What do you think?
Rate this book
Combat Swimmer: Memoir of a Navy Seal
A retired Navy SEAL Captain presents his personal story about the daring top-secret missions assigned to the SEALS in Vietnam, Grenada, and the Persian Gulf and delves into what it takes to be this type of American hero. Reprint.
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 1998
11 people are currently reading
127 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
September 30, 2020
Always an interesting story when you look into the lives or our nation's special warfare members. From his days in UDT and Vietnam up to Desert Storm, Captian Gormly recounts his years as a Navy Seal and how he survived and thrived in a tough community. An easy to read and enjoyable yarn of a retired frogman well worth the time investment.
May 27, 2022
An interesting memoir. Some chapters are great and fast paced, very exciting. However he really gets into the internal navy politics and becomes a bore. What I found most interesting was his time in Grenada, and his perspective from a Commanding officers point of view.
December 30, 2022
When Robert Gormley joined the US Navy, and then the SEALS, he was being trained by WWII and Korean war legends. When he retired, he was just finished with Gulf War II and looking at a Post Cold War world. In Combat Swimmer, his memoir, he chronicles his whole career -from Swimmer to commander and Pentagon Desk Jockey with interesting stops all along the way. The book starts full of anecdotes with training and SEAL Selection- and then becomes a combat record of his Vietnam experiences, two distinct tours of brown water navy episodes. Gormly was right there for the development of a lot of SEAL techniques and tactics, and his Vietnam experiences are really compelling. Then he comes home- moves up the command ladder - and manages the professionalisation of the teams- as protocols begin replacing personalities in Special Forces. Then he lets us in on a little of his time at the Pentagon- representing the Special operations community to the chiefs of staff and to the political masters of the moment.
This is really what makes this book most interesting- the transition of an operator into a smooth operator in the halls of power. Issues that look one way at the sharp end- but another at the policy end abound in these passages. Gormley was almost unique in having done so much as team member and leader- and then continuing to successfully climb the career ladder. The late Cold War commitment to Special Forces - and their inclusion into inner intel circles was part of his brief- and he tells the story with some nuance. Since this seems to be one of the wiser military and political choices of the era that prepared us for the 21st Century challenges- it makes for intriguing reading. This part will appeal to the lay reader as well as the military history buff.
There are a few adult themes and some graphic injury passages, so this is best read by the Junior Reader over 12/13 Years. For the Gamer/Modeler/Military Enthusiast, a mixed package. The Gamer gets a lot of small unit scenario ideas in the Vietnam chapters. The Modeler gets a little bit of help with diorama development, and some cool pics- but not much else. The Military Enthusiast gets a unique look at tactical and command issues in Naval Special Forces for most of the Cold War Period, and the beginning of the Post Cold War era. I think this book appeals to both Military History buffs and the neutral reader with its stories from within the SEAL community.
This is really what makes this book most interesting- the transition of an operator into a smooth operator in the halls of power. Issues that look one way at the sharp end- but another at the policy end abound in these passages. Gormley was almost unique in having done so much as team member and leader- and then continuing to successfully climb the career ladder. The late Cold War commitment to Special Forces - and their inclusion into inner intel circles was part of his brief- and he tells the story with some nuance. Since this seems to be one of the wiser military and political choices of the era that prepared us for the 21st Century challenges- it makes for intriguing reading. This part will appeal to the lay reader as well as the military history buff.
There are a few adult themes and some graphic injury passages, so this is best read by the Junior Reader over 12/13 Years. For the Gamer/Modeler/Military Enthusiast, a mixed package. The Gamer gets a lot of small unit scenario ideas in the Vietnam chapters. The Modeler gets a little bit of help with diorama development, and some cool pics- but not much else. The Military Enthusiast gets a unique look at tactical and command issues in Naval Special Forces for most of the Cold War Period, and the beginning of the Post Cold War era. I think this book appeals to both Military History buffs and the neutral reader with its stories from within the SEAL community.
