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No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission that Killed Osama Bin Laden Kindle Edition

4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 14,504 ratings

The #1 New York Times bestselling 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—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 his fellow SEAL team members 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 into the War on Terror and details the formation 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 several 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.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

“Mark Owen” is a Navy SEAL who took part in the 2011 raid on a compound in Pakistan that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden. His muscular memoir was cowritten by Maurer, a journalist who has covered American special-ops forces for nearly a decade, including a stint as an embedded reporter in Iraq. Owen was already a SEAL at the time of the 9/11 attacks; the book begins shortly thereafter, as he is qualifying for the U.S. Naval Special Warfare Development Group (otherwise known as the famed SEAL Team Six), and follows him through various missions, culminating with a detailed account of the planning and execution of the assault on bin Laden’s compound. His version of events has already sparked some controversy—no surprise there, since the mission itself is still a controversial subject—but it doesn’t feel as though Owen intended to add fuel to the fire. Incendiary subject matter aside, this might feel somewhat familiar due to its thematic similarities to such books as Anthony Swofford’s Jarhead, Evan Wright’s Generation Kill, and Mark Bowden’s Black Hawk Down. Like those modern classics, No Easy Day doesn’t merely tell war stories—it also explores the culture of war and what it means to be a soldier. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: This is the book of the moment and has already ended 50 Shades of Grey’s record-setting run at the top of various best-seller lists. Last Sunday’s 60 Minutes interview with the heavily disguised author only added fuel to the fire. --David Pitt

Review

“This harrowing, minute-by-minute account by one of the highly trained members of Navy SEAL Team Six is narrative nonfiction at its most gripping....No Easy Day puts you right there for every tense moment.”—Entertainment Weekly

“Gripping....There is no better illustration in
No Easy Day that SEALs are ruthless pragmatists. They think fast. They adapt to whatever faces them. They do what they have to do.”—The New York Times

“[Mark Owen] has given us a brave retelling of one of the most important events in U.S. military history.”—
People

“Make no mistake:
No Easy Day is an important historic document.”—Los Angeles Times

“A remarkably intimate glimpse into what motivates men striving to join an elite fighting force like the SEALS—and what keeps them there.”—Associated Press

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B008MG1E4A
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Dutton; Reprint edition (September 4, 2012)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 4, 2012
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 7837 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 337 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 14,504 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
14,504 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book compelling and well-written. They appreciate the insights it provides into intelligence and planning, as well as an important glimpse into the life of a serviceman. Readers describe the book as entertaining and satisfying, with plenty of detail about the actual raid. The pacing is described as well-organized and intense.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

4,169 customers mention "Story quality"4,056 positive113 negative

Customers find the story compelling and engaging. They recommend the book as a good read that answers many questions about the final operation. The narrative flows smoothly, with stories that emphasize learning from mistakes and gelling as a team.

"...Alaska and liking guns, I do find him highly intelligent, eminently reasonable, and keenly aware of the irreplaceable value of roles, team, and..." Read more

"...; laughing at the silly things that has been said about them is quite entertaining; he even take on some misconception the ROUGE WARRIOR and the..." Read more

"...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..." Read more

"...for a quick very good non-fiction read then I highly, highly recommend this book. Ignore the hype, and to be fair, ignore the good AND bad hype...." Read more

1,926 customers mention "Readability"1,737 positive189 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and well-written. They appreciate the author's personal experiences and straightforward description of a Navy Seal's motivations. The book provides an honest account of the events leading up to the killing of Osama bin Laden.

"...It's the opposite of these things. It's simply a well-written account of one serviceman's experiences leading up to and through his role in an..." Read more

"...This is extremely well written and not choppy or staccato like someone just trying to rush out a tale...." Read more

"...He encourages readers to donate as well. The book is well-written and a page-turner...." Read more

"...This book was an incredibly easy read and, like many reviewers before me, I finished it quickly...." Read more

1,600 customers mention "Insight"1,474 positive126 negative

Customers appreciate the book's insights. They find it provides unique details about the intelligence and planning, preparation, and raid. Many revelations are new to them, and the book answers many questions about the final moments of the raid. It is a valuable research source for writing. The author gives a detailed catharsis on what led up to his becoming a Navy Seal, and the story contains an important message that is true.

