The Operator: Firing the Shots that Killed Osama bin Laden and My Years as a SEAL Team Warrior

This was a very good book by an engaging author. Most Seal books are formulaic and this one was to, the first couple of chapters describe an idyllic childhood in Montana. This is followed by several chapters of detailed description of BUDs training. He relates the training stories with great comedic timing, and reflective passages which reveal what it takes to pass the military's hardest training and why he was able to pass. In fact as I reflected on his story , just his BUDs performance showed he was in the best of the best. He made it through with no roll backs, no injuries, no failures. In addition he was a young 20 year old new to the Navy. It was obvious that he was destined to go to "tier 1" After BUDs he recounts his very busy career in the SEAL teams. He was selected for SEAL Team 6 and passed that course putting him into the most elite unit in the Navy. He recounts his combat deployments culminating in the mission that killed Bin Laden. Two things occur to me when I read of his exploits. First off it is uncanny how many of the high profile missions that even a casual observer of military operations in the 21st century , that this man was involved in . The hunt of Lone Survivor Marcus Luttrell, the search for Bowe Bergdahl, the killing of the pirates that were holding Captain Phillips and of course the mission that killed Bin Laden. My connection with the military is over 23 years old (retired in 94) so it's not like I track this stuff every day, but just being in the culture you aware of these high profile missions and it is remarkable that he was on so many of them. It points out what a small subset of Americans have borne the brunt of the war on terror. As Churchill said "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few". Second off from this book I like this guy. He seems humble, he has great sense of humor and gives good advice. From the little I have read about him, it seems as though people on the teams did not like how he handled the post mission attention. He eludes to this in the final chapter and his decision to leave the Navy 4 years short of retirement. (Another reason to switch the military to a 401K system). I don't know if his teammates opprobrium was justified, I've seen him on FOX news now and then but never really sat and listened to him. Like I said , from this book he seems like a solid guy. He was critisized by "cashing in" on his part in the mission. Yet no one blinks an eye when 3 or 4 star generals and admirals retire from the service and go straight to vice president jobs with defense contractors. Why are officers allowed to "cash in" but not an enlisted guy who arguably achieved one of the most public war on terror milestones? I say kudos to him. Good quick read, the editing was pretty good, once or twice he lost continuity and could have explained things a little better but for the most part, well written, interesting book from a likable heroic guy.

A must read honest depiction of Seals, of combat, of BinLaden. A book you will read in 3 days, ‘ cause it’s so interesting.

Great quick read. What you see is what you get with Rob and he is fast on his feet speaking style comes across in the book. If you have seen Rob on interviews you will understand he is a quick thinker. Along with that he has a good sense of humor and is humble enough to laugh at himself. A recap of his SEAL career starting with the early days of free throws at the basketball court with his Dad all the way to his post military career. After reading many books about Afganistan, the CIA, Delta Force, Seals, and the real bible of Afganistan is the book Ghost Wars. I started to understand what happens to these trained warriors which is nothing short of remarkable and then to realize there is a cost to them after retiring. And their service to country costs many who transition back to society after their careers end. The takeaway for me is that despite all the arrows at Rob in social media, Rob is the real deal. If you want even more out of his military experience watch him on Tucker and the Shawn Ryan show. And if you follow Seal teams in books, this book again will give you an appreciation for the dedication it takes to be at the top of the seal development and career model. The book gives you additional insight to the non-stop deployment training cycle that keeps these teams on the edge of their capabilities. Rob hands off respect at the end of the book for those who sacrificed everything for country. Worth a peek.

Interesting read. No state secrets given away here; almost an autobiography of the author is really what this book is all about. Kind of a good-time charley - sort of a 'anyone can grow up and become a...' story. It isn't about becoming an assassin or the toughest kid on the block or some psychopath killer...it is simply Robert O'Neill's story, couched in a profession very few can fathom or achieve. Whether or not he is presenting a façade to the world, only he can say. I attended a book signing that the author held at the Richard Nixon Presidential Museum and Library and this book is written exactly as the author speaks. It is simply presented, mostly chronologically, without any overly dramatic moments that would attempt to enlarge the experience for the reader. The story by itself is dramatic and large enough. As a look at one man's experience in a very unique, somewhat mysterious military classification, it is worth the time and money you might invest.

I knew Rob O'Neill to be a highly skilled commando. I never knew he was such a funny and great story teller. This is a really good read. If you want to know about the life of a Tier 1 Seal operator, this is the book. A lot of details that would otherwise be hidden from public eye is revealed here. It is a must read

Magnificent read; to see how special a human body has to be even make it through BUD/S. The dedication and mind set to see training through to the end. I'm proud to know there are good guys willing to sacrifice their own lives to hunt terrorists. Most people have no idea how lucky they are.

Excelente leitura ! Ótimas aquisições! Rapidez no processo de compra e atendimento da Amazon. INFELIZMENTE a empresa Transportadora DirecLog que aqui em Curitiba é representada pela empresa LONDON, deu baixa de entrega nas minha compra sem ao menos ela ter sido entregue à minha pessoa.Forjaram minha assinatura , como se eu tivesse recebido, e informaram um número de identidade que não existe! Pior ainda...no dia da falsa entrega, eu me encontrava no Rio de Janeiro! Lamentável! Por fim recorri ao site RECLAME AQUI, que intermediou a entrega dos livros. Obrigado à AMAZON e... MUITÍSSIMO OBRIGADO à atendente JULIANE do site RECLAME AQUI!

The book gives some insight on what life as a Navy SEAL is and, specially what BUDS is about and the authors mindset to live through it. But I think the book has so many shortcommings in terms of the stories told and the language used; cause a book using "good guy vs bad guy" right away screams of propaganda and tells us there was no interest in reaching human depts in the story telling and something as complex as war. Somehting one would expect from the greatest warrios of our generation. I think the greatest shortcomming in this book is how casual and meaningless Rob made it sound to enter and work at ST6, this removes too much credibility to the book, cause its obvious he is not telling us the greatest and more interesting parts of his story, hence it feels again as...propaganda. The book only gets interesting in 3 parts: BUDS, Captain Philips rescue (barely) and the Abotabad raid, the rest leaves you with an uncomfortable incomplete feeling.

After reading many seal books, this one is my favourite , there is no bullshit o morallism in it, just plain action with some humour, almost like you are telling your buddy a story. No Easy Day was also a good read, they both fill the story about Operation Neptune Spear, but for me 'The Operator' is overall more entertaining.