February 25, 2024
Too Much Detail
I really liked Capt. Gormly’s stories before and after Vietnam. However, he wrote too much about the details of Vietnam. A few stories were good, but many were just variations of “we went in, shot bad guys, blew up stuff, and left.” Cutting out some of those would have made this book a lot better to read.
I really liked Capt. Gormly’s stories before and after Vietnam. However, he wrote too much about the details of Vietnam. A few stories were good, but many were just variations of “we went in, shot bad guys, blew up stuff, and left.” Cutting out some of those would have made this book a lot better to read.
March 15, 2024
Interesting account of the evolution of USN SEALS through the story of one who spent thirty years in play. Great account of SEAL activities in the Mekong delta during Vietnam, as well as subsequent deployments up through Desert Storm. Also gives the clearest account of the chaos Dick Marcinko inflicted on SEAL Team Six to date. Well worth reading.
January 23, 2020
Audiobook. Reads like an official after action report. A little boring at times...
November 27, 2015
I enjoyed reading this book. I felt it moved at a good pace, and it held my interest throughout the entire book. I think it was also an enlightening book, as it sheds light on some of the 'Red Cell' stuff I remember popping up in the news [specifically a story on the 20 Minutes news program]. I thought it was written in such a way for the non-military person reading it would easily understand what was being said without being bogged down by a lot of 'technical jargon' [like sometimes happens].
The book covers the author's experiences when going through the initial trial period for those wanting to be SEALs and missions in Vietnam up to the early 1990s. I think the author has a 'story' to tell, and he does it well. According to him, this is one of the 'first' books to be written from a SEAL commander's perspective, so I think that adds to the book. It is coming from a different perspective than an enlisted man's perspective.
I did like the last chapter of the book, where he shares his opinion on how different problems America was facing back in the late 80s and throughout the 90s could be [should be] handled [including the drug problem]. I think he makes some great points [some of which others have made as well]. It is sort of sad-amusing that the radical Islamic threat has increased as opposed to decreased over time. It is equally pathetic that people today refuse to recognize the threat that radical Islam presents. What else needs to occur before people stop burying their heads in the sand? He also talks about home-grown terrorists here in the States and how police departments and local law enforcement could learn a lot about intelligence gathering from US Military Special Forces operators.
I think he made a great point on why the US Military should not be heavily involved in the 'War on Drugs', and I agree with him fully. [He said the military should stay out of it; otherwise, they would become scapegoats.]
I thought his perspective on 'our need' to utilize Iraq as a counterpoint to Iran and the revolutionaries in Iran to be interesting. I have read others who have said kind-of the same thing, that we need a country to counter the brand that Iran is peddling, and Iraq would have been the best option [considering they had already fought Iran in a ten-year war]. He pointed out that supplying the Muhjadeen in Afghanistan had the unintended consequence of creating militant Islamic extremists who would someday oppose America and American interests abroad through acts of terror. He commented that the hope was that the Russians would kill off all of the extremists in Afghanistan, but that this 'plan' did not work. I trust that comment was tongue-in-cheek, but he still makes a great point about how sometimes government officials are exceptionally short-sighted in their goals and do not take the big-picture into account when they arm certain groups.
It was interesting to read his perspective on Dick Marcinko and the trouble Marcinko caused with the 'Red Cell' group that he created. I think the author did a good job of trying to be neutral while expressing his perspective on what happened as well a expressing his dissatisfaction over how Marcinko was behaving [and how he had brought shame/disgrace to his uniform]. I remember when 'stuff' was being released in the news how Marcinko was seen as abusing his position and authority when he would regularly test security at military bases. The impression I got from the author was that he ultimately supported what Marcinko was doing [the final results would be to improve security at important American bases], that the author supported the 'ultimate goal' of the Red Cell group; he just did not approve of all of Marcinko's tactics. But I could be misunderstanding the author's intent completely, as well.
