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SEAL Team Six: Memoirs of an Elite Navy SEAL Sniper Audiobook
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Plot Summary
Released right after the capture of Osama bin Laden by SEAL Team Six, this memoir of a SEAL Team Six sniper became extremely popular and is a well-written, detailed account of Howard Wasdin's life before, during, and after his participation in this elite force. The best navy officers become SEALs and elite SEALs join SEAL Team Six which was created after a failure to rescue American hostages in Iran in 1980. The motto oft-repeated in this book is "The more you train in peace, the less you bleed in war."
Members of SEAL Team Six go through rigorous training, barely sleeping four hours per night and are subject to twenty hours of physical training per day. However, Wasdin's account of the team isn't just about the physical training; it's also about the mental preparation, something that he was already equipped for as a result of having an abusive stepfather when he was a child. If Wasdin didn't pick up all the pecans lining their driveway, he was whipped with a belt, even if the pecans had fallen after he got done cleaning them up. As a result, he learned to cope with fear and keep his feelings under control even in extremely strenuous situations.
As a member of SEAL Team Six, Wasdin was involved in the operation in Mogadishu which formed of the basis of the Ridley Scott film, Black Hawk Down. He describes how brutal the conditions were and how even this elite corps was taken by surprise. Wasdin was shot in both legs during this operation and was afraid he might have to have them amputated. After leaving SEAL Team Six, Wasdin got a degree from Life University in Marietta, Georgia and currently works as a chiropractor.
SEAL Team Six: Memoirs of an Elite Navy SEAL Sniper was jointly written by Howard E. Wasdin and Stephen Templin. Wasdin is a former member of SEAL Team Six who underwent an abusive childhood before his foray into the navy. He was involved in the SEAL Team Six operation in Mogadishu and currently works as a chiropractor.
Download SEAL Team Six: Memoirs of an Elite Navy SEAL Sniper now and get an in-depth look at the training necessary to join this elite corps and the dangerous missions they are sent to tackle.
Stephen Templin was also a member of the navy before going to Japan where he practiced the martial art aikido. Currently, he lives in Dallas-Fort Worth and teaches English, applied linguistics and intercultural communication. He has a Ph.D. in Education and has written three books in collaboration with Howard Wasdin.
"This was a great book that took you inside Seal Team Six before they really became famous. Wasdin did a great job describing Team life from BUDs to real world operations on current battlefields. I was hooked from the start and couldn't pull myself away until I was finished."
— Jay (5 out of 5 stars)
Publisher Summary
A book that takes you inside SEAL Team Six—the covert squad that killed Osama bin Laden
When the navy sends their elite, they send the SEALs. When the SEALs send their elite, they send SEAL Team Six—a secret unit tasked with counterterrorism, hostage rescue, and counterinsurgency. In this dramatic, behind-the-scenes chronicle, Howard Wasdin takes readers deep inside the world of navy SEALs and Special Forces snipers, beginning with the grueling selection process of Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL—the toughest and longest military training in the world.
After graduating, Wasdin faced new challenges. First, there was combat in Operation Desert Storm as a member of SEAL Team Two. Then, the Green Course: the selection process to join the legendary SEAL Team Six (ST6), with a curriculum that included everything from practiced land warfare to unarmed combat. More than learning how to pick a lock, they learned how to blow the door off its hinges. Finally, as member of ST6, he graduated from the most storied and challenging sniper program in the country: the Marine Corps Scout Sniper School. Eventually, of the eighteen snipers in ST6, Wasdin became the best—which meant one of the best snipers on the planet.
Less than half a year after sniper school, he was fighting for his life. The mission: capture or kill Somalian warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid. From rooftops, helicopters, and alleys, Wasdin hunted Aidid and killed his men whenever possible. But everything went quickly to hell when his small band of soldiers found themselves fighting for their lives, cut off from help and desperately trying to rescue downed comrades during a routine mission. The Battle of Mogadishu, as it became known, left eighteen American soldiers dead and seventy-three wounded. Howard Wasdin had both of his legs nearly blown off while engaging the enemy. His explosive combat tales and inside details of becoming one of the world’s deadliest snipers combine to make this the most thrilling and important memoir by a navy SEAL since Lone Survivor.
