Status
Available
Call number
Publication
London ; Sphere, 2011.
Description
Biography & Autobiography. Military. Nonfiction. HTML: A book that takes you inside SEAL Team Six�??the covert squad that killed Osama bin Laden When the navy sends their elite, they send the SEALs. When the SEALs send their elite, they send SEAL Team Six�??a secret unit tasked with counterterrorism, hostage rescue, and counterinsurgency. In this dramatic, behind-the-scenes chronicle, Howard Wasdin takes readers deep inside the world of navy SEALs and Special Forces snipers, beginning with the grueling selection process of Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL�??the toughest and longest military training in the world. After graduating, Wasdin faced new challenges. First, there was combat in Operation Desert Storm as a member of SEAL Team Two. Then, the Green Course: the selection process to join the legendary SEAL Team Six (ST6), with a curriculum that included everything from practiced land warfare to unarmed combat. More than learning how to pick a lock, they learned how to blow the door off its hinges. Finally, as member of ST6, he graduated from the most storied and challenging sniper program in the country: the Marine Corps Scout Sniper School. Eventually, of the eighteen snipers in ST6, Wasdin became the best�??which meant one of the best snipers on the planet. Less than half a year after sniper school, he was fighting for his life. The mission: capture or kill Somalian warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid. From rooftops, helicopters, and alleys, Wasdin hunted Aidid and killed his men whenever possible. But everything went quickly to hell when his small band of soldiers found themselves fighting for their lives, cut off from help and desperately trying to rescue downed comrades during a routine mission. The Battle of Mogadishu, as it became known, left eighteen American soldiers dead and seventy-three wounded. Howard Wasdin had both of his legs nearly blown off while engaging the enemy. His explosive combat tales and inside details of becoming one of the world's deadliest snipers combine to make this the most thrilling and important memoir by a navy SEAL since Lone Su… (more)
Media reviews
Mr. Wasdin (known as “Waz-man” to his colleagues, “Casanova,” “Little Big Man” and “Sourpuss”) lays out his own account of the battle of Mogadishu in harrowing detail — an account that in terms of sheer drama rivals passages from Mark Bowden’s 1999 best-seller “Black Hawk
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Down” and that reminds the reader how easily a mission can go south. Mr. Wasdin also offers adrenaline-laced memories of other assignments, like detonating an unexploded Tomahawk missile in Iraq during the first Gulf war and the toll that constant travel and dangerous secret missions took on his family life. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member bookchickdi
SEAL Team Six made headlines recently when they killed the world's most wanted man, Osama bin Laden, in Pakistan. Everyone wanted to know more about this elite team of the miltary's best men, and luckily former team member Howard E. Wasdin, along with Stephen Templin, had written SEAL Team Six:
The book succeeds because it shares Wasdin's personal story, from his difficult childhood with a stepfather who beat him frequently to his success as a sniper, moving quickly up the ranks in the Navy SEALs. Wasdin tells the story of his stepfather forcing him to pick up all the pecans that fell to the ground from a tree in their yard. If his stepfather came home and found just one pecan on the ground, Wasdin would be beaten. (Never mind that the pecan could have fallen just before he came home.)
From this, Wasdin learned to be thorough and that no excuses would be sufficient. He believes that this upbringing helped prepare him for the rigors and challenges of Navy and SEAL training. This insight brought to mind Jeannette Walls' memoir, The Glass Castle. She had a difficult upbringing with parents who did not know how to raise children, yet she survived and became successful in spite of the way she was raised. The resilience of the human spirit always amazes me.
Wasdin brings the reader right into the middle of his training, which is fascinating. The trials that these men undergo is unbelievable, and many do not make it through. His story of medical training on goats under simulated battle conditions was incredible.
During his time with the SEALS, Wasdin served in Iraq during Desert Storm. When 14 starving Iraqi soldiers surrendered to him and his partner, he had a revelation.
"They were human beings, just like me. I discovered my humanity and the humanity in others. It was a turing point for me- it was when I matured."
Wasdin also served in Somalia, and was involved in the Battle of Mogadishu, which was made into the book and movie, Black Hawk Down. His description of his role in the pursuit of warlord Aidid and that battle are tense and made me hold my breath as I read it. Wasdin was seriously injured in that battle.
