No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden

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No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden

3.83 of 5 stars 3.83 · rating details · 13,818 ratings · 2,182 reviews

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, ope...more

Hardcover, 316 pages

Published September 4th 2012 by Dutton Adult (first published January 1st 2012)

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Oct 27, 2012 Roger rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-non-fiction

A quick, unimpressive read from a literary point of view. Nearly half the book covers events loosely or not related to the Usama bin Laden (UBL) mission.

If all you want is the account of the preparation for and execution of the raid on Bin Laden's compound, you can start roughly halfway through the book and not miss anything specifically pertinent. The narrative with regard to the raid that killed UBL, as a first-hand account of the events is enlightening in its contradictions to some of the ma...more A quick, unimpressive read from a literary point of view. Nearly half the book covers events loosely or not related to the Usama bin Laden (UBL) mission.

If all you want is the account of the preparation for and execution of the raid on Bin Laden's compound, you can start roughly halfway through the book and not miss anything specifically pertinent. The narrative with regard to the raid that killed UBL, as a first-hand account of the events is enlightening in its contradictions to some of the major details of the "official" reports released to the media by the DoD and administration in the hours and days immediately after the killing of bin Laden.

Specific important discrepancies involve the details of the 40-minute gun battle between the SEAL team and those within UBL's compound. Assuming Matt Bissonnette's eyewitness account, written under the pseudonym Mark Owen, is factual, perhaps its greatest value is that it reveals yet another manipulation of the media and the truth by yet another administration more interested in perception than truth.

Do not get me wrong. I do not have a problem with the conduct of the raid that killed UBL as described by Mr. Bissonnette. BinLaden got what he deserved. I take no issue whether he and his protectors put up a defensive gun battle or not, and I have no issue with the SEAL team killing him on sight - armed or not. Doing so spared the world what would have been a long drawn out political and legal spectacle not unlike the capture, trial, and execution of Saddam Hussein.

What I do have issues with are in the DoD's and Administration's apparent willingness to deceive and alter facts, presumably for diplomatic reasons. I am not naive, I understand the political motivation, especially from an international perspective that drives altering the facts. Americans aren't supposed to gun down unarmed criminals or our war-time enemies. So the official story carried by the media was edited to portray UBL's killing as unavoidable.

I have to believe that Bissonette's and the publishers motivation for releasing the story without first submitting it to the DoD for scrutinization to ensure that no classified information or operational secrets were divulged, was that he knew the truth he wanted to tell would not have survived their review.

Not a great book by any means, but important both from the perspective of getting out the real story and for documenting again the heroic work our dedicated military, DoD civilian, and DoD contractor men and women do every day for us and in our name as Americans. (less)

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Sep 23, 2012 Hadrian rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction, west-asia, biography-memoir, war

This is not a well-written book, nor is it even an exciting one, but it brings up several important questions.

The man's exploits are exciting and laudable, but the writing style does them little credit. Only the last few chapters go into any depth on the raid itself. The ghost writer did a rather substandard job at taking the author's stories and turning them into a readable book. There are some interesting technical bits near the beginning, but most of the rest is rather dry stuff. Mr. Owens'...more This is not a well-written book, nor is it even an exciting one, but it brings up several important questions.

The man's exploits are exciting and laudable, but the writing style does them little credit. Only the last few chapters go into any depth on the raid itself. The ghost writer did a rather substandard job at taking the author's stories and turning them into a readable book. There are some interesting technical bits near the beginning, but most of the rest is rather dry stuff. Mr. Owens' interesting life is turned into cheesy B-movie schlock.

The news articles about the book already discuss the good bits of the raid anyway. Most notably, his testimony differs from the official White House version in several places.

In two ways, however, Mr. Owen sets a dangerous precedent. First, in that a military serviceman, in a public venue, criticizes his commander-in-chief during election season. He does this not even from discontent, not from fear for his country, nor for national security, nor revealing a crime - but simply out of minor political differences.

The second point is the possible, yet presently unconfirmed leak of classified information, again under questionable circumstances, and the refusal to sign any Non-Disclosure Agreements. The Pentagon considers legal action as I write this. Now that Fox News has revealed the author's real name and that death threats are set up by Al Qaeda against him, I am suddenly reminded of Valerie Plame. Again information spread too quickly at the wrong time can become dangerous.