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Quotes
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“SEAL Team Six is a masterful blend of one man’s—Waz-Man’s—journey from hard knocks to hard corps. Even better, Waz-Man and Templin can actually write as good as they can shoot. They capture your attention at every turn—not knowing if you’re about to take a bullet to the head from a SEAL sniper or get hit in the gut with a punch line.”
— Dalton Fury, former Delta Force commander and New York Times bestselling author of Kill Bin Laden -
“Wasdin is a true warrior and real hero. SEAL Team Six is a must-read.”
— Gunnery Sgt. Jack Coughlin, USMC, New York Times bestselling author of Shooter -
“Mr. Wasdin’s narrative is visceral and as action packed as a Tom Clancy thriller…[It] will also leave readers with a new appreciation of the training that enabled SEAL Team Six to pull off the bin Laden raid with such precision…Adrenaline-laced.”
— New York Times -
“SEAL Team Six pulses with the grit of a Jerry Bruckheimer production…On his journey to becoming a member of the navy’s best of the best, Wasdin proved his mettle in Operation Desert Storm and endured training that would break the back of most mortal men.”
— Washington Post -
“[SEAL Team Six] describes the harrowing ops he undertook as part of the elite SEAL Team Six squadron, including the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu that almost killed him…Reveals an intimate look at the rigorous training and perilous missions of the best of the navy’s best.”
— Time -
“It’s an engrossing story, and Ray Porter's narration is exactly right. The physical demands of SEAL training exceed anything most of us can imagine. Let's just say that most trainees don't make it. Wasdin did. His tales of training and combat are tough and fascinating. Porter's reading is perfect for the material: straightforward, well paced, and unembellished. When needed, he adds other voices and accents. But the story is key, and that's what Porter delivers.”
— AudioFile -
“Wasdin gives a good sense of how confronting warfare and bloody death has ultimately made him a more contemplative and faithful person. Realistic overview of an often misunderstood fighting force.”
— Kirkus Reviews
Awards
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A New York Times bestseller
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ABarnes & Noble Best Book: Top 100 Bestseller of 2011
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AUSA Today bestsellerUSA Today bestseller
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AWall Street Journal bestsellerWall Street Journal bestseller
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ALos Angeles Times bestsellerLos Angeles Times bestseller
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ABoston Globe bestsellerBoston Globe bestseller
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AWashington Post bestsellerWashington Post bestseller
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APublishers Weekly bestsellerPublishers Weekly bestseller
SEAL Team Six Listener Reviews
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" The best war book I have Read in a longtime. "
— James, 2/16/2014 -
" This was a good read. It really went into detail on how the seals train and what happens before even going into combat. I have not read a lot of military books, this had lots of detail and action. Wasdin did a great job and look foreard to reading more about seal team six. "
— Dan, 2/6/2014 -
" I did this one as an audiobook. It was fascinating and I really enjoyed the voice of the reader. I gained a new perspective and understanding of these men and their training. "
— Lezlee, 1/29/2014 -
" Good story; however it was a little dry "
— Carl, 1/20/2014 -
" it was ok - Lone Survivor I found to be much more interesting. Some of this I found to be a little self indulgent.... Interesting life those Navy Seals... "
— Vic, 1/8/2014 -
" A good read and great insight into the SEALs "
— Jack, 1/7/2014 -
" Good insight into sesal stories. Also good to learn about their challenges. "
— Abhinav, 12/21/2013 -
" This is my second "Seal" book and I am constantly amazed at the level of committment and training that they have. Wasdin puts it out there with a deep, but simple told story of modern day anguish and success! Good job. "
— Vince, 12/15/2013 -
" An interesting book although sometimes it gets too technical about weapons in a way that I thought I was reading copy-and-paste information. "
— Leo, 11/27/2013 -
" The Wasdins do not endorse this book! Howard lies about the family and what happend to him as a child. If he can look his mother in the face and lie then he can lie to the America people. Do not waste your money on this book! You can verify this with hundreds of people who know this family! "