"...his stated objective: he set the record straight in an extremely credible way and, while doing so, honored his fellow SEALs and all those who..." Read more

"...That's because the book goes deeper and further into another world that is rarely mentioned or understood among all the SEALs books out there--the..." Read more

"...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...." Read more

"...As I alluded to earlier, this book goes from past to present and it does so because "Owen" is setting the foundation for the big story. Bin Laden...." Read more

895 customers mention "Detail"791 positive104 negative

Customers appreciate the book's detail. They find the actual raid exciting and the background on what led up to it eye-opening. The author provides plenty of details about the mission, making it feel like a true military drama or war story. The book is action-packed and gripping, with exciting fighting parts. Overall, customers describe it as an historical account of an important part of history.

"This book is NOT political! Like the author contends, it's about getting the story right and highlighting the critical contributions of so many...." Read more

"...Overall this is a good book. It is a historical account of an important part of history--not just the Navy SEALs, the U.S. military, but to close a..." Read more

"...It talks about earlier missions in Afghanistan, and a high profile job of rescuing a marine captain, Richard Phillips, from Somali pirates...." Read more

"...The scene is described so richly that it feels as though we are climbing the stairs with the team as they close in on bin Laden...." Read more

894 customers mention "Enjoyment"830 positive64 negative

Customers find the book engaging and enjoyable. They find it captivating, interesting, and satisfying. The story is thrilling and enlightening, appealing to even casual readers. Readers consider it a must-read for all Americans.

"...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...." Read more

"...In my view, the book is a great read if you are interested in reading a first-hand account of what happened in the the events leading up, as well as..." Read more

"...from mistakes, gelling as a team and gaining more experience and confidence after each deployment...." Read more

"...I truly enjoyed reading this book...." Read more

369 customers mention "Pacing"305 positive64 negative

Customers find the book's pacing good. They say it moves along quickly with a good flow. The writing style is conversational, which makes it move smoothly.

"...The book moved along well as I found myself finishing it in only a couple of nights...." Read more

"...Owen's style is conversational and that makes it move smoothly...." Read more

"...The timeline leaves nothing to spare, as you feel your heart rate increase when the infiltration of the mission begins and the crash of the first..." Read more

"...things a few times and mostly sticks with the narrative which is fast paced and captivating if you are into such things...." Read more

350 customers mention "Training"350 positive0 negative

Customers praise the training. They describe the soldiers as smart, well-trained, and brave. The book mentions the military and intelligence professionals at the top of their game.

"...clarify what really happened that night, and to highlight the extraordinary skill, sacrifice, and humility exhibited by all those involved, and all..." Read more

"...we can at least agree that the SEALs are an elite and extremely brave type of soldier that America is honored to have on her soil and who will..." Read more

"...past operations, stories that emphasize learning from mistakes, gelling as a team and gaining more experience and confidence after each deployment...." Read more

"...We become better people by it. Duty and honor are good qualities, but they have to be tempered with mercy. Mercy is what prevents vengeance...." Read more

835 customers mention "Preparation"114 positive721 negative

Customers find the book difficult to follow at times. They describe it as a true story but a little technical for them. The beginning is hard to get into for some readers, and the book bogs down in certain sections. However, overall, customers find the story compelling and entertaining.

"...was critical of Washington being Washington - bureaucratic, slow and confusing - over his full tenure as a SEAL stretching back to the late `90s...." Read more

"...When they were sent on raid, instructions were vague, at best. Theyn said if Bin Laden didn'tfight, don't shoot...." Read more

"While reading this book, I found it at times to be hard to follow and a difficult read...." Read more

"By that I mean no easy book to write. Lots of controversy before it came out with good reason...." Read more

