The Men Behind the Trident: Seal Team One In Vietnam [Mass Market Paperback]

Dennis Cummings (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 4, 1998

This is the story of the U.S. Navy SEAL Team One in Vietnam as told by twenty of the elite Navy commandos who fought there from 1962 to 1972. Here for the first time, these unorthodox and sometimes iconoclastic special warriors talk about the missions that are left out of the official histories and existing accounts. Extraordinarily gripping and personal, these narratives reveal what really happened on those covert forays. Dennis Cummings has succeeded in coaxing the SEALs to reveal what made them tick, why they volunteered for such dangerous work and returned for multiple tours in the unpopular war, how they pooled their special talents and motivations, and finally how they overcame fear, frustration, and personal losses. A counter to the uncorroborated barroom braggadocio common to other accounts, Cummings's achievement gives the best picture available of what it really meant to wear the distinctive SEAL trident insignia.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

This is the story of the U.S. Navy SEAL Team One in Vietnam as told by twenty of the elite Navy commandos who fought there from 1962 to 1972. Here for the first time, these unorthodox and sometimes iconoclastic special warriors talk about the missions that are left out of the official histories and existing accounts. Extraordinarily gripping and personal, these narratives reveal what really happened on those covert forays. Dennis Cummings has succeeded in coaxing the SEALs to reveal what made them tick, why they volunteered for such dangerous work and returned for multiple tours in the unpopular war, how they pooled their special talents and motivations, and finally how they overcame fear, frustration, and personal losses. A counter to the uncorroborated barroom braggadocio common to other accounts, Cummings's achievement gives the best picture available of what it really meant to wear the distinctive SEAL trident insignia.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Bantam (May 4, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553579282
• ISBN-13: 978-0553579284
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,166,634 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "Good", April 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Men Behind the Trident: Seal Team One In Vietnam (Mass Market Paperback)

Former U.S. Navy SEALs (from SEAL Team One) tell you their stories and some of the things they remembered while in Vietnam. Provides a bit of insight into the kind of operations they ran while in Vietnam. It is interesting, and is an easy-read... not bad at all.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars DONT BE FOOLED BY THE COVER, November 16, 2001

By 

alex "alex" (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Men Behind the Trident: Seal Team One In Vietnam (Mass Market Paperback)

This book is about seal team one during the vietnam war.
Each chapter is about a different member of seal team 1.
The chapters arent connected to each other and this isnt really a story, but a book of stories from seal team 1 members.
You will feel how the war was in their eyes.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, August 23, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Men Behind the Trident: Seal Team One In Vietnam (Mass Market Paperback)

Evocative cover, but fails to deliver inside. Author is obviously not a SEAL, perhaps even a rabid wannabe. Stories are raw and disconnected, at least in part because they are uncorroborated oral histories. When finished, the reader is left with more questions about the Teams than when he started.