A book which relies on controversy and provocative timing to turn a profit for the publisher. The author aimed to donate the money to veteran support charities, but it seems even they have rebuffed him.

I, a mere outsider, might not have any say in this, but is it right to have our most secret individuals selling their secrets? No doubt they do their jobs impeccably. But something's been infecting perceptions of the military recently, and it's hard to explain what comes next.(less)

28 likes · like · see review

Sep 14, 2012 Auntee rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of memoirs, current events, or even romance readers who enjoy reading about military heroes

Shelves: biography-memoir, 2012_reads

Every now and then I like to take a break from reading romance, and since I do enjoy a good military romance, I thought I'd be interested in getting the low-down from a real military hero. No Easy Day is an autobiography/memoir from retired Navy SEAL Mark Owen (his alias) that largely deals with the operation to capture/kill Osama Bin Laden.

The author (in disguise) being interviewed on "60 Minutes"...

The book was always interesting, and it grabs you from the first chapters as members of SEAL Te...more

32 likes · like · see review

Sep 07, 2012 Jeff Emanuel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: personal-library

FEW BOOKS HAVE generated as much buzz in as short a time as No Easy Day by Mark Owen,* a former Navy SEAL who participated in the mission that killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. While media have understandably focused on the bin Laden narrative, and the differences between it and the Obama administration's story of the raid, it's important to note something about this book at the outset: While Operation Neptune Spear (ONS), the bin Laden mission, is the hook (and a singularly effective one...more

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Sep 07, 2012 Dave Schultz rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: nook, history

very good read....the chapters about the raid on bin laden are off the charts. highly recommend

8 likes · like · see review

Sep 17, 2012 Jarrod Jenkins rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction

No Easy Day tells the tale of a Navy SEAL’s life. This particular author, who uses an alias in an ultimately futile attempt to hide his true identity, was a SEAL for about ten years. As part of his career, he participated in the mission that successfully killed Osama Bin Laden, codenamed Operation Neptune Spear.

After years of training and hundreds of missions, “Mark Owen” entered a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan along with 23 other SEALs, an interpreter, an explosives guy, and a combat dog nam...more No Easy Day tells the tale of a Navy SEAL’s life. This particular author, who uses an alias in an ultimately futile attempt to hide his true identity, was a SEAL for about ten years. As part of his career, he participated in the mission that successfully killed Osama Bin Laden, codenamed Operation Neptune Spear.

After years of training and hundreds of missions, “Mark Owen” entered a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan along with 23 other SEALs, an interpreter, an explosives guy, and a combat dog named Cairo. At around 12 AM on May 2, 2011, under the cover of night, the team flew from Jalalabad, Afghanistan “to the X,” which means directly over their target location, in two Black Hawk helicopters. The first Black Hawk inexplicably crash-landed inside the compound, but none of the Americans aboard were injured. The team proceeded with their mission and cleared a guest house and then the three-story main house, killing 3 armed men in the process.

The last man killed was Osama Bin Laden. He didn’t even put up a fight or raise his gun despite the fact he must have heard the helicopters and explosions prior to winding up on the receiving end of a bullet to the face. Owen calls him a coward, and I’d like to believe it. The SEALs took photos, DNA samples, and the body itself onboard the remaining Black Hawk and another helicopter that flew in when the first Black Hawk went down. They also grabbed as much intel in the form of photos, computers, cds, dvds, flash drives, etc. as they could in the planned 30-minute and actual 38-minute operation. The mission was a complete success with zero casualties.

I remember President Obama delivering a speech am week after that evening and experiencing an unexpected, uncontrollable spike of excitement and happiness as I received the news. Facebook lit up with comments such as “Yes! We got that fucker,” links to Team America’s song “America, Fuck Yeah,” and Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA.” This was smack in the middle of exam time at the University of Virginia School of Law, and the speech was delivered at around 11:30 PM Eastern Time, but hundreds of students nonetheless spontaneously gathered on The Lawn to celebrate and sing patriotic songs like God Bless America. I can’t speak for the undergrads, but I specifically remember sitting in my high school classrooms as a junior watching television coverage of the 9/11 attacks and feeling very pissed off. Almost ten years later, the good guys got some revenge.

It was a good day made possible by Mark Owen and his brothers.