The only easy day, was yesterday
5 out of 5 stars
The only easy day, was yesterday
So far only in chapter 3, but it's gripping. I love these books. I'd love them even more if they were able to say everything about everything, but it is what it is. By far one of my favorite missions to read about. I just wish we had more people like this instead of the overwhelming amounts of safe space bubble boys now days. It also has a small amount of pictures, from previous deployments and the captain phillips rescue, which I thought was interesting and did not know Mark Owen was a part of. I have a couple SEAL buddies, and they are pretty much the same. "You won't defeat me, I won't give up, I will be the best". So reading these books by former SEAL's, I expected nothing different. This is the reason missions like this are possible. It's never an easy day. Apply 110% of yourself to every task.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2012
    This book is NOT political! Like the author contends, it's about getting the story right and highlighting the critical contributions of so many. I thus vehemently disagree with those who've offered poor ratings and contended the book was either egotistical, self-serving, or political. It's the opposite of these things. It's simply a well-written account of one serviceman's experiences leading up to and through his role in an extraordinary event. Imagine for a moment if you were involved in such an event, one of historical magnitude, and the stories that emerged were either intentionally or unintentionally untrue. What would you do? Might you write a book to promote the truth and in so doing, give the majority of the proceeds to those foundations that serve your community? This is what "Mark Owen" did, and he's to be commended for it.

    Now, I formed my opinion by reading the book over the past couple days and listening to his 60 Minutes interview last night. Not only were the stories consistent in every way, the way he shows up, unsurprisingly, is extremely credible and confidence-inspiring. I believe he wrote this book for the noble reasons he contends and, like many of you over the past few weeks, I've had lively internal and sometimes public dialogues about the appropriateness of the book. Given this, rather than listen to other people's opinions, I thought I'd read the book and form my own (what a concept!).

    For context: I'm a Democrat, a small business owner, and strong supporter of President Obama. I'll be voting for him again in November. I'm also a staunch supporter of the 2nd Amendment, yet also of gun control. As asserted at the outset, this book is not political, nor do I believe was its release date meant to sway public opinion during an election year. If that happens, it's because certain people chose to politicize it (and this is being done, of course) and, like "Mark Owen" contends, "Shame on them." A few points as evidence:
    ◦ The author was critical of Washington being Washington - bureaucratic, slow and confusing - over his full tenure as a SEAL stretching back to the late `90s. He did not single out Obama. In fact, he commended him for making the decision and thought his speech announcing UBL's death to the world wasn't bad at all. These weren't gushing accolades, and they shouldn't be. The response came across and honest and appropriate given his history and line of work.
    ◦ While the author stated a couple unflattering things about the President and Vice President towards the end, I don't fault him. If I was invited to the man's house for a beer, I expect to be invited to the man's house for a beer. Also, Biden putting forth lame jokes is, unfortunately, credible. Both interactions are part of the story as they affected his perception of the two.
    ◦ While I have no illusions the author is a Democrat, growing up in remote Alaska and liking guns, I do find him highly intelligent, eminently reasonable, and keenly aware of the irreplaceable value of roles, team, and community. These concepts are cornerstones of Obama's policies and approach, and are often in direct opposition to the untenable macho individualism that frequently dominates Republican thinking.

    In the end, I believe "Mark Owen" achieved his stated objective: he set the record straight in an extremely credible way and, while doing so, honored his fellow SEALs and all those who support their missions - the helicopter pilots, the intelligence community, the contractors, the interpreters, and so many others. Hell, now that I think about it, I recall him even giving props to the dogs! This book, this story, was not about him and his ego. It appears he has very little of the later (a extremely high compliment for those who don't know!). The book, rather, was inspired by the virtuous need to promote the truth, to clarify what really happened that night, and to highlight the extraordinary skill, sacrifice, and humility exhibited by all those involved, and all those who could have been involved: "It struck me that anybody standing in that line (a line of SEALs) shaking our hands could have been in our shoes. We just happened to be in the right place at the right time."

    While I still have mixed feelings about whether the story should have been communicated in this way, I do respect "Mark's" reasoning, fortitude, and story-telling ability. I do also respect that others will feel differently. In the end, I hope all who read the book walk away with a keener appreciation for the SEAL community and its awe-inspiring ability to execute the extraordinary work that needs to be done to keep us all safe. To that community, a limitless Thank You!

