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No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden Audiobook
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(3.67) - 18 listener ratings
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Plot Summary
As its title implies, No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden, is an eye-witness testimonial of the raid that ended with the death of Osama Bin Laden by a former member of the United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group. The author, first identified as Mark Owen, eventually revealed his true identity as Matt Bissonette. He authored this controversial insider account into the most infamous military mission of the last decade with Journalist Kevin Maurer.
The book follows Owen's early life and military career, including his involvement in the Maersk Alabama hijacking rescue operation that saved the ship's captain from Somali pirates in 2009. Next, Owen reveals he was one of the team members present in Bin Laden's compound when the terrorist was killed. This gripping account was immediately met with controversy. The U.S. Department of Defense claims the book includes classified information and should have been reviewed by them before it was released. The controversy, however, only generated more interest in the book. The publisher decided to release the book a week early and almost double its initial print run. Immediately, No Easy Day was at the top of Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com and The New York Times Best Seller lists.
No Easy Day is not just a chronicle about one mission. It is a story that encompasses the camaraderie and dedication of U.S. military personnel under extremely dangerous and demanding missions. Download your copy at TheAudioBookStore.com.
Mark Owen is a pseudonym used by Matt Bissionnette, a former member of the United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group, that led the raid against terrorist leader Osama Bin Laden. After this historical mission, Owen retired from military service and began writing his first-person account along with Author and Journalist Kevin Maurer. Maurer is known for his accurate collaboration of numerous eye-witness accounts of military operations. His other works include Valleys of Death: A Memoir of the Korean War with Bill Richardson, Lions of Kandahar: The Story of a Fight Against All Odds with Rusty Bradley and No Way Out: A Story of Valor in the Mountains of Afghanistan with Mitch Weiss.
"This is a must read for anybody who is interested in the top tier of our military warriors. The book walks you thru one warriors life from before service thru what some would consider the most symbolic mission for American forces in our life time. Even if you have no military background it gives you an appreciation of what it takes to be the best of the best. I do prefer books that are narrated by the author, it brings the book alive. "
— vincent (5 out of 5 stars)
Publisher Summary
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 moment
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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Quotes
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“The bin Laden story is the marquee event in No Easy Day, of course. But the formative steps in the author’s own story are just as gripping. Mr. Owen’s new information about the Abbottobad attacks adds a human element to much of what has been previously reported. 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.”
— New York Times -
“[Mark Owen] has given us a brave retelling of one of the most important events in U.S. military history.”
— People -
“The book is a stomach-twisting close-up look at that historic mission in Abbottabad, told from the point of view of a super-elite member of SEAL Team Six who fired a bullet into bin Laden and helped carry away the corpse. Written in clean, polished prose... No Easy Day often reads like a gripping novel as the author recounts remarkably vivid details... No Easy Day puts you right there for every tense moment.”
— Entertainment Weekly -
“Paints an absorbing portrait of the work-a-day soldierly professionalism that proved Bin Laden’s nemesis.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Books on Navy SEALs have poured off the presses for years, but this one has generated national interest and controversy for a reason the title makes clear…Since bin Laden was a significant figure, historians will consult this book as a primary source; they, as well as most general readers, will not regret it.”
— Kirkus Reviews
Awards
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A Slate Magazine Best Book of 2012: Staff Pick
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An Amazon Top 100 Book of 2012
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A #1 USA Today bestseller
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A #1 New York Times bestseller
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An #1 Amazon bestseller
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An iTunes Best Audiobook of 2012
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A Library Journal bestseller
No Easy Day Listener Reviews
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Chris DeVries, 12/2/2022
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Thomas, 5/31/2020
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Travis Wayne, 7/27/2017
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" When this first came out I assumed the author was just trying to shamelessly cash in. I've since realized that he simply wants to get the truth widely known about the circumstances and details of Bin Laden's killing. In that light I found his account absolutely fascinating. Regardless of where you stand politically I really think this is one of the most important non-fiction books to come out this year. "
— JimK, 9/10/2012 -
" This really is a powerful account of the raid on Bin Laden that thankfully resulted in his death. It's filled with lots of behind-the-scenes details that I found fascinating and really make you feel like you're there. Highly recommended! "
— Matt H., 9/8/2012 -
" Interesting account but packed with way too many unnecessary details that's typical of many wartime accounts written from a soldier's perspective. I'd only recommend this to die-hard military enthusiasts and history buffs. "
— Aaron H., 9/6/2012 -
" I liked finding out the true details of how this pivotal event in our country's history went down. However the dry nature of the writing made it a bit tedious to slog through. "
— E.M.K., 9/5/2012 -
" I'm not going to wade into the debate as to whether or not this book should have written by a Navy SEAL. That said it is indeed a riveting account of the mission that resulted in the death of one of the world's most notorious terrorists and mass-murderers. I especially recommend the audiobook version. "
— Steve D., 9/3/2012
About the Authors
Mark Owen is a former member of the US Naval Special Warfare Development Group, commonly known as SEAL Team Six. In his many years as a Navy SEAL, he participated in hundreds of missions around the globe, including the rescue of Captain Richard Phillips in the Indian Ocean in 2009. He was a team leader on Operation Neptune Spear in Abbottabad, Pakistan, on May 1, 2011, which resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden. Owen was one of the first men through the door on the third floor of the terrorist mastermind’s hideout, where he witnessed bin Laden’s death. Mark Owen’s name and the names of the other SEALs mentioned in No Easy Day have been changed for their security.
Kevin Maurer has covered special operations forces for nine years. He has been embedded with the Special Forces in Afghanistan six times, spent a month in 2006 with special operations units in east Africa, and has been embedded with US forces in Iraq and Haiti. He is the author of four books, including several about special operations.
About Holter Graham
Holter Graham, winner of three of AudioFile magazine’s Best Voice of the Year awards, is a stage, television, and screen actor. He has recorded numerous audiobooks and earned multiple AudioFile Earphones Awards. As an actor, his film credits include Fly Away Home, Maximum Overdrive, Hairspray, and The Diversion, a short film which he acted in and produced. On television, he has appeared in Army Wives, Damages, As the World Turns, Rescue Me, Law & Order, and New York Undercover. He received a BA degree from Skidmore College and an MFA from Vermont College.