As he says in the book, there is a lot of credit to go around. There are thousands of soldiers in all branches of our military, pilots, support personnel, CIA agents and other intelligence providers, translators, and non-U.S. citizens that work against al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations. Everyone deserves to celebrate Bin Laden’s death. Mark Owen happened to be directly involved. He and his SEALs conducted themselves with valor and precision. They deserve to be commended. As I’ve said before, thank God they’re on our team.

The book is entertaining, much like a Tom Clancy novel or Howard Wasdin’s similar “SEAL Team Six.” The details strike me as accurate--no matter how angry the Pentagon or certain media outlets may be over its publication. Nor does it seem to give away any vital strategic or tactical secrets or other information that couldn’t readily be obtained from other widely available sources.

After finishing this book, I’m left with two lasting thoughts. 1. Man, dude, your life is pretty worthless. 2. You shoulda tried to be a SEAL.(less)

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Sep 13, 2012 Rhianna rated it 5 of 5 stars

I Know the controversy. I've also been on the fence about whether I wanted to read it, but curiosity won. What can I say? It was a short fence.

I was captivated by the story and didn't want to put it down. In fact, I had just made it to the point where they were about to hit the third floor of the compound when the pilot mentioned we were beginning our final descent and all electronic devices needed to be turned off. NOOOOOoOoOOoOoOoOoOo! Did I mention it was a three hour flight? Yeah. Captivate...more I Know the controversy. I've also been on the fence about whether I wanted to read it, but curiosity won. What can I say? It was a short fence.

I was captivated by the story and didn't want to put it down. In fact, I had just made it to the point where they were about to hit the third floor of the compound when the pilot mentioned we were beginning our final descent and all electronic devices needed to be turned off. NOOOOOoOoOOoOoOoOoOo! Did I mention it was a three hour flight? Yeah. Captivated, I tell you.

If the book is 100% truth, that's cool. If its 100% fabrication, I'm disappointed but at the same time, I still enjoyed it. I'd like to believe its true, especially since the big message staring me in the face at the end of the book was how much of a coward Bin Laden was. He was great at rallying those around him to fight to their death, but in the end he gave up without a fight. Interesting, but not surprising.

Of all the books I've read so far on various aspects of being a SEAL, this was the easiest read as far as language goes. It wasn't as technical as other military accounts, so I think it will be easier for people to read. I got a good idea of what was going on and the key players without having to reference things or flip through pages to make sure I was thinking about the right acronym.

A quick comment about some other reviews that kind of surprised me (without getting TOO political):
1) why are people surprised that an elite military force dislikes the idea of a president who is hellbent on reducing military spending (translates to loss of jobs and equipment to run missions like these) using this mission to his advantage/possible reelection?
2) I also don't understand why people had an issue with hearing some of the other missions that showed the training and style of warfare that the SEALs excel at. Maybe it was reading other military books that helped me appreciate these anecdotes rather than the expectation of just getting into the story, but if this is the only book you've read about SEAL missions, isn't the background helpful to understand their MO?(less)

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Sep 09, 2012 Remittance Girl rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Navy Seal Buffs, People who Hate Obama

This is a review of the book, not of the author

I feel I have to title my review this way because although I'm very glad this event happened, and I have boundless admiration for the people who participated in the raid, including the author, I can't honestly say it was a great book.

To be fair to 'Mark Owen', his ghostwriter, Kevin Maurer, does bear some responsibility for taking a tired, pseudo-action-thriller approach to the story. The first half of the book is a very mediocre, dramatized 'monta...more This is a review of the book, not of the author

I feel I have to title my review this way because although I'm very glad this event happened, and I have boundless admiration for the people who participated in the raid, including the author, I can't honestly say it was a great book.

To be fair to 'Mark Owen', his ghostwriter, Kevin Maurer, does bear some responsibility for taking a tired, pseudo-action-thriller approach to the story. The first half of the book is a very mediocre, dramatized 'montage' approach to what it takes to be a Navy Seal and rise up through the ranks to do the type of special operations detailed in the book. As heart-pounding action-thrillers go, it's lacking in the kind of tangible, humanizing elements that elevate good stories of this kind out of the G.I. Joe stereotype.