    Two final points:
    1. I feel a bit uncomfortable to admit it, as there will never be "closer" for me, and I imagine anyone else, about 9/11 and its aftermath, yet the story has brought me a greater sense of peace about those events. I'm still processing this, so I really don't know why. I imagine it's because the guy behind 9/11 was stopped once and for all, and that I/we have some pretty awesome people on our side!
    2. In addition to the above, my overriding take-away is this: NO ONE does it alone! It was a team, a community that worked together. We all need to recognize this and pull together locally and as a country. I, for one, still have hope!
    30 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2014
    2012 will be remembered as the year of Navy SEALs autobiogrpahies. In January there was "American Sniper," the story of Chris Kyle who is America's sniper with the most confirmed kill in military history. Then there is "Seal of God" about a West Coast SEAL who became a Christian. But no SEAL autobiography has been able to generate so much interests and controversy in a short amount of time as this book, the story from one of the SEALs in DEVGRU (more better known with it's old name, SEAL TEAM 6) that was involved in the Operation to get Osama Bin Laden. There's no need to rehearse every detail of that controversy (which is still ongoing and brewing) and surely by writing this book the author has taken a lot of risks. Even as I read other reviews, there is no doubt controversies continues even with how people read and appreciated it (or not appreciate it). I thought some of the reviews of the book tells more about the reviewer's background and values more than the book itself--no doubt my review will reflect a bit of who I am too, but I hope this review will also cause us to reflect more deeply about the last decade of warfare since 9/11, and about our society/culture and perhaps also the question of God and faith too even if you disagree with me.
    I think to fully appreciate a book at times require one to ask how does it relate and fill a niche in relations to other books of the same subject or genre. So I suppose my review will keep that in consideration and from this angle, "No Easy Day" was definitely a different yet fascinating book. For starters, typically in SEALs biography, everyone gives an account of BUD/S (for the "lay" reader, we can call this SEAL boot camp of six months). This book does not, breaking the mold of the canon of SEALs autobiography. That's because the book goes deeper and further into another world that is rarely mentioned or understood among all the SEALs books out there--the world of DEVGRU, the Navy SEALs highly secretive counter-terrorist group. Sure there is Richard Marcinko's books, who was the founder of DEVGRU back in the 1980s when it was still known as SEAL TEAM 6. But there is little published in book form from an insider about the 21st Century, post 9/11 DEVGRU. The author describes in one of the early chapters of the book his unexpected physical try-out for DEVGRU, his acceptance into Green Squadron (the selection training in order to enter into DEVGRU's command) and his acceptance into the team. His description of the selection and elimination process in Green Squadron is fascinating such as how candidates are required to write down whom they think are the five best candidates and five weakest candidates.
    Though the author has been deployed around a dozen times this last decade of warfare suprisingly the book does not go into all the blood and gore details of most of his operation prior to the mission to get Osama. You would expect more--but then no doubt that would take away from the main story about the Bin Laden Raid--not to mention that he had to do it all in 336 pages. Readers who have been in the military would have appreciated his account of OIF 1--and things going array in their first mission. It reminds the rest of us in the military that did not serve in a SOF capacity that Navy SEALs are humans also. His account of working with DELTA was also a great insight into the other TIER 1 unit, though I suppose one might get a fuller account with Dalton Fury's book. Going back to this book, the author also revealed his involvement in the Maersk Alabama hijacking rescue operation and his account of it indicate that this kind of operation was welcomed by the SEALs since it was a break from the routine of deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan. What I found most intriguing in the author's account of this operation was the fact that he parachuted into the Ocean with a Navy communication guy attached to him who has never done a parachute jump before. One can imagine how frightening that is--and the thought, "No one back home is going to believe this..." I've seen some reviews that complained about all these back story leading up to the Bin Laden raid in the book--you can tell they are pure civilians with no grasp of operational history or biography. But for the readers who are willing to look long and reflect harder, the first half of the book should make you appreciate the incredible amount of sacrifice, skill and dedication of people like Mark Owens who worked so hard to be the best of the best in their job in order to protect us. The account of the amount of sleeping pills these guys take and the weird hours they operate during deployment (what the author calls "Vampire hours") should make us appreciate the toll it takes on these guys--and we are not even yet discussing about the lives and injury involved in what they do.
