The Operator: Firing the Shots that Killed Osama bin Laden and My Years as a SEAL Team Warrior Hardcover – April 25, 2017

This was a very good book by an engaging author. Most Seal books are formulaic and this one was to, the first couple of chapters describe an idyllic childhood in Montana. This is followed by several chapters of detailed description of BUDs training. He relates the training stories with great comedic timing, and reflective passages which reveal what it takes to pass the military's hardest training and why he was able to pass. In fact as I reflected on his story , just his BUDs performance showed he was in the best of the best. He made it through with no roll backs, no injuries, no failures. In addition he was a young 20 year old new to the Navy. It was obvious that he was destined to go to "tier 1"After BUDs he recounts his very busy career in the SEAL teams. He was selected for SEAL Team 6 and passed that course putting him into the most elite unit in the Navy. He recounts his combat deployments culminating in the mission that killed Bin Laden.Two things occur to me when I read of his exploits. First off it is uncanny how many of the high profile missions that even a casual observer of military operations in the 21st century , that this man was involved in . The hunt of Lone Survivor Marcus Luttrell, the search for Bowe Bergdahl, the killing of the pirates that were holding Captain Phillips and of course the mission that killed Bin Laden. My connection with the military is over 23 years old (retired in 94) so it's not like I track this stuff every day, but just being in the culture you aware of these high profile missions and it is remarkable that he was on so many of them. It points out what a small subset of Americans have borne the brunt of the war on terror. As Churchill said "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few".Second off from this book I like this guy. He seems humble, he has great sense of humor and gives good advice. From the little I have read about him, it seems as though people on the teams did not like how he handled the post mission attention. He eludes to this in the final chapter and his decision to leave the Navy 4 years short of retirement. (Another reason to switch the military to a 401K system). I don't know if his teammates opprobrium was justified, I've seen him on FOX news now and then but never really sat and listened to him. Like I said , from this book he seems like a solid guy. He was critisized by "cashing in" on his part in the mission. Yet no one blinks an eye when 3 or 4 star generals and admirals retire from the service and go straight to vice president jobs with defense contractors. Why are officers allowed to "cash in" but not an enlisted guy who arguably achieved one of the most public war on terror milestones? I say kudos to him.Good quick read, the editing was pretty good, once or twice he lost continuity and could have explained things a little better but for the most part, well written, interesting book from a likable heroic guy.

enjoyed your book

Well told story in his own words. Thanks for sharing and well worth the cost. Hope it offsets no pension…though you surely deserved one!

I have heard that this gentleman was not the shooter but it was a good book regardlessHuge supporter of our US military!!

I really enjoyed this book and put a ton of (digital) highlights all over it. The author, a former SEAL of many years, has a tone that is respectful and mature. He tells his experiences straight, without all the usual chest-pounding, ego-inflating b.s. you usually get from special operators. (I know the job generally attracts a particular 'type' but that nonsense gets real old, real fast when you're a mature adult instead of a hormone-laden young adult.) The missions, and the details provided, were fascinating to read. He explains BUD/S, what it's like in the field, and went more in depth about a couple of very famous, and infamous, missions and never once blows his own horn about his roles in them. He simply acknowledges what he did and why, and he elevates, not only his teammates, but also other personnel who helped fulfill the missions. His voice sounded seasoned and authentic to me, and I found this a far more enjoyable read than "The Last Punisher." Especially shocking to me was the author's apparent attitude towards women in the military. As someone who served, back when it was still not common for women to do so, I have to say that the military desperately needs more guys like Robert O'Neill, who can see their sisters in service as worthy participants rather than targets for sexual harassment or disparagement, like referring to them as "chicks." (I'm giving you the side-eye, "The Last Punisher" Lacz.) I look forward to reading this book again in the not-too-distant future when I want a refresher on what mature, measured leadership looks like.