The second half of the book deals with the raid itself in a very dry, accurate and factual way. It paints a clear picture of the anti-climactic demise of Osama Bin Laden. It probably would have taken a ghost writer with superior skills to Maurer's to forge the rising anticipation, the fear, the frustrations into a more gripping read.

I need to make it clear that I'm not dissing the Navy Seal. I'm just saying a better ghost writer might have done more to bring his story to life.

Many critics have questioned this author's motives for writing the book, and I think the end of the story really exposes them. He's clearly not in it for the money - since most of the profits from this book are going to veteran's charities. I think he's a man who is bitter about the 'spin' the media and the administration gave the killing of Bin Laden, because having been an eye-witness to it, he feels the factual truth was good enough and didn't require embellishment.

But he's also a man, like many in front line positions, who holds tremendous animosity towards anyone with a say in military policy and decision-making who isn't sitting beside him in combat gear, holding a firearm. I think most people who experience war on the front lines feel this way. But it sours the end of the book rather badly. Because the author is clearly not a fan of Obama, and says so often and, at times, in disparaging ways.

This book is a) a first hand account of the raid, b) a portrait of what these admirable and brave people go through to serve their country and c) a concerted effort on the part of the author to deny the present administration any share in the glory of Bin Laden's final demise.

(Note to future administrations: If you say you're going to have a beer with the guys you're pinning medals on, you'd better keep your promise. Otherwise they end up bitter and write books like this one.)

And although I thoroughly commiserate with the author's 'walk a mile in my shoes' feelings, I also think it does damage to the nobility of an account of what was a brave, courageous and well-implemented military action. I wouldn't want to walk in Owen's shoes, nor would I want to be responsible for making decisions about the fate of a whole country, its security, its economy and its place as superpower.

I think it may be a central flaw in attempting to write a first person account of this sort of experience too close to the actual event, without the distance of some time and consideration to put the events in proportion. There have been some outstanding first-person accounts of war, but rarely are they written so soon after the event.

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Sep 20, 2012 Robert Kloosterhuis rated it 4 of 5 stars

Many may disagree with this book being written, with Matt Bissonnette breaking his oath of secrecy as a Seal and a member of the US Armed Forces. I am in no doubt that he has indeed done so. He has publicly stated, and does so in the book, that his reasons are first and foremost that he felt such an important mission should be documented and in the public domain. He knew he would catch a lot of flack for it. He decided to sacrifice his own honor for the public good - the good of reminding all of...more Many may disagree with this book being written, with Matt Bissonnette breaking his oath of secrecy as a Seal and a member of the US Armed Forces. I am in no doubt that he has indeed done so. He has publicly stated, and does so in the book, that his reasons are first and foremost that he felt such an important mission should be documented and in the public domain. He knew he would catch a lot of flack for it. He decided to sacrifice his own honor for the public good - the good of reminding all of us the work these men and woman do and the sacrifices they have to make themselves, over and over again, because they believe in a higher purpose. I believe they are role models for that reason.

I agree with him. I feel this story does indeed deserve to be in the public domain. To be a part of the public written record of a significant part of our recent history. I found it very doubtful the book and its contents present any kind of security risk to US policy and personnel. There is nothing in the book that was not already well known and understood about how the US special forces operate, anyone who likes to read about this kind of thing understands this. And I take him at his word this this is his primary motive. His heart seems to be in the right place. If anything, the way he has spoken about his book, he sometimes comes across as a little naive, which I find blameless. This is not a complicated man to understand. Those who are going out of their way seeking anterior motives for his "betrayal" might well be wasting their time. To quote Hitchens: "It is a frequent vice of radical polemic to assert, and even to believe, that once you have found the lowest motive for an antagonist, you have identified the correct one."[sic]

The presentation of the events in the book is pretty matter-of-fact. A lot of it is told in flashback form, with looparounds and digressions until we come back to the actual mission. Much of the book covers his relationships to his comrades, and their shared experiences. You can tell he has a deep love and loyalty for his friends in the teams, if not always a great respect for the chain of command and the high-er ups. What surprised me the most is the level of freedom these operators are given to do their jobs. Very few regulations relating to their dress, appearance and kit.
What struck me most is his apparently level-headedness. You get the feeling he is of a very calm temperament, and so are his colleagues. I also got that impression from his interview on 60-minutes (see youtube), which prompted me to read the book.

