Thursday, December 26, 2019

Last the best!

I read several good nonfiction books this year:  It's All A Game: The History of Board Games From Monopoly to Settlers of Catan, Obsessive Genius (about Marie Curie), 1776, Educated, A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, and The Lost City of the Monkey God. But The Operator by Robert O'Neill is by far the best.


It's a fascinating chronicle, not just of O'Neill's personal journey from Butte, Montana to being a key member of the SEAL team that found and killed Osama bin Laden, but of the Navy SEALS themselves. No wonder these men are so remarkable: their training, teamwork, and "never quit" attitudes are unmatched. They're the ones called in to do the things no one else can do. And after reading this book, I respect them and their valor, unflinching sacrifices, and mad skills even more.
"I would learn that in a gunfight the combination of adrenaline, muscle memory, and super-human focus leaves no psychic space for fear. I wasn't shutting it out. There was just no room for it."
O'Neill himself enlisted in the Navy in 1995, became a SEAL in 1996, and participated in more than 400 combat missions between then and 2012, including the rescue of Captain Richard Phillips from Somali pirates and firing the shots that killed bin Laden. But he'd probably tell you he's no hero; he was just doing his job--being a Navy SEAL.
"...we were always joking around and high spirited. We were on a mission we believed in, doing something very few in the world could do as well as we could. And we had absolute faith in and love for everyone on our team. When we called each other brothers, we meant it."

This is such a great read! I loved it.

Happy Reading!



18 comments:

  1. I don't read much nonfiction, but I think I'd really enjoy this one. It's always so awe-inspiring to read about Navy SEALS.

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  2. I somehow missed your review of the book about board games, and hadn't ever heard about the book. That's the one that sounds fascinating to me.

    Happy New Year!

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    1. It's awesome! Especially if you love playing board games. (Like I do.) :D

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  3. Sounds fascinating! 1776 kinda appeals to me too...

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    1. 1776 was also a really good read. I learned a lot from reading that one, too. :)

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  4. I read a lot of excellent non fiction this year and I intend to read a lot more next year too. I'm really in the mood for that right now!

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  5. I read fictional stories with Navy SEALs all the time, but I can't imagine being and actual one! His story does sound fascinating.

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  6. I can't even imagine the training that they must go through. I bet this was an eye-opener. I really didn't do too well on my non-fiction reading this year. Need to do better!

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  7. Nonfiction can be as fascinating as fiction, and in some cases, even more so!

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    1. That is so true! I think that's why I like reading it so much. :)

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  8. I need to make more of an effort to read nonfiction this coming year. The only ones I read were books I read with Mouse. The Operator sounds so fascinating! I am glad you enjoyed it, Lark.

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    1. I don't read as much nonfiction as I'd like to; I don't know why. There are so many great nonfiction reads out there. Maybe I'll do better at reading more in 2020. :)

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