Saturday, March 29, 2014

Eyes On Target by Scott McEwen and Richard Minter

Told through the eyes of current and former Navy SEALs, EYES ON TARGET is an inside account of some of the most harrowing missions in American history-including the mission to kill Osama bin Laden and the mission that wasn't, the deadly attack on the US diplomatic outpost in Benghazi where a retired SEAL sniper with a small team held off one hundred terrorists while his repeated radio calls for help went unheeded.
The book contains incredible accounts of major SEAL operations-from the violent birth of SEAL Team Six and the aborted Operation Eagle Claw meant to save the hostages in Iran, to key missions in Iraq and Afganistan where the SEALs suffered their worst losses in their fifty year history-and every chapter illustrates why this elite military special operations unit remains the most feared anti-terrorist force in the world.

We hear reports on the record from retired SEAL officers including Lt. Cmdr. Richard Marcinko, the founder of SEAL Team Six, and a former Commander at SEAL team Six, Ryan Zinke, and we come away understanding the deep commitment of these military men who put themselves in danger to protect our country and save American lives. In the face of insurmountable odds and the imminent threat of death, they give all to protect those who cannot protect themselves.

No matter the situation, on duty or at ease, SEALs never, ever give up. One powerful chapter in the book tells the story of how one Medal of Honor winner saved another, the only time this has been done in US military history.

EYES ON TARGET includes these special features:

  • A detailed timeline of events during the Benghazi attack
  • Sample rescue scenarios from a military expert who believes that help could have reached the Benghazi compound in time
  • The US House Republican Conference Interim Progress Report on the events surrounding the September 11, 2012 Terrorist Attacks in Benghazi
Through their many interviews and unique access, Scott McEwen and Richard Miniter pull back the veil that has so often concealed the heroism of these patriots. They live by a stringent and demanding code of their own creation, keeping them ready to ignore politics, bureaucracy and-if necessary-direct orders. They share a unique combination of character, intelligence, courage, love of country and what can only be called true grit.

They are the Navy SEALs, and they keep their Eyes on Target. 


My review:
  I have read two books about Seals, one a biography and the other, an autobiography. I found both very interesting as they talked a lot about what they have to go through to be a Seal.

  This book covered that a little, but it had a lot of history of how the Seals got started, information about some of their missions and some of the early Seals who were awarded medals for their brave acts.

  The book is a fascinating read, and not in the least bit boring. The Navy Seals are like a whole different breed of soldier, and this book gives an inside look at what they are all about, how they work, and as I mentioned - how they got started.

  The chapters about the Benghazi attack are of special interest and confirms what conservatives have known all along: that there was time for a rescue, but for reasons our government won't tell us, the Seals were not allowed to launch that rescue. It is obvious the authors did a lot of research for the whole book, and on those chapters, for it comes through that they know what they are talking about.

 I highly recommend this book. Even if you are not that interested in the Seals, it is a book worth reading.

About the authors:

Scott McEwen is co-author of the #1 New York Times bestseller American Sniper, about a U.S. Navy SEAL with the greatest number of recorded kills. His book will be a major motion picture in 2013. Scott lives in San Diego, California.

Richard Miniter is the author of three New York Times best sellers: Losing Bin Laden, Shadow War and, in 2012, Leading From Behind. He writes the National Security column for Forbes.com, and his articles have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Newsweek, Readers Digest, The Atlantic Monthly, National Review, and The New Republic. Richard lives in Washington D.C.


Eyes On Target is available from Center Street Publishing, part of Hachette Book Group.

Thanks to Hachette for the review copy.

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