His most successful operation in Somalia involved saving a young boy. Next door to the house they were using as a secret base was a young boy who had stepped on a land mine and had a bad case of gangrene. The smell was awful and after being refused permission to help the boy and endangering their operation, Wasdin and his partner broke into the house next door, tied up the family, cleaned the boy's wound and gave him IV antibiotics.
They returned two more times to help the boy and save his life. The once frightened, now thankful, family offered them tea on their last visit. He could not let that boy suffer needlessly.
Seen from his perspective, Wasdin was very angry at the politics that he felt exacerbated the Somalia situation. He has some very harsh words for upper command and the Clinton administration. He believes that Aidid could have been captured, they had him sighted, but the plug was pulled.
Wasdin's words on Somalia echo our current situation in Afghanistan.
"We shouldn't have become involved in Somalia's civil war- this was their problem, not ours- but once we committed, we should've finished what we started ; a lesson we are required to keep relearning over and over again."
SEAL Team Six will appeal to many readers; those who like military books will appreciate the in-depth look at SEAL training, and those who like a more personal story will enjoy reading Wasdin's journey from small town Southern boy to Navy SEAL to badly injured soldier to the man he is today.
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Memoirs of an Elite Navy SEAL Sniper.The book succeeds because it shares Wasdin's personal story, from his difficult childhood with a stepfather who beat him frequently to his success as a sniper, moving quickly up the ranks in the Navy SEALs. Wasdin tells the story of his stepfather forcing him to pick up all the pecans that fell to the ground from a tree in their yard. If his stepfather came home and found just one pecan on the ground, Wasdin would be beaten. (Never mind that the pecan could have fallen just before he came home.)
From this, Wasdin learned to be thorough and that no excuses would be sufficient. He believes that this upbringing helped prepare him for the rigors and challenges of Navy and SEAL training. This insight brought to mind Jeannette Walls' memoir, The Glass Castle. She had a difficult upbringing with parents who did not know how to raise children, yet she survived and became successful in spite of the way she was raised. The resilience of the human spirit always amazes me.
Wasdin brings the reader right into the middle of his training, which is fascinating. The trials that these men undergo is unbelievable, and many do not make it through. His story of medical training on goats under simulated battle conditions was incredible.
During his time with the SEALS, Wasdin served in Iraq during Desert Storm. When 14 starving Iraqi soldiers surrendered to him and his partner, he had a revelation.
"They were human beings, just like me. I discovered my humanity and the humanity in others. It was a turing point for me- it was when I matured."
Wasdin also served in Somalia, and was involved in the Battle of Mogadishu, which was made into the book and movie, Black Hawk Down. His description of his role in the pursuit of warlord Aidid and that battle are tense and made me hold my breath as I read it. Wasdin was seriously injured in that battle.
His most successful operation in Somalia involved saving a young boy. Next door to the house they were using as a secret base was a young boy who had stepped on a land mine and had a bad case of gangrene. The smell was awful and after being refused permission to help the boy and endangering their operation, Wasdin and his partner broke into the house next door, tied up the family, cleaned the boy's wound and gave him IV antibiotics.
They returned two more times to help the boy and save his life. The once frightened, now thankful, family offered them tea on their last visit. He could not let that boy suffer needlessly.
Seen from his perspective, Wasdin was very angry at the politics that he felt exacerbated the Somalia situation. He has some very harsh words for upper command and the Clinton administration. He believes that Aidid could have been captured, they had him sighted, but the plug was pulled.
Wasdin's words on Somalia echo our current situation in Afghanistan.
"We shouldn't have become involved in Somalia's civil war- this was their problem, not ours- but once we committed, we should've finished what we started ; a lesson we are required to keep relearning over and over again."
SEAL Team Six will appeal to many readers; those who like military books will appreciate the in-depth look at SEAL training, and those who like a more personal story will enjoy reading Wasdin's journey from small town Southern boy to Navy SEAL to badly injured soldier to the man he is today.
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LibraryThing member dougcornelius
It probably wasn't fair to Wasdin that I read this book right after I finished reading Krakauer's book on Pat Tillman. Krakauer is a great writer trying to tell the story about a good soldier. Wasdin is a great soldier trying to figure out what it takes to be a good writer.