Bissonnette is not a professional writer, so do not expect all too much from the quality of the writing style. However, having said that, I found the book riveting and hard to put down.
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Sep 10, 2012 Morgan rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read this book in one sitting. It is both short and hard to put down, which was an excellent choice on the part of the authors. While not great, the writing style is just passable enough to not get in the way too often (although I didn't really need to be told seven times that SEALs wear 60 lbs of gear--once was enough). But this is a book that you read because it is topical, historical, and eye opening, not because of the writing quality.

The book is also well structured to give as detailed an...more I read this book in one sitting. It is both short and hard to put down, which was an excellent choice on the part of the authors. While not great, the writing style is just passable enough to not get in the way too often (although I didn't really need to be told seven times that SEALs wear 60 lbs of gear--once was enough). But this is a book that you read because it is topical, historical, and eye opening, not because of the writing quality.

The book is also well structured to give as detailed an account as practical of the operation that killed Bin Laden. There's a minimum of other material--just enough to understand and appreciate what is happening on that one mission. I think that was the right way to do this, especially because the world doesn't need another SEAL training book or military buddy story.

This is about the absolute extreme of the military experience. SEAL Team Six isn't composed of action movie stars, Tom Clancy characters, or superheroes. They are real people who are so far off the end of the physical scale and so well trained and equipped that they have become weapons. They fly anywhere in the world on a few hour's notice, jump out of airplanes into active war zones, climb up the face of a mountain, and then crawl into a bunker of hostile soldiers in the middle of the night--and somehow shoot all of them without hurting the civilians in the same room. They kill quietly, intelligently, efficiently, and unrepentantly. They probably see more hostile action in one week than most soldiers in a career. The operations described are impressive not for their perfection, but for the way that the team maintains control whenever things go wrong. Their only regret is that the Whitehouse (under any administration) doesn't take them off the leash to kill more often and with fewer questions asked.

The "good guys" are much, much scarier than the "bad guys" in this book. There is no question that they are the most effective fighting force that has ever existed, and that they are at the bare edge of humanity. You don't want to be on Team Six while reading this book. You don't want to be their friend, or in the same room as them. You want to be hiding under a blanket safe in the knowledge that they are not coming to take you down, because there's nothing that you could do if they were.

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Sep 10, 2012 Kate August rated it 5 of 5 stars

After finishing the book, I can honestly say that there was nothing revealed in this book, that I haven't already seen on the History channel a dozen times. The person who revealed the details to the mission, was our own President and his band of merry minions. I know the SEALs have a code about not discussing their work, but I'm curious as to what the expiration date on that silence is. Many SEALs have told their stories in books and never garnered such negative reactions.
The book is very inter...more

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Sep 06, 2012 Samantha rated it 5 of 5 stars

I think this is an important book that needs to be read, the same way the Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell needs to be read. With that said, it started off a little rough for me. I felt like I was in a debriefing room, very cold and no depth. That changed at the 40% mark and his personality came through. I also think you can't say or type this isn't political. It's all political no matter the party in the White House.

I read this book not so much to read the 'facts' about the mission, I wanted to...more

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Feb 13, 2013 Mitch added it

Shelves: to-be-reviewed

Pretty informative so far...

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Dec 25, 2012 Ryan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

The most elite and well-trained group of soldiers on the planet is a select squad of Navy Seals called DEVGRU, sometimes inaccurately called Seal Team Six.

No Easy Day is a firsthand account of the training and life as one of these Seals, culminating with the killing of Osama Bin Laden. This book has apparently been controversial in military circles, and has been denounced by the Department of Defense for revealing confidential information. Written under a pseudonym, the author claims all of the...more

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Oct 22, 2012 Dustin Lonero rated it 3 of 5 stars

Better than I expected. This story was very straightforward and I obviously knew the ending, but it drew me in and was very suspenseful. As corny as it was, this book made me proud by describing the operation that exemplified America settling its debts. This country may seem weak at times, but at the end of the day we're a nation that was one day away from dropping an atomic bomb on Tokyo and sent a SEAL team into Bin Laden's bedroom and shot him In the head in front of his wives and kids. It ma...more

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Sep 28, 2012 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars

The media has hyped this book up to be more than it is... It was an okay read, but no more information is shared than has been covered by the media. SEAL Team Six is a covert team for a reason so do not expect this book to expose any secrets. Being a military spouse I could identify with parts of this book, but I think it might lose those who are not integrally involved with a military member.

