Customer Reviews

Brave Men - Dark Waters

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I have read this book and it provides a documented history with names, places and times from DOD, and firsthand accounts of actions SEALS have participated in (including Viet Nam,to Patilla Airstrip, Panama, later in ODS. It finishes with the conclusion that there is a dilemma as to where the future of SpecWar is going. The individual chapters make great short period reading.
Need to do research? Get this book.

I thought this was a good book because of the consistant storylines. The experiences of these men were similiar yet distinctly different. I especially enjoyed reading about the "Fire in the Gut" determination that it took for each man to complete the BUD/S training and how this carried over into SEAL operations.

Great book. Highly recommended for anyone interested in learning first hand about the history and current mission of the Seals.

You get a lot of general amphibious warfare history, not just SEAL or even American, but British and Italian too. You also get a lot of information on the evolution of diving equipment and tactics in amphibious warfare. Probably the most interesting stuff in this are the first hand accounts of various missions in Vietnam and a profile of a certain notorious former leader of SEAL team 6 that ended up in prison for some of his shenanigans. I was mainly wanting to read this for info on the SEALs fitness regime and also what day to day life and training is like for the typical SEAL. There wasn't a lot about either one in this but this book still was reasonably interesting.

This book is very informative as to the Navy SEALS. Anyone who is interested in SEALs, or is interested in the military should read it. It's a fine piece of art.

Mr. Kelly does a superb job getting inside the SEALS. He really show how brave these men are. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in a look inside the NAVY SEALS.

WOW!this is one of the best seal books I have ever read.It made me want to be a seal.If you want to read a book read this one.It told me stuff I never new it existed