It was an informative book. I am glad I read it.
The book covers the author's experiences when going through the initial trial period for those wanting to be SEALs and missions in Vietnam up to the early 1990s. I think the author has a 'story' to tell, and he does it well. According to him, this is one of the 'first' books to be written from a SEAL commander's perspective, so I think that adds to the book. It is coming from a different perspective than an enlisted man's perspective.
I did like the last chapter of the book, where he shares his opinion on how different problems America was facing back in the late 80s and throughout the 90s could be [should be] handled [including the drug problem]. I think he makes some great points [some of which others have made as well]. It is sort of sad-amusing that the radical Islamic threat has increased as opposed to decreased over time. It is equally pathetic that people today refuse to recognize the threat that radical Islam presents. What else needs to occur before people stop burying their heads in the sand? He also talks about home-grown terrorists here in the States and how police departments and local law enforcement could learn a lot about intelligence gathering from US Military Special Forces operators.
I think he made a great point on why the US Military should not be heavily involved in the 'War on Drugs', and I agree with him fully. [He said the military should stay out of it; otherwise, they would become scapegoats.]
I thought his perspective on 'our need' to utilize Iraq as a counterpoint to Iran and the revolutionaries in Iran to be interesting. I have read others who have said kind-of the same thing, that we need a country to counter the brand that Iran is peddling, and Iraq would have been the best option [considering they had already fought Iran in a ten-year war]. He pointed out that supplying the Muhjadeen in Afghanistan had the unintended consequence of creating militant Islamic extremists who would someday oppose America and American interests abroad through acts of terror. He commented that the hope was that the Russians would kill off all of the extremists in Afghanistan, but that this 'plan' did not work. I trust that comment was tongue-in-cheek, but he still makes a great point about how sometimes government officials are exceptionally short-sighted in their goals and do not take the big-picture into account when they arm certain groups.
It was interesting to read his perspective on Dick Marcinko and the trouble Marcinko caused with the 'Red Cell' group that he created. I think the author did a good job of trying to be neutral while expressing his perspective on what happened as well a expressing his dissatisfaction over how Marcinko was behaving [and how he had brought shame/disgrace to his uniform]. I remember when 'stuff' was being released in the news how Marcinko was seen as abusing his position and authority when he would regularly test security at military bases. The impression I got from the author was that he ultimately supported what Marcinko was doing [the final results would be to improve security at important American bases], that the author supported the 'ultimate goal' of the Red Cell group; he just did not approve of all of Marcinko's tactics. But I could be misunderstanding the author's intent completely, as well.
It was an informative book. I am glad I read it.
November 8, 2013
This is a competant recounting of the career of of an old-school UDT/SEAL officer. Much of the content is familiar territory, as the training and selection process is well-covered in many books. Likewise, the material on Vietnam missions recounts specific incidents thaat may be new, but the general tone and flavor is very familiar. For example, I have read about some of the specific events before from the perspectives of others. Gormly later took command of SEAL Team 6 from Dick Marcinko, and it was very interesting to read about the same unit from a different perspective. Marcinko talks at length about unit cohesion and flexibility whereas Gormly describes the Team as lacking in discipline and training in large part to Marcinko's apparent interest in running an elite fight-hard/play-harder fraternity. Given the revelations to come later I suspect that Gormly's view may be correct. Frankly it squares with Marcinko's accounts and self-promoted reputation quite well. The material on the Grenada invasion was also not new, just a different perspective.
The material on the difficult diplomacy involved in arresting the Achille Lauro terrorists was new to me, and describes a tense and ambiguous situation that could have gone very very badly with the Italian government.
On the whole, I think the book is a worthwhile read for people interested in elite forces as it provides an overview of different periods in the development of the SEALs from someone with continuous involvement spanning decades in different roles. The narration is a bit dry; more like a factual de-briefing than great story-telling. But then, the author is elite in so many ways that it might be asking a bit much to expect professional literary chops as well. The stories are compelling because of the extraordinary things that a rare breed of men has done at great personal risk and sacrifice.
