- GENRE: Non- Fiction (Military)
- PUBLISHER: Dutton Penguin
Is an easy, elusive read
Staff Writer
If you haven’t heard about the controversy surrounding the release of “No Easy Day,” an insider’s account of the mission to kill Osama Bin Laden, you may have been living in one of the caves detailed in the this book.
Written by a former Nave SEAL, “No Easy Day,” describes not only the mission to kill the world’s most infamous terrorist, but also the author’s experience in making his way through the ranks to be selected for the mission.
Author Mark Owen recalls his own personal struggles on his journey to becoming a member of Seal Team Six with vivid detail at times and others with a vague, if not boring overview.
I was pleased to see that Owen goes out of his way to explain things in more basic terms so that those unfamiliar with military terminology can follow the stories easily.
For the protection of those involved in the book, Owen uses fake names while recounting the specifics of the missions he outlines. He even uses a pen name for this book, though other news outlets have identified him by his real name.
I didn’t really care about his past and what it took for him to become a SEAL, and that made the first half of the book rather tedious to read.
But once the focus shifted to the mission on Bin Laden, it really picked up.
Owen does a wonderful job of building the drama of everything from putting his gear on prior to leaving for Pakistan, to what he saw as he climbed the stairs to Bin Laden’s bedroom. I felt stressed just reading the first-hand account of what exactly happened when Owen saw Bin Laden peek out of his bedroom.
Considering all the hype surrounding the book, I have to admit that I was pretty disappointed with the overall content. I was expecting more about what went into the planning and how the events all came together. Unfortunately, Owen was not as involved with that side of the mission, and readers are left with a simple overview of the events from one man’s perspective.
“No Easy Day” is definitely worth a read for those interested in military history or current events. But if you’re on the fence about picking this up, wait until it appears in bargain bookstands.
Publisher: Dutton Penguin
Genre: Non-fiction (Military)
Page count: 336
