Walking Point: The Experiences of a Founding Member of the Elite Navy Seals [Hardcover]

James Watson (Author), Kevin Dockery (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1997

In Walking Point, Chief Watson recounts the history of the SEALs, from their inception in 1962 through his three tours of duty in Vietnam, and discusses the SEALs today. As a SEAL, Chief Watson was part of the U.S. military's worldwide Special Forces, responsible for fighting guerrilla-style warfare and training local forces in advanced combat tactics. Known for their incredible combat skill, the SEALs are one of the most elite sectors of the military. This time out, Chief Watson takes readers along with SEAL Team Two, Sixth Platoon, as they perform treacherous diving missions, penetrate POW camps, learn how to arm a "baby atom bomb, " block seaborne supply routes, develop intelligence on enemy positions, and interrogate prisoners.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

In Point Man (Avon, 1995), Watson thrilled readers with his harrowing account of his experiences as a Navy SEAL in Vietnam. A dauntless platoon chief (portrayed as the legendary "Patches" Watson in the books by best-selling author Richard Marcinko), Watson recounts in his latest work the history of the SEALs, detailing their missions around the world and the intense SEAL training programs. He brings the reader to the forefront of each SEAL assignment as he describes treacherous missions in pitch-black waters, pinpointing the location of a Vietnamese POW camp, and learning to arm a "baby atomic bomb." The work is packed with excitement that will please military enthusiasts. Recommended for military history and Vietnam War collections.?Michael Coleman, Regional Lib. for Blind & Physically Handicapped, Montgomery, Ala.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

The second book by one of the U.S. Navy's legendary SEALS' founding fathers (and his writing partner Dockery) is more thematic than his Vietnam memoir Point Man (1993). It ranges over the things Watson did, saw, and was during 20 years in the navy: training green officers (sometimes without their knowing it) and Turks (hard cases), using nuclear demolitions charges, handling personal peculiarities, developing and deploying a wide variety of weapons from an almost equally wide variety of riverine craft in Vietnam, and surviving both the peacetime and wartime hazards of being a SEAL. Watson did survive, which is fortunate not only because his books are absorbing documents of a legendary special warfare unit but also because he is one of those invaluable noncoms for whom junior officers and the taxpayers should nightly give thanks--they are that important to building and maintaining effective armed forces. Roland Green

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 289 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow & Co; 1st edition (February 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688143024
• ISBN-13: 978-0688143022
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,232,518 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Detailed and down to earth, May 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Walking Point: The Experiences Of A Founding Member Of The Elite Navy Seals (Mass Market Paperback)

I'm not a military man but enjoy reading about special forces, SEALs, etc.. What I liked about this book was Watson's down to earth style of writing. It was not written like a book. Rather, it feels like you're listening to a story around a campfire or at the bar. While it chronicled his Vietnam and other experiences in detail, I was particularly impressed with the different chapters devoted to such things as family life, gear, weapons, etc.. Actually, I think my favorite chapter was the one on "sharks and other critters" that the SEALs encounter. Now that's interesting! I enjoyed the book so much I went out and got his first one, Pointman, which I'm getting ready to read after I finish up "The Teams." Possibly the only boring part of this book to me was the great detail given to describing the weapons used in Vietnam. I'm just not that interested in the differences between a 20 and 30 round magazine, but for those who are into this, it's a great read.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars HOOYAH Chief... AGAIN!, May 9, 2000

By 

"simonnsimon" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Walking Point: The Experiences of a Founding Member of the Elite Navy Seals (Hardcover)

This is a great book! Anyone who has any Navy SEAL interests or has read Point Man MUST read this book! It is excellent! You get an idea of what Vietnam must have been like... in vivid detail! This book is a must!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pure SEAL fun!, May 3, 2000

By 

Herman Snerd - See all my reviews

This review is from: Walking Point: The Experiences Of A Founding Member Of The Elite Navy Seals (Mass Market Paperback)

This book is amazing. The story of the U.S. Navy SEAL's! For anyone who has read any of the Rouge Warrior series or First SEAL this is the book for you!