The material on the difficult diplomacy involved in arresting the Achille Lauro terrorists was new to me, and describes a tense and ambiguous situation that could have gone very very badly with the Italian government.
On the whole, I think the book is a worthwhile read for people interested in elite forces as it provides an overview of different periods in the development of the SEALs from someone with continuous involvement spanning decades in different roles. The narration is a bit dry; more like a factual de-briefing than great story-telling. But then, the author is elite in so many ways that it might be asking a bit much to expect professional literary chops as well. The stories are compelling because of the extraordinary things that a rare breed of men has done at great personal risk and sacrifice.
December 10, 2012
This is a competant recounting of the career of of an old-school UDT/SEAL officer. Much of the content is familiar territory, as the training and selection process is well-covered in many books. Likewise, the material on Vietnam missions recounts specific incidents thaat may be new, but the general tone and flavor is very familiar. For example, I have read about some of the specific events before from the perspectives of others. Gormly later took command of SEAL Team 6 from Dick Marcinko, and it was very interesting to read about the same unit from a different perspective. Marcinko talks at length about unit cohesion and flexibility whereas Gormly describes the Team as lacking in discipline and training in large part to Marcinko's apparent interest in running an elite fight-hard/play-harder fraternity. Given the revelations to come later I suspect that Gormly's view may be correct. Frankly it squares with Marcinko's accounts and self-promoted reputation quite well. The material on the Grenada invasion was also not new, just a different perspective.
The material on the difficult diplomacy involved in arresting the Achille Lauro terrorists was new to me, and describes a tense and ambiguous situation that could have gone very very badly with the Italian government.
On the whole, I think the book is a worthwhile read for people interested in elite forces as it provides an overview of different periods in the development of the SEALs from someone with continuous involvement spanning decades in different roles. The narration is a bit dry; more like a factual de-briefing than great story-telling. But then, the author is elite in so many ways that it might be asking a bit much to expect professional literary chops as well. The stories are compelling because of the extraordinary things that a rare breed of men has done at great personal risk and sacrifice.
The material on the difficult diplomacy involved in arresting the Achille Lauro terrorists was new to me, and describes a tense and ambiguous situation that could have gone very very badly with the Italian government.
On the whole, I think the book is a worthwhile read for people interested in elite forces as it provides an overview of different periods in the development of the SEALs from someone with continuous involvement spanning decades in different roles. The narration is a bit dry; more like a factual de-briefing than great story-telling. But then, the author is elite in so many ways that it might be asking a bit much to expect professional literary chops as well. The stories are compelling because of the extraordinary things that a rare breed of men has done at great personal risk and sacrifice.
January 25, 2013
Pretty good book about the early days of the SEALS, way back in Nam. Some hair-raising stuff, for sure, but definitely low-tech small ball, compared to what SOCOM does these days. Author Gormly was almost present at the creation, and then became the senior SEAL in several Navy and Pentagon departments. There's a bit of training, of field ops and of Navy politics -- pretty poisonous stuff that sometimes bogs down the story, but that was the man's life, so that's the story he has to tell. Worth a look.
August 15, 2008
The author talks about some pretty heavy situations he was placed in as a SEAL. The battle scenes portrayed are intense and you may wonder how he made it out alive. Half of the book is about missions and the other half either set up his political views or state them plainly. Overall it was entertaining.
October 5, 2010
The subject matter of this book is interesting and I certainly commend the author for his service to our country. However, I felt the book at times read more like a debriefing report than a narrative. I understood the situations the author was describing, but I didn't quite get the feeling of being there in the midst of it.
June 24, 2016
I started reading about the SEALS with Dick Marcinko's Red Cell. It always struck me that Marcinko's methods & actions may have been a little over the top. Reading this book just goes to prove that there's always two sides and I'm glad I picked this book up. I especially enjoyed reading the author's thoughts in his last chapter. A good read overall.