The other unfortunate
Wasdin is a warrior, highly trained and highly skilled to kill bad guys. That earns him an extra star. I'm sure he has many great stories to tell about his time in service, but probably can't or won't share them with the public.
The other unfortunate
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comparison is to Bowden's Black Hawk Down. A big chunk of Seal Team Six covers Wasdin's time in Magadishu and his involvement in the same battle described in that book. It's tough to put yourself against such a well-written book.Wasdin is a warrior, highly trained and highly skilled to kill bad guys. That earns him an extra star. I'm sure he has many great stories to tell about his time in service, but probably can't or won't share them with the public.
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LibraryThing member realbigcat
I found this a very interesting book. Navy Seals are the elite warriors of the Navy but if you want the best of the best then you get Seal Team 6. This is the story of Howard Wadin who became a member of the unbelievable military team. The process to get on this team is incredible and nearly
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impossible. Wadin gives his life story, his journey to get on the team and incredible battle stories. Seal Team 6 is the team that killed Osama Bin Laden. I can't imagine a tougher man than Wasdin. A really great story. Show Less
LibraryThing member marshapetry
The SEAL part of the story is fun - I love hearing about the SEALs program and what those guys do; what a kick it must be to train as a SEAL and/or a search/rescue Navy guy. But beyond that it amazes me how obtuse these SEAL guys are... and so far they all seem to be cookie cutter one dimensional
Summary: SEAL stories are sooooo much fun as long as you don't actually think about what's going on in the story. Hence, I loved this book, at least 3/4 of it, and I recommend it to anyone who loves reading about the BUDS program. But if you're trying to understand middle-east politics and war and why the USA is invading countries... then, nah, this ain't it.
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"bros", railing about the lib'rul media and kickin' ass for their "brothers" while not giving a second thought to *what* they are doing. Great example in the book... the SEAL bros are in a bar drinkin' and have a truly bro bonding experience, when a couple of Tunisian born soldiers exclaim "maybe the USA should mind their own business" so , yup, you guessed it: that can't be allowed, we're the US of A, WE"RE #1! so the SEAL bros whup the Tunisian solciers' asses for saying such an awful thing about their country and their fellow SEALs! How dare they!!?! Never once does he ever ask himself... "hey, why exactly *are* we in this country killing and attacking people?"... or... "what is it we're doing that makes them say that?"... Nope, no need, Wasdin just can't understand why foreigners might not be happy with them... why, they are there to HELP the foreigners! Must kick ass! Hooyah Sargent!Summary: SEAL stories are sooooo much fun as long as you don't actually think about what's going on in the story. Hence, I loved this book, at least 3/4 of it, and I recommend it to anyone who loves reading about the BUDS program. But if you're trying to understand middle-east politics and war and why the USA is invading countries... then, nah, this ain't it.
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LibraryThing member buffalogr
Great discussion of ST6 training and a few operations from a very personal perspective. Enjoyed it
LibraryThing member ctmsbrci
Seal team six was one of the best books i have read in my entire life. I f i could give this book more than five stars i would. i usually dont read memoirs but this had an interesting topic so i read it.
As i said before i dont ussually read memoirs because i dont like them. this book however took
his increadable story of how he grew up and how he became a navy seal was just amazing.there was nothing wrong with this book.the auther did anawsome job writing it and kepping me interested.
i loved this book and i hope anyone who loves to read will read this book.
As i said before i dont ussually read memoirs because i dont like them. this book however took
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me out of my dislike of memiors and made the book awsome.his increadable story of how he grew up and how he became a navy seal was just amazing.there was nothing wrong with this book.the auther did anawsome job writing it and kepping me interested.
i loved this book and i hope anyone who loves to read will read this book.
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LibraryThing member jcopenha
A very raw account of a Seal Team Six member. Interesting and fast paced, feels like a couple of hours of chatting with the guy at the bar.
LibraryThing member jrpalin
In this reflection on becoming one of the world’s deadliest sniper assassins, U.S. Navy SEAL Howard Wasdin describes his personal background, his SEAL training, and his harrowing military missions. Despite having the knowledge and skills to efficiently kill, his heart and morality repeatedly show
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up in this story. He’s a role model for other American soldiers. Show Less
LibraryThing member twylyghtbay
Very interesting. Full of information and action. The book gives you and idea of what it takes to be a special forces member. A great deal of work, effort and determinations.