— Mhwrkrga, 10/26/2013 -
" Jake was reading this and loved it, then Mitch picked it up and also loved it. age 13/14 Although it's an adult book. "
— Melissa, 10/9/2013 -
" So far, surprisingly good. Enough about the training routine details, so I know how tough the training is. Also, not cold and detached, talks about why he became a SEAL. "
— Peter, 9/13/2013 -
" Good book. Interesting to hear about the life of a SEAL. "
— Matt, 6/9/2013 -
" Not a very literary book, it does come across as very honest and raw. Author is opinionated with a specific outlook on life, which clearly comes through in the book but you sense you are really hearing a little of what it was like to be a Navy Seal. "
— Eli, 5/19/2013 -
" Book and story line was good but felt the author was doing too much bragging about himself. The book was more about HIM than anything else. Was not as good as I expected "
— Alistair, 4/26/2013 -
" This is a memoir so maybe it's not real surprising to get a lot of "look how great I was". However, the information about Delta Force and Seal training was really interesting, as well as some of the memories from missions in Somalia. "
— Vicki, 12/11/2012 -
" As a reader, I wonder how so many details/quotes are remembered, nevertheless, I really enjoyed the inside look at the life of a Navy SEAL sniper. Recommended. "
— Rick, 9/30/2012 -
" God bless all of our men and women who serve this wonderful country! "
— Dawn, 5/6/2012 -
" Great book - took some time, alot to digest! HOOAH! "
— Rich, 3/26/2012 -
" Very disappointed. Worth the read for some of the information, but Wasdin's only purpose seems to be to glorify himself. "
— Craig, 3/8/2012 -
" Reading this books changed how good of a movie I thought Black Hawk Down was. Reading the events from a Seal team member who was there made me want to watch the movie again. "
— John, 3/4/2012 -
" This book was interesting. I found it aggravating and hypocritical at times, but I also found it interesting to see Wasdin's perspectives, and the actions of the military from the point of view of a military man - a SEAL, no less. "
— Cat, 11/25/2011 -
" Good gripping read that grabs you right from the start. Having a friend who is a sniper, this book brings a bit more insight into the things they have to go through. "
— Andy, 10/14/2011 -
" Oddly, the parts of the book going into technical detail about being a SEAL were less well written (I thought) that the later parts about his life after being a SEAL. An interesting book to read on a usually secreted subject. "
— False, 6/28/2011 -
" This guy clearly loves himself but the first person descriptions were certainly entertaining. It's always fun to wonder "could I have done it?"<br/> "
— Steve, 5/17/2011 -
" Enjoyable book. But I liked mostly how he kept insulting Rogue Warrior and the video game. Hilarious! "
— Angela, 5/15/2011 -
" The Wasdins do not endorse this book! Howard lies about the family and what happend to him as a child. If he can look his mother in the face and lie then he can lie to the America people. Do not waste your money on this book! You can verify this with hundreds of people who know this family! "
— Mhwrkrga, 5/7/2011
About the Authors
Howard E. Wasdin joined the navy to get money for college as a search-and-rescue swimmer but reenlisted to become a navy SEAL. He graduated with Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) Class 143. After the Battle of Mogadishu, he was medically retired in November 1995. He finished his biology degree and later became a doctor of chiropractic. He currently sees patients at his clinic located in Jesup, Georgia.
Stephen Templin was born in Los Angeles and lived in Arizona, Idaho, and North Carolina before joining the US Navy, where he completed Hell Week, qualified as a pistol and rifle expert, and blew things up during BUD/S training (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL Training). After the navy, he became a missionary and a student. Then for fourteen years he lectured as a tenured professor at Meio University in Japan, where he trained in the martial art aikido. He won the Silver Screenwriter’s Award at the Houston International Film Festival, has appeared on many bestseller lists, and has been translated into thirteen languages. He earned a doctorate in education and teaches university courses on English, education, TESOL, applied linguistics, and intercultural communication. He lives in Dallas–Fort Worth.
About Ray Porter
Ray Porter has garnered two Audie nominations as well as several Earphones Awards and enthusiastic reviews for his sparkling narration of audiobooks. A fifteen-year veteran of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, he has also appeared in numerous films and television shows.