Customer Reviews

First Seal

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This is my first review and probably my last. My reason is to take exception to the comments of the reviewer from Dayton, Ohio. Not that Roy needs me to defend him, but in fairness a response is warranted.

First Seal is an insight into one of America's greatest warriors. SEAL's are regarded as probably the finest unconventional warriors in the world and First Seal brings you the man responsible for them. This is an excellent book, especially for those seeking insight into their foundation. Yes, there are personal attacks, yes there is profanity, and it is not for the light of heart. But honesty is something not viewed through rose colored glasses either.

The Navy is an institution, and as such viewed the SEAL's as a "necessary evil". That Roy succeeded and accomplished as much as he did is a tribute to his tenacity and his perserverance.

But in addition to the story of the SEAL's, is Roy's story and that is what First Seal is about. Roy has done more and seen more than any of us could imagine.

Don't dwell on the perceived inaccuracies, but read the book as it was intended. Roy's exploits are legendary and his men always knew where he was when things got tough, at the front of it all !!

And as for the comment that there is no "I" or "Me" in "Team", remember.... There is no "We" in "Leadership"

I first checked out this book at Borders years ago, but didn't come around to reading it until my father was given a copy by some SEALs in the Phil. Navy, after he served with them in Mindanao.

Well, First Seal by Roy Boehm and Charles Sasser is an interesting book. SEAL history won't be complete without the story of the man that started it all: Roy Boehm, the so-called Godfather of all SEALs. His narrative perfectly captures the high tension of World War II and the impending dangers the Cold War brought. From large-scale conflicts the US military was geared for, to the low-intensity conflicts and unconventional warfare it wasn't quite familiar with, Boehm had amazing insights about the nature of unconventional warfare. As early as the late 1950's, he already figured out that Vietnam would be America's next battlefield. He also delved deeply on the Bay of Pigs invasion (further detailed on in Grayston Lynch's Decision for Disaster).

Boehm has an eye for some personal details about his early years in the Navy, and vividly retells the stories about his wartime service. The chapter where he lost his close friend to a shark made for some horrifyingly painful reading.

It was a surprise for me that Survivor and Combat Missions' Rudy Boesch (yes, that's him) was also mentioned in the book because he was one of the first members of SEAL Two.

Just like Richard Marcinko's commentaries about the Navy establishment and politics in his Rogue Warrior book series, Boehm also drives home his all-so-true writings on the same subjects, given the numerous courts-martial he faced and the red tape he had to cut through, simply because he pulled out all the stops to make sure that the SEALs he would form will be just as good as the Army's Special Forces.

It's a very sad fact that true-blooded Warriors like Roy Boehm are getting fewer and fewer everyday. Boehm is indeed a man who would rather get down and dirty in the mud battling the enemy than lead from behind a desk, because leadership in battle is about being out in front of your men, and defined in just two words Boehm takes to heart: FOLLOW ME!

I just found this book this afternoon after disappearing somewhere inside the house for three years, and I couldn't wait to read it again. It's a really cool book. Read it, you won't be disappointed.

No false bravado or bragadocio here. This book is simply an honest book by a real man, not a created myth. Roy Boehm was tasked with creating the Navy SEAL's, but that is just one of several amazing stories outlined in a military career that covered World War II through Veitnam. A shark pulling his injured friend from his arms after their ship is sunk, swimming into Cuba to verify missles during that crisis, an assassination of a double agent in the Dominican Republic and creating the SEAL's are just some of the stories. Oh yeah, he suck's his wife's drunken bald parakeet "Fluffy" up in a vacuum too! Slow to accept praise, quick to accept blame, honest to a fault and at times laugh-out-loud funny this book is a story about a unique individual who did some amazing things and thank God for the United States, he was on our side! A great read!

Roy Boehm the father of us all has finally put it down on paper. Now you can appreciate the story of Americas best, most elite fighting unit from the originator. More than a story about the TEAMS this is a look into a mans soul. Without Roy's tenacity and personality the SEAL concept would have been little more than an unfulfilled idea of a great American President. No other person would have had the daring or the dedication to see this dream fulfilled. All that the TEAMS are today we owe to this unsung (except to those of us who know him) dedicated American Patriot. Thanks Roy for sharing your life with the world

If you've read any of Dick Marcinko's books, you owe it to yourself to read Roy Boehm. I've read all of Dick's books. My only regret was that I was into about my third when I "discovered" Boehm thru Dick's writings. Don't make the same mistake. Start with Boehm, then read all of Dick's books. The style is different, as Boehm's is a pretty straight bio.
I disagree with the reviewer who dismissed this as a book filled with vulgarity and historical mis-information. If you want to read about SEALs, this will give you the perspective of one of the best.

Once I picked this book up, I never put it down! Before this book I was into Tom Clancy, but Boehm just put him in some seriuos shame! This book was awesome! It doesn't explain a whole lot about what SEALs go through training wise, but it does tell you alot about how they work and how they came to be. Roy Boehm was the first SEAL you know, he created them. The guy is awesome, he leaves some stuff out (government won't let him print it) but it's still a really great book. If your into SEALs or are just looking for a very interesting book, pick it up. I guarentee you'll love it.

If you have any interest at all in the history of the Navy SEALs, then this book is probably the best you could possibly read. Roy Boehm is the man who created the first SEAL team under the authority of President Kennedy, and this is his story, complete with all the unpleasant little details and obstacles that went with his mission and, happily, without any boring or misleading technical jargon; this is what happened in the simplest of layman's terms. (I've already read this book 4 times since buying it, and it never seems to be any less fascinating or intense a story.)

"First Seal" is a aweinspiring account of Roy Boehm's military career, from his not so glorious beginnings during the Second World War through his Vietnam and Cold War experiences during the Cuban Missle crisis and beyond. This book tells the grit and determination it took to create what is perhaps the most elite of all the U.S. Special Forces - THE SEALS!! Anyone who has any interest at all in U.S. history at all, should read this book. (and when you are done with this book, you will have a newfound appreciation for what Roy Boehm and countless others have done for this country.) Even if you are not a military/history buff, you owe it to yourself to take the time and check this book out. A rating of 5 stars is an unjustice. Much like the Navy Seals which he created, this book is ELITE among the Elite.

Without doubt, one of the best books ever written about warfare and warriors and specifically the world's ultimate special warfare units including UDT, SEALs and Army Special Forces. . . , Who are these guys? What makes them tick? And what kind of man did it take to start up and train and lead these incredible warriors. Roy Boehm, of course, "Papa-san SEAL numbah one." He tells it all with the unique insight only a true leader of men who's been there and done it all could possibly explain. "Psychiatrists have had field days trying to figure out what kind of man it takes to succeed . . . Trying to predict who might endure the torture of pain, fatigue, humiliation, mental and physical exhaustion, cold and heat," he writes. "The profile of the ideal candidate calls for a man drug free, morally acceptable (within certain reasonable limits), capable of passing a security check, intelligent, and naturally phlegmatic under pressure. He must have endurance, physical strength, a high threshold for pain and discomfort, and a sense of humor in order to endure immense stress without falling apart." An incredible book about incredible warriors! "FIRST SEAL" is the real deal!

Great book, insight into what it took to build the teams and how stupid the bureaucrats and politically minded military officers can be (not a surprise to any veteran).

A must read for those who follow the Navy SEALS exploits through the years.

It is also one source, all such memoirs are best understood in the context of one of many views and opinions.from the dozens of SEAL memoirs I have read, Boehm is revered by real SEAL warriors.

The negative review of this book is obviously someone who served with him but was a bean counter not a warrior.