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Inside SEAL Team Six: My Life and Missions with America's Elite Warriors
The Inside Story of America's Ultimate Warriors When Osama bin Laden was assassinated, the entire world was fascinated by the men who had completed the seemingly impossible mission that had dogged the U.S. government for over a decade. SEAL Team 6 became synonymous with heroism, duty, and justice. Only a handful of the elite men who make up the SEALs, the US Navy's best and bravest, survive the legendary and grueling selection process that leads to becoming a member of Team 6, a group so classified it technically does not even exist. There are no better warriors on Earth.
Don Mann knows what it takes to be a brother in this ultra-selective fraternity. As a member of Seal Team Six for over eight years and a SEAL for over seventeen years, he worked in countless covert operations, operating from land, sea, and air, and facing shootings, decapitations, and stabbings. He was captured by the enemy and lived to tell the tale, and he participated in highly classified missions all over the globe, including Somalia, Panama, El Salvador, Colombia, Afghanistan, and Iraq. As a coordinator for several civilian SEAL training programs, and as a former Training Officer of SEAL Team Six, he was directly responsible for shaping the bodies and minds of SEALs who carried out the assassination of Osama bin Laden.
But to become a SEAL, Mann had to overcome his own troubled childhood and push his body to its breaking point--and beyond. INSIDE SEAL TEAM 6 is a high octane narrative of physical and mental toughness, giving unprecedented insight to the inner workings of the training and secret missions of the world's most respected and feared combat unit.
Don Mann knows what it takes to be a brother in this ultra-selective fraternity. As a member of Seal Team Six for over eight years and a SEAL for over seventeen years, he worked in countless covert operations, operating from land, sea, and air, and facing shootings, decapitations, and stabbings. He was captured by the enemy and lived to tell the tale, and he participated in highly classified missions all over the globe, including Somalia, Panama, El Salvador, Colombia, Afghanistan, and Iraq. As a coordinator for several civilian SEAL training programs, and as a former Training Officer of SEAL Team Six, he was directly responsible for shaping the bodies and minds of SEALs who carried out the assassination of Osama bin Laden.
But to become a SEAL, Mann had to overcome his own troubled childhood and push his body to its breaking point--and beyond. INSIDE SEAL TEAM 6 is a high octane narrative of physical and mental toughness, giving unprecedented insight to the inner workings of the training and secret missions of the world's most respected and feared combat unit.
295 pages, Hardcover
First published November 21, 2011
124 people are currently reading
1449 people want to read
About the author
Don Mann
56 books101 followersDon Mann is a decorated combat veteran, motivational keynote speaker, athlete, and author.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews
January 20, 2014
NOTE: If this is the first book that you are reading about the Navy SEALs or SEAL Team Six for that matter....avoid reading at all cost. This book's meant to be read only after you've read previous books on SEALs or SEAL Team Six. Reason? Heavily Redacted...I mean so heavy you can't imagine. Almost 80% of the author's info regarding SEAL Team Six has been blacked out..in some cases two to three consecutive pages have been blacked out.
MY REVIEW : Before I read this...I've read Rogue Warrior by Richard Marcinko,One Perfect Op by Dennis "The Snake" Chalker and Warrior Soul by Chuck Pfarrer and they were exceptional reads. Being a huge SEAL buff since 6 or 7 I loved every bit of those books and they definitely rank among the top that I've read under Military Non-Fiction..which is one of my favourite genres.
