Sea Stories: My Life in Special Operations

by William H. McRaven

Overview

Following the success of his #1 New York Times bestseller Make Your Bed, which has sold over one million copies, Admiral William H. McRaven is back with amazing stories of bravery and heroism during his career as a Navy SEAL and commander of America's Special Operations Forces.


Admiral William H. McRaven is a part of American military history, having been involved in some of the most famous missions in recent memory, including the capture of Saddam Hussein, the rescue of Captain Richard Phillips, and the raid to kill Osama bin Laden.

Sea Stories begins in 1963 at a French Officers' Club in France, where Allied officers and their wives gathered to have drinks and tell stories about their adventures during World War II-the place where a young Bill McRaven learned the value of a good story. Sea Stories is an unforgettable look back on one man's incredible life, from childhood days sneaking into high-security military sites to a day job of hunting terrorists and rescuing hostages.

Action-packed, humorous, and full of valuable life lessons like those exemplified in McRaven's bestselling Make Your Bed, Sea Stories is a remarkable memoir from one of America's most accomplished leaders.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781538729755
Publisher:	Grand Central Publishing
Publication date:	06/02/2020
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	59,974
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 8.10(h) x 1.15(d)

About the Author

Admiral William H. McRaven (U.S. Navy Retired) is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Make Your Bed and the New York Times bestseller Sea Stories: My Life in Special Operations. In his thirty-seven years as a Navy SEAL, he commanded at every level. As a Four-Star Admiral, his final assignment was as Commander of all U.S. Special Operations Forces. After retiring from the Navy, he served as the Chancellor of the University of Texas System from 2015 to 2018. He now lives in Austin, Texas with his wife, Georgeann.

Table of Contents

Author's Note xi

Chapter 1 The Greatest Generation 1

Chapter 2 Operation Volcano 9

Chapter 3 It's a Wonderful Life 26

Chapter 4 The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday 33

Chapter 5 The Hand of God? 62

Chapter 6 A Gorilla Walks into a Bar 72

Chapter 7 The Ghosts of Tofino 87

Chapter 8 American Pirates 107

Chapter 9 Second Chances 126

Chapter 10 Airborne Froggy 142

Chapter 11 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue 161

Chapter 12 The Ace of Spades 180

Chapter 13 Wanted Dead or Alive 200

Chapter 14 High Seas Hostage 214

Chapter 15 Manhunting 241

Chapter 16 The Next Greatest Generation 259

Chapter 17 Neptune's Spear 270

Chapter 18 The Final Salute 329

Acknowledgments 335

About the Author 337

Editorial Reviews

"Fascinating...McRaven's war stories deliver remarkable insight into the life of a wartime leader."—Publishers Weekly

"Engaging...Sea Stories is more than an autobiography, more than a narrative of recent military history, and more than the sum of one remarkable man's experiences. In his excellently flowing prose...McRaven not only allows readers the opportunity to vicariously experience daring adventures and the command of elite warriors heading into harm's way, he also shares practical everyday wisdom."—Booklist (Starred Review)

"Sea Stories, a well-written book that reads like a thriller, covers some of the most important historical actions taken by Navy SEALs and other special operators."—The Washington Times

"Readers interested in the essential work of military special forces will be inspired by McRaven's adventures."—Kirkus

PRAISE FOR MAKE YOUR BED:


"Should be read by every leader in America... [MAKE YOUR BED] is a book to inspire your children and grandchildren to become everything that they can. It is a book to discuss with your executive leadership team as a spur to meeting shared goals. Most of all, it is a book that will leave you with tears in your eyes."
—Wall Street Journal

"Full of captivating personal anecdotes from inside the national security vault...McRaven's lessons, like his commencement speech, extend far beyond his bed-making. He devotes the 10-chapter book to lessons about moving beyond failure, standing up to bullies and giving others hope."—Washington Post

"McRaven...has taken the genesis of what he learned during SEAL training and his nearly four decades in Navy Special Operations into a thin, powerful book."—USA Today

"Exquisitely simple...superb, smart, and succinct."—Forbes

"Spellbinding."—Texas Monthly

From the Publisher

04/22/2019

McRaven, a retired U.S. Navy admiral, follows his self-help guide, Make Your Bed, in which he shared principles for success learned during his more than 30 years as a Navy SEAL, with this collection of fascinating stories from his time as commander of the Special Operations Forces. In the book’s first half, McRaven describes his early life and his SEAL training and experiences, including a gripping account of his time as part of Operation Desert Shield during the first Gulf War in 1990, when he was tasked with intercepting an Iraqi tanker. Here, McRaven focuses on how the SEAL experience “builds unbreakable bonds among your fellow warriors.” The book’s second half shows how these bonds are tested when he becomes a SEAL team commanding officer and then later the commander of the Special Operations Task Force, directing the rescue of Captain Phillips from Somali pirates and the capture of Saddam Hussein. But the highlight of the book is McRaven’s detailed account of the successful mission to track Osama bin Laden (in order to confirm that it was actually bin Laden they killed, McRaven had a SEAL lie down next to the 6’4” corpse to measure his size). McRaven’s war stories deliver remarkable insight into the life of a wartime leader. (May)

Publishers Weekly