    Of course, most of the book was devoted to the raid itself. I learn from this account that it was not any one of the existing four squadrons in DEVGRU take took part in the raid but rather a special gathering of different guys who have been around the block that was gathered. From the standpoint of a military biography with an operational history bent, I thought it was good (but not good to those reviewers who are looking for some existentialists need for "feelings" to be described). Here is where I could not put the book down. The description of him being on the helicopter that crash and the amazing description of him almost falling out since he was hanging out with his legs outside the crammed blackhawk. The amazing miracle of the helicopter handing on it's strongest point on the wall which ended up not causing the rotars to hit the dirt and chaos that would have followed. The raid itself was incredible. Here is where I suppose this review tells more about me than perhaps the author or the book itself. I couldn't help but to note all the things that went wrong or could have went wrong but turned out to have worked miraculously as something amazing enough to provoke in me an awareness of God's providence throughout the raid. It's a reminder that sometimes the bad guys do get their justice here on earth right now--and that skill isn't enough but the providence of God as well.
    Just as interesting as the raid itself is the author's story of the raid afterwards. His account of Obama and Joe Biden is worth the read. To read of a real member of "Team Six" laughing at the silly things that has been said about them is quite entertaining; he even take on some misconception the ROUGE WARRIOR and the founder of SEAL TEAM 6 himself has said to the media, revealing that Richard Marcinko's comment about DEVGRU being the most arrogant SEALs might be a little out of touch with contemporary DEVGRU.
    Overall this is a good book. It is a historical account of an important part of history--not just the Navy SEALs, the U.S. military, but to close a chapter for so many Americans who have lost loved one since that fateful day on 9/11 and from the two wars stemming from it. If you ever had shed tears on 9/11 or if you have lost people in this long war--I think this book ought to be on your shelf.
    9 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Jonathan
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great SEAL book
    Reviewed in Mexico on December 4, 2023
    A lot of people talk about the spec ops books being frowned upon but this book tells you what exactly was happening without B-s this is the best SEAL book I’ve read another ubl raid book which talked about mostly of the operator but this is something else VERY straight to point .Recommend this book 💯 I cut some of the pictures and put them on my wall.
    Customer image
    Jonathan
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great SEAL book
    Reviewed in Mexico on December 4, 2023
    A lot of people talk about the spec ops books being frowned upon but this book tells you what exactly was happening without B-s this is the best SEAL book I’ve read another ubl raid book which talked about mostly of the operator but this is something else VERY straight to point .Recommend this book 💯 I cut some of the pictures and put them on my wall.
    Images in this review
    Customer image Customer image Customer image
    Customer imageCustomer imageCustomer image
  • Ryan Dyck
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
    Reviewed in Canada on July 29, 2023
    Great inspiring and interesting read with lots of detail on the events that took place leading up to and the day of the operation. Came in great condition
  • Kavin
    5.0 out of 5 stars Thank you
    Reviewed in India on December 15, 2024
    Thank you for your service and this magnificent first person view of the mission that made the world a safer and more inspiring place to live in.
  • Muhammad Nizam Bin Mohtar
    3.0 out of 5 stars An average written book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
    Reviewed in Singapore on November 18, 2023
    An average written book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
  • Jaimini Dave23
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent read
    Reviewed in Australia on August 22, 2018
    I really enjoyed reading this book, which is putting it mildly. A first hand account of a Navy SEAL who lived and created history, yet so normal (Taco Bell anyone?). At times, I couldn’t put my kindle down and just had to read what happened next. This book is not about a man beating his chest of his greatness by his experiences in war; his greatness is exemplified by his humility and his quest to give back to the community he’s so proud to be a part of. This book is a lesson and an inspiration not only to young boys who dream of becoming a SEAL but to humans in general.

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