November 29, 2008
Gormly deserves a 5 star rating, not only for his book, but for his service. You will see a lot of the same stories as in Farrar's book Warrior Soul, but the cross-read is good to experience from a different SEALs point of view.
September 6, 2009
an interesting book. would have given it more stars if it was better written. especially toward the end it seemed to just be random samplings of stories and lacked a coherent flow.
July 8, 2009
Outstanding
August 13, 2013
Pretty good memoir/biography book. Second commander of Seal Team Six with some great stories and background on the Vietnam War, Seal Team Six, and the evolution of special forces. A worthy read.
August 16, 2013
I will be reading this again. Amazing stories about a team of amazing men!
August 1, 2014
great book about the navy seals
November 12, 2016
A bit over the top and exaggerated
Read
April 23, 2017Robert A. Gormly, a retired Navy SEAL did an excellent job when writing his book called Combat Swimmer: Memoirs of A Navy SEAL. This book follows Robert, and his team of highly trained Navy SEALs. Robert and his SEALs have trained, faced tough times, and fought side by side for many years. Robert A. Gormly informs us of his career as a Navy SEAL by taking us step by step throughout his training, and his missions as a combat swimmer. Robert wrote this book to inform us on how to train ourselves both mentally and physically. This book combines Roberts hardships, and his bond with his Navy SEAL brothers throughout his career as a combat swimmer. predict the theme right away. Robert A. Gormly bases his entire book around the brotherhood of his SEAL team, and their family like bond. He shows us that he would do anything to protect his brothers, and that they would do anything to protect him. A quote that supports the theme is: “My brothers and I aren’t blood related, but we have created a bond that will last forever” (96). This quote shows us that Robert and his team of Navy SEALs have forged an everlasting brotherhood.
The style of this book is descriptive. This book makes us feel like we are experiencing the events firsthand. Robert A. Gormly does a great job of depicting and describing everything he went through as a Navy SEAL perfectly. Whether it be from his difficult training, what he ate, what him and his team were wearing, etc. You could definitely feel the atmosphere of the book by the way he described it. Robert A. Gormly used all kinds of descriptive words that made the reader feel like they were a combat swimmer on dangerous missions underwater. Experiencing the events first hand. The way the book makes you feel, almost entices you to turn the page and read on.
I really enjoyed Combat Swimmer: Memoirs of A Navy SEAL. I usually enjoy most war/military books that I read. I liked this book a lot because I want to join the military when i'm older, and these books give me an insight to what life is like in the military. One thing I disliked though was his use of military time. I might have been able to understand a little bit better if I knew military time. If I could change one thing about this book it would be the amount of pictures that are in this book. I would really like to see more of the equipment, and weapons that they used on their missions. This book is similar to books that I have read before because I only read books about the military and war.
The style of this book is descriptive. This book makes us feel like we are experiencing the events firsthand. Robert A. Gormly does a great job of depicting and describing everything he went through as a Navy SEAL perfectly. Whether it be from his difficult training, what he ate, what him and his team were wearing, etc. You could definitely feel the atmosphere of the book by the way he described it. Robert A. Gormly used all kinds of descriptive words that made the reader feel like they were a combat swimmer on dangerous missions underwater. Experiencing the events first hand. The way the book makes you feel, almost entices you to turn the page and read on.
I really enjoyed Combat Swimmer: Memoirs of A Navy SEAL. I usually enjoy most war/military books that I read. I liked this book a lot because I want to join the military when i'm older, and these books give me an insight to what life is like in the military. One thing I disliked though was his use of military time. I might have been able to understand a little bit better if I knew military time. If I could change one thing about this book it would be the amount of pictures that are in this book. I would really like to see more of the equipment, and weapons that they used on their missions. This book is similar to books that I have read before because I only read books about the military and war.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews