sure that they'd gotten the right guy.) It's a story with many heroes but of cold professionalism as well; as the author tells it, "I had no sense of relief, no internal exhilaration, no feeling of victory," not until his men were safely home. Readers interested in the essential work of military special forces will be inspired by McRaven's adventures.

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Starred review from April 15, 2019
McRaven (Make Your Bed, 2017) has had a very interesting and exciting career. In this engaging and well-written book, he takes something that almost all veterans love to do?tell stories of their amazing experiences?to a new, thrilling level. As a U.S. Navy SEAL, McRaven endured training designed to break men in body and spirit. The shadow of death loomed over so many of his experiences that readers may well agree providence had McRaven's back, as he often suggests. And then things get really interesting. McRaven was involved in many special operations during the war on terror after 9/11, so he is able to provide behind-the-scenes looks at a number of major command missions, including the capture of Saddam Hussein and the rescue of Captain Richard Phillips from Somali pirates. He is always humble in relating his tales and liberally praises his colleagues at every opportunity. Sea Stories is more than an autobiography, more than a narrative of recent military history, and more than the sum of one remarkable man's experiences. In his excellently flowing prose and sunny optimism in the face of danger, McRaven not only allows readers the opportunity to vicariously experience daring adventures and the command of elite warriors heading into harm's way, he also shares practical everyday wisdom.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: McRaven's previous book hit the million-mark and kept on going; expect the same fervor for his new mix of adventure and advice.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)