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Apr 05, 2013 Komal rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Komal by: Amit Tyagi

Mark Owen writes - "We are all Type A guys who liked to be in control".True to his word, he is very much in control of the book, and has ensured that it is not Operation Neptune Spear,but the SEALs who remain in the spotlight.He has left no stone unturned in making the reader accept the fact that no day is an easy day when one is a SEAL, each day is a battle to be fought, a battle to be won. Owen has highlighted how the decade was well-spent training and planning, till they finally encountered t...more

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Sep 10, 2012 Bruce rated it 5 of 5 stars

loved this book. couldn't hardly put it down.

If you've read and liked any of the Green Team books by Richard Marcinko, I'd highly recommend this one too.

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Feb 23, 2013 Ben rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history, united-states, middle-east

I picked up this book because I was interested in learning more about the mission that killed Bin Laden. It's description of said mission and the political maneuvering before and after the operation was fascinating. However, I guess the author realized there wasn't enough material for a whole book in that, so the first half of the book is focused on other unrelated missions, training exercises and heavily cliched descriptions of his life growing up in Alaska. I didn't find these sections particu...more

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Nov 02, 2012 Dave rated it 3 of 5 stars

A good read, interesting but not especially well written. There is relatively little new presented here, and not just because of the media leaks regarding the Bin Laden mission that the author rants about. Still, there are enough details about the mission and life of an elite soldier to make it a worthy read.

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Mar 22, 2013 Odysseus rated it 5 of 5 stars

No Easy Day Goes Hard in the Paint

Everyone has read about the death of Osama bin Laden by now, but how many people know what led up to that, and how it all went down? No Easy Day by Mark Owen is a great story that shows how American forces strike back against terror. It is a non-fiction, first hand account of the raid on Osama bin Ladens compound, and many operations before that.
No Easy Day is a book of Navy SEAL Mark Owen’s odyssey to becoming a part of SEAL Team Six who took down al-Qaeda le...more

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Mar 18, 2013 Al rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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

...more

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Jun 17, 2013 Alex Hackett rated it 5 of 5 stars

No easy day by Mark Owen is an in depth look of life as a navy seal. It shows you the pursuit Osama Bin Laden and the struggles that were put forth during this event. It is a very well written novel that captures the reader and really takes a new look at life in the Navy Seals. This book gives the reader a sudden realization of the harshness of situations and conditions over in Pakistan. Nonetheless it gives the reader some background detail on how the soldiers had their individual struggles bac...more

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Jun 06, 2013 Tellulah Darling rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars. I've read so many fictional stories about SEALs, I figured it was time to read a non-fiction account. Also, I'm fascinated with all the events that both led up to and occurred as a result of 9/11, and just understanding the situation in the Middle East in general. There have been some really compelling books like

Imperial Life in the Emerald City Inside Iraq's Green Zone

that did just that.

So I went in hoping this would also help flesh out my understanding. However, instead of explaining how one event led to another and another, creating a...more

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May 31, 2013 Sean rated it 5 of 5 stars

The non-fiction “No Easy Day” by Mark Owen is about a Navy SEAL and his life leading up to the raid on the infamous Osama Bin Laden or OBL. At first he talks about his training leading up to him being on the SEAL Team Six or also known as DEVGRU which is short for Development Group. He jumps back and forth from the “rival” SEAL camps and gets know a lot of cool people well at least people he thinks are cool. He makes some new friends on his team and then gets some real bonding time with his team...more

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May 30, 2013 04shantelleR redding added it

Shelves: book-reviews

No Easy Day tells the tale of a Navy SEAL’s life. This particular author, who uses an alias in an ultimately unsucessfull attempt to hide his true identity, was a SEAL for about ten years. As part of his career, he participated in the mission that successfully killed Osama Bin Laden, codenamed Operation Neptune Spear.

After years of training and hundreds of missions, “Mark Owen” entered a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan along with 23 other SEALs, an interpreter, an explosives guy, and a combat d...more No Easy Day tells the tale of a Navy SEAL’s life. This particular author, who uses an alias in an ultimately unsucessfull attempt to hide his true identity, was a SEAL for about ten years. As part of his career, he participated in the mission that successfully killed Osama Bin Laden, codenamed Operation Neptune Spear.