LibraryThing member lamour
Wasdin starts with a brief biography of his early life growing up with a brutal step-father. Then he gives a history of how the Seals organization came about. He includes exploits by early Seals in the Vietnam War.
Then he gives the training he went through to become a Seal. Once he graduates as a
This latter skill he used when he became involved in the Battle Of Mogadishu which is covered more fully in the book Black Hawk Down. In this battle, he was seriously wounded which ended his SEAL career. After doing security work around the world and trying other jobs such as car sales, he discovered chiropractic medicine and is now a well respect chiropractor in Georgia.
There is a brief two page bio of co-author Templin who Easdin met during SEAL training.
Then he gives the training he went through to become a Seal. Once he graduates as a
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Seal he accounts the various missions he was involved in which included Operation Desert Storm, As a member of Seal Six, a very secret unit that fights terrorism, does hostage rescue and counterinsurgency. As a member of this group he became one of the best snipers in the world.This latter skill he used when he became involved in the Battle Of Mogadishu which is covered more fully in the book Black Hawk Down. In this battle, he was seriously wounded which ended his SEAL career. After doing security work around the world and trying other jobs such as car sales, he discovered chiropractic medicine and is now a well respect chiropractor in Georgia.
There is a brief two page bio of co-author Templin who Easdin met during SEAL training.
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LibraryThing member ajlewis2
The story was very interesting. The writing was not very good. I didn't care for the extra details on how things were done, but I admit that it did add to the understanding of the complexity of what it is to be a Seal. So, while I found the book quite boring in part, I gave it a 3 for the value of
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the information it contained. I give the author 10 stars for the contribution he gave in service! Show Less
LibraryThing member JenniferRobb
A former SEAL team six sniper recounts how his childhood prepared him for military life and SEAL training and several operations in which he took part. The one featured most prominently is in Mogadishu, Somalia. He also discusses life after the military.
LibraryThing member jbarr5
SEAL Team Six: Memoirs of an Elite Navy SEAL Sniper by Howard E. Wasdin, Stephen Templin
Enjoy this story because it's action packed with things SEAL's do when they are working. Also enjoy his off hours and spending it with family and friends.
Love terminology that is explained and there is a
Lots of missions are described to the finest detail, I wonder if these are secrets that nobody knows about but they do now, is that ok with Navy? Never heard of so many of them and appreciate understanding them. Like when they repel from a helicopter and what the aircraft must do to retain length and why.
Also I've seen SEALS's coming out the water locally and never realized what they did with their flippers. So cool to find out. TV shows never show that.
Story starts when he's very young and what he has to endure. Love when he decides to better his life by joining the military. Like hearing about the Forts that he trained at: one being in Clarksville and the other at Benning. both places our son was located.
Like the laughs between the guys and about his son Blake but especially what they did to the dog that was biting them...
Found this book to be outright truthful and the missions are straight forward even if they go sideways. Lots of parts of this book that everybody could enjoy, hope you get a chance to read this one.
I was hoping to find out more about what my son had to survive during his time in the Army when he was not stateside and this story is amazing.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
Enjoy this story because it's action packed with things SEAL's do when they are working. Also enjoy his off hours and spending it with family and friends.
Love terminology that is explained and there is a
Show More
glossary of the terms as well.Lots of missions are described to the finest detail, I wonder if these are secrets that nobody knows about but they do now, is that ok with Navy? Never heard of so many of them and appreciate understanding them. Like when they repel from a helicopter and what the aircraft must do to retain length and why.
Also I've seen SEALS's coming out the water locally and never realized what they did with their flippers. So cool to find out. TV shows never show that.
Story starts when he's very young and what he has to endure. Love when he decides to better his life by joining the military. Like hearing about the Forts that he trained at: one being in Clarksville and the other at Benning. both places our son was located.
Like the laughs between the guys and about his son Blake but especially what they did to the dog that was biting them...
Found this book to be outright truthful and the missions are straight forward even if they go sideways. Lots of parts of this book that everybody could enjoy, hope you get a chance to read this one.
I was hoping to find out more about what my son had to survive during his time in the Army when he was not stateside and this story is amazing.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).
Show Less
Subjects
Language
Original publication date
2011-06-23
Physical description
xxiv, 328 p.; 24.1 cm
ISBN
9781847445490