Brave Men - Dark Waters [Mass Market Paperback]

Orr Kelly (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2003

STRIKE HARD. STRIKE FAST.

STRIKE FEAR INTO THE HEART OF THE ENEMY.

They operate by sea, air, and land, descending from the night sky, rising from the ocean depths, striking their targets with deadly efficiency, then vanishing into the darkness from which they emerged. From the dank jungles of Vietnam to the tropical shores of Panama to the blistering sands of Saddam Hussein's Iraq, the U.S. Navy SEALs have become the most fearsome special operations force in the world, living by the motto "The only easy day was yesterday."

In this unparalleled account of the origin, evolution, and future of this revered military elite, Orr Kelly brilliantly reveals their tactics and their methods, their past triumphs and scandals, including the celebrated Richard Marcinko (Rogue Warrior) case. Brave Men-Dark Waters leads us into the shadowy realm of danger and deception where SEAL commandos live -- and sometimes die -- by their own rules.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The best work to date on the SEAL (acronym for "Sea, Air, Land") unit, this well-written survey presents the unit's history from its origins in the underwater demolition teams of WW II, through its Vietnam incarnation as a group of scouts and raiders, to its present status as an elite special-missions force. Kelly ( King of the Killing Zone ) does not whitewash such controversial aspects as the commandos' role in the invasion of Panama and the scandals surrounding the controversial antiterrorist "Team Six" in the 1980s. He is, however, generally positive in evaluating SEAL performance. He also argues convincingly that in the future the SEALs should concentrate on clandestine small-unit operations, as opposed to larger-scale raiding missions of the kind they performed in Panama.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Readers who enjoyed Kelly's previous books-- King of the Killing Zone (Norton, 1989) about the M1 Abrahams, and Hornet: The Inside Story of the F/A-18 (Presidio Pr., 1990)--will enjoy Brave Men, Dark Waters . The U.S. Navy SEALs (Sea, Air, and Land) may be the most elite special operating force in the world today. Created during World War II, they cleared the approaches to Normandy. In Vietnam, they were able to deny whole areas of the country to the Communists. After the invasion of Panama, during which the SEALs lost 11 men, killed or wounded, they were forced to think more about the role they should play in the future. Kelly, a veteran defense correspondent, has written the most complete in-depth study of this fabled elite unit. Recommended.
- Michael Coleman, Alabama Regional Lib. for Blind & Physically Handicapped, Montgomery
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 316 pages
• Publisher: Pocket (March 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671867628
• ISBN-13: 978-0671867621
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #716,750 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #29 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > History > Military > Naval

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Decent historical account, April 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Brave Men - Dark Waters (Mass Market Paperback)

While the book didn't keep me awake at night like others, it was a decent historical account of the SEALs. It gives important and relevant perspective, drawing from many sources, which I believe adds to the credibility of the book and author. It provides details of specific missions, but in a historical, rather than a story telling way. In other words, if you're looking for a book that deals specifically with the stories of the individual missions, this one isn't for you. It gets into the politics behind the SEALs a bit and is a good first SEAL book to read.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The essential "History of the Navy SEALs", May 15, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Brave Men - Dark Waters (Mass Market Paperback)

There are a lot of books on the SEAL teams out there, but unfortunately most are largely fiction. This is as good as it gets. Orr Kelly has done an outstanding job getting inside this closed community, as evident in his spot on terminology. The chapter on the invasion of Granada is one of two sources used in just about everything written on that incident. From a research/historical perspective, this book is worth the price for that chapter alone. No Special Ops library is complete without it.

12 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Flawed effort, September 14, 2002

By 

Barry Dwyer (Dayton, Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Brave Men - Dark Waters (Mass Market Paperback)

This otherwise solid account of naval special warfare (NSW) history is marred by two severe flaws: understating the roles of Scouts & Raiders and Capt. Phil H. Bucklew in NSW history, and providing an inaccurate account of SEAL origins.
Though Orr Kelly used Capt. Bucklew's oral history, he did so selectively and exclusively. Therefore, readers aren't told that S&Rs were always part of the amphibious force, earned 8 Navy Crosses for Opn TORCH; that they participated in every European theater landing,trained counterpart units such as the 6th Ranger Bn, worked with guerrillas in the Balkans (later in the Philippines & China); that Bucklew earned 2 Navy Crosses & a Silver Star for missions at Sicily, Salerno & Omaha Beach, then went on to become 1st CO, NavOpnsSupportGp, Pacific, supervising SE Asia ops for UDTs, SEALs, boat units and Beach Jumpers, then on to the Pentagon, in charge of all NSW ops. Which is why the Navy named its NSW Center building after Captain Bucklew.
In Ch. 6 we read that SEAL teams were established as the result of a letter to CNO written by UDT-22 CO, LCDR Bill Hamilton, circa June 1961; that as a result he was assigned to a CNO office overseeing SEAL establishment. In fact, months before Hamilton ever arrived there, the Navy had already discussed & approved SEAL mission profile, training, manpower, equipment, etc. Authorization was preordained. So, Hamilton entered a fait accompli situation & became part of the team effort, working for Capt. Harry S. Warren.
Roy Boehm was never "acting commander" of SEAL Team 2, nor did he send men to special schools beforehand. That came AFTER ST-2 was established, which occurred on 8 Jan 1962. Like Hamilton, Boehm was part of a team effort to get ST-2 underway.
SEAL Team 1, LT David Del Giudice CO, was established 1 Jan. 1962, thus becoming the first SEALs.
For documentation of the above, see "What A Tangled Web we Weave" in the 2nd Qtr 2002 UDT-SEAL Assn. mag, THE BLAST.