After years of training and hundreds of missions, “Mark Owen” entered a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan along with 23 other SEALs, an interpreter, an explosives guy, and a combat dog named Cairo. At around 12 AM on May 2, 2011, under the cover of night, the team flew from Jalalabad, Afghanistan “to the X,” which means directly over their target location, in two Black Hawk helicopters. The first Black Hawk inexplicably crash-landed inside the compound, but none of the Americans aboard were injured. The team proceeded with their mission and cleared a guest house and then the three-story main house, killing 3 armed men in the process.

The last man killed was Osama Bin Laden. He didn’t even put up a fight or raise his gun despite the fact he must have heard the helicopters and explosions prior to winding up on the receiving end of a bullet to the face. Owen calls him a coward, and I’d like to believe it. The SEALs took photos, DNA samples, and the body itself onboard the remaining Black Hawk and another helicopter that flew in when the first Black Hawk went down. They also grabbed as much intel in the form of photos, computers, cds, dvds, flash drives, etc. as they could in the planned 30-minute and actual 38-minute operation. The mission was a complete success with zero casualties.

It was a good day made possible by Mark Owen and his brothers.

As he says in the book, there is a lot of credit to go around. There are thousands of soldiers in all branches of our military, pilots, support personnel, CIA agents and other intelligence providers, translators, and non-U.S. citizens that work against al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations. Everyone deserves to celebrate Bin Laden’s death. Mark Owen happened to be directly involved. He and his SEALs conducted themselves with valor and precision. They deserve to be commended. As I’ve said before, thank God they’re on our team.

The book is entertaining. My favorite quotes in the book are, "
Dude really did you just do that"? I liked that because it makes me think at least they are having a bit of fun right?(less)

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May 24, 2013 Neal rated it 3 of 5 stars

No Easy Day is one Navy Seal's account of the killing of Osama Bin Laden. This is same Seal who appeared on 60 Minutes and told basically the same story. I'm just imagining how amazing this story could have been if it were told by somebody who could actually write. The title for this one should have been: ``No Easy Way to make the killing of Bin Laden seems boring and mundane.'' In his zeal to show how this mission was no different than 100 other missions, he misses the point -- we don't want to...more

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May 23, 2013 Zachg rated it 5 of 5 stars

No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden is an outstanding book written by Mark Owens - his real name is Matt Bissonnette - member of the SEALS for ten years before he went on the mission to kill Osama Bin Laden. This nonfiction book illustrates the struggle with being in the SEALS and the dedication committed. About half of No Easy Day is about the countless trainings, raids, and missions he had to go through in Afganistan in order to gain the position he is...more

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May 22, 2013 Brian Meehan rated it 2 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed the movie Zero Dark Thirty as a somewhat unapologetic look at the quest to find Osama Bin Laden. In the wake of the excitement I felt after watching that movie, I picked up No Easy Day in the hopes that it would provide more details about how such a massive and intricate plan came to fruition. Written as a first-hand account of the mission by Navy Seal "Mark Owen", No Easy Day should have done just that.

Now when a man can kill another man in a dozen different ways, zipline thro...more

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May 08, 2013 Alex Edwards rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone interested in military.

I thought the book No Easy Day by SEAL member Mark Owen was a great book. It's definitely made for anyone that has interest in the military and/or special operations. The book was a descriptive narration about Mark Owens' experience in the raid of the compound that Osama bin Laden was in when he was assassinated. The theme was the raid on the compound. The book definitely kept me reading all the way until the end without getting bored, but then again I am interested in special operations, becaus...more

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About Mark Owen

Mark Owen is the pseudonym of Matt Bissonnette, a former Navy SEAL.

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“There is no honor in sending men to die for something you won't even fight for yourself” — 6 people liked it

“[to Navy SEALs] Quite frankly, I didn't even want to use you guys, with your dip and velcro and all your gear bullshit. I wanted to drop a bomb. But people didn't believe in this lead enough to drop a bomb. So they're using you guys as canaries. And, in theory, if bin Laden isn't there, you can sneak away and no one will be the wiser. But bin Laden is there. And you're going to kill him for me.” — 1 person liked it

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