I wish Rob hadn’t felt the need to use the language he did, however, as someone who went through Marine Corps boot camp in 1970 hearing (and using) the same language, I really can’t be judgmental!Had my timing in the service been different, I would have loved the opportunity to have had the chance to go through BUDS! Also all I can do, at this point, is take Rob at his word for everything in the book (not being there myself). However, if what he related about his teammates reaction to him being the individual who killed UBL is accurate, I found it the one part of the book that was actually depressing. When one spends as many years, as Rob did, fighting alongside his teammates they become your family and, while “family” members may have disagreements from time to time, they are still family. If his portrayal of what happened is accurate than because the circumstances of what happened were, in large part, beyond Rob’s control the blame (if any) is not Rob’s but rather certain individuals (or more accurately individual) that should have made certain that no one person was singled out/recognized for the shooting of UBL!It could easily have been another member of the team that eliminated UBL and yet had it been I believe the circumstances (and ultimate recognition) would have been the same, just directed at some other individual!Finally to reiterate one more time, this book is a GREAT read and I highly recommend it!!

I knew Rob O'Neill to be a highly skilled commando. I never knew he was such a funny and great story teller. This is a really good read. If you want to know about the life of a Tier 1 Seal operator, this is the book. A lot of details that would otherwise be hidden from public eye is revealed here. It is a must read

The book gives some insight on what life as a Navy SEAL is and, specially what BUDS is about and the authors mindset to live through it. But I think the book has so many shortcommings in terms of the stories told and the language used; cause a book using "good guy vs bad guy" right away screams of propaganda and tells us there was no interest in reaching human depts in the story telling and something as complex as war. Somehting one would expect from the greatest warrios of our generation.I think the greatest shortcomming in this book is how casual and meaningless Rob made it sound to enter and work at ST6, this removes too much credibility to the book, cause its obvious he is not telling us the greatest and more interesting parts of his story, hence it feels again as...propaganda.The book only gets interesting in 3 parts: BUDS, Captain Philips rescue (barely) and the Abotabad raid, the rest leaves you with an uncomfortable incomplete feeling.

I don't usually like to read much about these topics, i.e. military books, or even political content.BUT I discovered this story from a talk on YouTube and decided to dig deeper. Definitely a good read, very accessible, full of reflections and insights on the world of the US navy seals and their sacrificies.Good to read to get some perspective.

Excelente leitura ! Ótimas aquisições!Rapidez no processo de compra e atendimento da Amazon.INFELIZMENTE a empresa Transportadora DirecLog que aqui em Curitiba é representada pela empresa LONDON, deu baixa de entrega nas minha compra sem ao menos ela ter sido entregue à minha pessoa.Forjaram minha assinatura , como se eu tivesse recebido, e informaram um número de identidade que não existe! Pior ainda...no dia da falsa entrega, eu me encontrava no Rio de Janeiro!Lamentável!Por fim recorri ao site RECLAME AQUI, que intermediou a entrega dos livros.Obrigado à AMAZON e... MUITÍSSIMO OBRIGADO à atendente JULIANE do site RECLAME AQUI!

I should have known, watching Rob O'Neill mature as a public speaker, TV & Radio personality & frequent pundit on major news networks, that if he decided to write a book it would be a gem. I'm actually happy that I underestimated Rob's abilities as a writer because it allowed me to continuously find new reasons to be glad I bought his book in every chapter.The Operator is a very personal story told in a breezy, "This happened", casual and honest way. Throughout, Rob manages to convey, with great humour and a lot of introspection, the oftentimes comical circumstances that led him to join the Navy and begin the long journey that eventually led to him being on the Team that took down Osama Bin Laden in a chilling narrative that is superbly presented. Throughout, Rob manages to remind the reader that it is The Teams, working together, calling on their extensive training, executing the plan, adapting to the situations that arise, that accomplish unimaginable results that all deserve credit for.In the end, you feel like you know the Rob O'Neill family, which includes not just his blood relatives, but the men & women that touched Rob throughout his career that helped shape him into a man who served his country so well, often under extraordinary circumstances.All that, and there is a strong feeling that if you ran into him in an airport somewhere, you might just want to sit down with him and have a beer.A great story, well told.