Told in straightforward unadorned prose, this is one man's search for himself that takes him from an abusive childhood into war and home again. Through Wasdin's experience we travel with him from a rural upbringing and into the U.S. Navy, where Wasdin's experience as a battered child gives him something of an edge — an advantage that becomes clear when he decides to enter the SEALs. Eventually a sniper in the elite SEAL Team Six unit, Wasdin served in Mogadishu during the battle made famous in the film Black Hawk Down. Badly injured, he returns home, where he has to put the pieces of his life together without the structure of the military — the marriage he neglected, the daughter who eventually stays with her mother, the son who clings to him, the injuries that cause him pain and the search for a role outside the SEALs.

I disagree with reviewers who say that Wasdin's ego makes this book difficult to enjoy. Yes, he's proud of the SEALs and often views them as superior to other special ops and special warfare units, but, hey, it's not uncommon for someone to cheer for their own team. I can only say that Wasdin's story touched me deeply as a very human story. I never saw him as a mindlessly arrogant SOB. I felt he was subtly critiquing himself for some of those attitudes through the plain, sometimes self-deprecating tone of his writing.

The insight into elite sniper training was fascinating, as were all other aspects of Wasdin's military experience. As a woman who would never be able to serve in one of these units and has not been in the military, it's as close as I'll probably ever get to understanding what it's like.

I cringed to read about the inept actions of the U.S. government during this time, as well as bungling among military brass. With human lives on the line, one hopes these organizations have resolved some of the issues that led to the deaths of U.S. servicemen in Mogadishu, such as men in the helos not being able to communicate directly with men on the ground.

I was absorbed by the story from cover to cover and found myself tearing up at the end when Wasdin finds peace helping to heal the injured as a chiropractor.

I should add that Wasdin uses what is considered to be "foul language." This doesn't bother me at all (I've never understood why people get upset over words). Words don't scare me. There is also some graphic retelling of battles that could be upsetting to some. I suspect those people won't pick it up anyway. It isn't a book about bunny rabbits and flowers, after all.

I'd recommend this book to fans of SEAL fiction, as well as anyone looking for a deeper understanding of the SEALs.