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Page General » Books
Posted: 2/13/2017 5:20:09 PM EDT
Are there any books ya'll recommend? I have a read a ton of books about LRRPs, Rangers and SF in Vietnam, I have never read any books about SEALs.
Link Posted: 2/13/2017 7:55:48 PM EDT
[#1]
Quoted:
Are there any books ya'll recommend? I have a read a ton of books about LRRPs, Rangers and SF in Vietnam, I have never read any books about SEALs.
View Quote


Point Man by Chief james Watson.   Very good book.
Link Posted: 2/13/2017 10:17:27 PM EDT
[#2]
The best fictional account of daily SEAL ops is "SEAL Team One" by retired SEAL Commander Dick Couch.
Couch has also written a number of non-fiction books on modern American Special Ops units, several on various phases of SEAL training.
His book "The Finishing School" picks up where most books end which is with Hell Week.
This one goes into the non-classified 36 months it takes to become a deployable SEAL.
After reading this, you wonder how any mortal man can make it through, never mind Hell Week.

The best non-fiction account of daily SEAL ops is "The Element of Surprise" by Darryl Young.

Both books by Chief James "Patches" Watson.  "Point Man" and "Walking Point".
Watson had the worlds first Ithaca Model 37 with an extended magazine, built by the Navy Weapons Lab.

"SEAL" by Michael Walsh.
Details how a practice training mission targeting Jane Fonda narrowly missed going active for real, among other ops from Viet Nam to South America.

While a little over blown, Dick Marchinko's book "Rogue Warrior" has an excellent account of his founding SEAL Six.

To be sure you didn't miss any of the great LRP, LRRP, Ranger, and other books from Viet Nam:

Possibly the best is "Charlie Ranger by Erickson and Rotundo.  This is about hunter-killer Rangers, no sneak and peek.

"Sympathy For The Devil" by Kent Anderson.  SOG ops.

"Once A Warrior King" by David Donovan.  Provincial military advisor.

"A Lonely Kind of War, by Marshall Harrison.  SOG Covey air controller "across the fence".  The best of the covey pilot stories.

"The Dying Place" by David Maurer.  The best CCN-SOG book.
Link Posted: 2/14/2017 9:52:56 AM EDT
[#3]
Fantastic guys, thank you!
Link Posted: 2/15/2017 12:52:17 AM EDT
[#4]
Love Mike Walsh's book.
Link Posted: 2/15/2017 1:23:26 AM EDT
[#5]
The men behind the Trident. Seal Team One I read this when I was younger. Good book, still have it. 
Link Posted: 2/18/2017 2:12:07 AM EDT
[#6]
As others have mentioned, Mike Walsh's and Chief Watson's books are both excellent as was Darryl Young's (the first book I ever read about the Teams). I would also include
SEALs: UDT/SEAL Operations in Vietnam
Combat Swimmer: Memoirs of a Navy SEAL Gormley went on to command SEAL Team 6 after Marcinko
SEAL Warrior: The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday
Death in the Jungle: Diary of a Navy SEAL
SEALs in Action General history of the SEAL Teams through GW1
Whattaya Mean I Can't Kill 'Em: A Navy SEAL in Vietnam

And if you like novels in the vein of W.E.B. Griffin, H. Jay Riker wrote a novelized history of Naval Special Warfare from WW2 with the NCDU and UDT through Vietnam and beyond with the SEALs.
SEALs: The Warrior Breed
Link Posted: 2/18/2017 9:17:52 PM EDT
[#7]
Smith's "Death In the Jungle" is one of several books he wrote about his tours.
All excellent.

The "SEALS: The Warrior Breed" series by H. Jay Riker is okay, but absolutely DO NOT buy the last in the series "Iraqi Freedom".  It reads like a anti-Bush screed by a far-Lefty nut job.
The rest of the series celebrates hero SEALS, but it's almost like Riker wanted to kill the series off and chose to alienate his fateful buyers for some reason.

Another good non-fiction book is "Good To Go" by multiple tour SEAL Harry Constance.
Link Posted: 2/18/2017 10:11:40 PM EDT
[#8]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Smith's "Death In the Jungle" is one of several books he wrote about his tours.
All excellent.

The "SEALS: The Warrior Breed" series by H. Jay Riker is okay, but absolutely DO NOT buy the last in the series "Iraqi Freedom".  It reads like a anti-Bush screed by a far-Lefty nut job.
The rest of the series celebrates hero SEALS, but it's almost like Riker wanted to kill the series off and chose to alienate his fateful buyers for some reason.

Another good non-fiction book is "Good To Go" by multiple tour SEAL Harry Constance.
View Quote


Well in fairness I only read the first few WW2 through Vietnam. Nothing beyond that, but I found 'em enjoyable. I honestly didn't know til I posted the above he'd continued the series
Link Posted: 2/20/2017 2:09:22 PM EDT
[#9]
Brave Men Dark Waters

Its really the history of the teams but has a lot about Vietnam.
Link Posted: 3/4/2017 3:30:13 PM EDT
[#10]
I remember reading a book 10-15 years ago called men with green faces. Recall it as a good read. Can't remember how authentic it was tho
Page General » Books
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