Inside SEAL Team Six by Don Deveraux Mann is yet another compelling tale where Mann tells his story brilliantly right from a high-octane and rough childhood as an adrenaline junkie to joining the SEALs and then going on to serve on SEAL Team Six and on various issues,dealing with countless personal tragedies and marital problems along with the perils that lie in combat. I first heard about Don Mann when I read an online article where he was interviewed regarding what Matt Bissonette should have avoided writing about in his book No Easy Day and in the interview he himself stated that he chose to leave out classified ops and any sensitive piece of info good enough to attract unnecessary attention thus placing former operators' safety at risk. So after reading I could understand why I could not find atleast 70 percent of the book's content(redacts included) dedicated towards his experiences as a SEAL. Being an adrenaline junkie and a fitness freak Don Mann details all his adventures as a rock-climber,sprint-runner,cycling and participation in various triathlons all over the world. That to me was one big negative because at one point I found it stifling and the other major negative was redacting of 80 percent of content regarding SEAL Team Six and you cannot blame Mann for it because he wrote the book post Operation Neptune Spear and Washington,at the time, was tightening screws with OPSEC. Where Don Mann scores big time is in the way he recounts his childhood years, BUD/S,becoming a brilliant corpsman,serving on SEAL Team One and then the training that went on SEAL Team Six and also his combat deployments in Panama,El Salvador and various other hot-spots during the late 80s and early 90s. Most important of all are the countless personal tragedies which he had to face and the lives that he saved during combat as a corpsman,the horrors and challenges of war and how he dealt with them.
Since I've read almost every book on SEAL Team Six I could figure out the info that was redacted,like references to Delta Force Operators,classified operations and certain names which I was already aware of. So reading this book was not much of a problem. For a reader who wants to know about SEAL Team Six...this is definitely not the book to start with. Overall,it's a good read and yet another amazing tale of an elite operator,one among many who put their lives at risk over the past two to three decades. I salute Don Mann for his service and the U.S.Navy SEALs for making this world a better place to live in.
MY REVIEW : Before I read this...I've read Rogue Warrior by Richard Marcinko,One Perfect Op by Dennis "The Snake" Chalker and Warrior Soul by Chuck Pfarrer and they were exceptional reads. Being a huge SEAL buff since 6 or 7 I loved every bit of those books and they definitely rank among the top that I've read under Military Non-Fiction..which is one of my favourite genres.
Inside SEAL Team Six by Don Deveraux Mann is yet another compelling tale where Mann tells his story brilliantly right from a high-octane and rough childhood as an adrenaline junkie to joining the SEALs and then going on to serve on SEAL Team Six and on various issues,dealing with countless personal tragedies and marital problems along with the perils that lie in combat. I first heard about Don Mann when I read an online article where he was interviewed regarding what Matt Bissonette should have avoided writing about in his book No Easy Day and in the interview he himself stated that he chose to leave out classified ops and any sensitive piece of info good enough to attract unnecessary attention thus placing former operators' safety at risk. So after reading I could understand why I could not find atleast 70 percent of the book's content(redacts included) dedicated towards his experiences as a SEAL. Being an adrenaline junkie and a fitness freak Don Mann details all his adventures as a rock-climber,sprint-runner,cycling and participation in various triathlons all over the world. That to me was one big negative because at one point I found it stifling and the other major negative was redacting of 80 percent of content regarding SEAL Team Six and you cannot blame Mann for it because he wrote the book post Operation Neptune Spear and Washington,at the time, was tightening screws with OPSEC. Where Don Mann scores big time is in the way he recounts his childhood years, BUD/S,becoming a brilliant corpsman,serving on SEAL Team One and then the training that went on SEAL Team Six and also his combat deployments in Panama,El Salvador and various other hot-spots during the late 80s and early 90s. Most important of all are the countless personal tragedies which he had to face and the lives that he saved during combat as a corpsman,the horrors and challenges of war and how he dealt with them.
Since I've read almost every book on SEAL Team Six I could figure out the info that was redacted,like references to Delta Force Operators,classified operations and certain names which I was already aware of. So reading this book was not much of a problem. For a reader who wants to know about SEAL Team Six...this is definitely not the book to start with. Overall,it's a good read and yet another amazing tale of an elite operator,one among many who put their lives at risk over the past two to three decades. I salute Don Mann for his service and the U.S.Navy SEALs for making this world a better place to live in.
February 11, 2013
Originally posted on Sarahsbookshelf.com:
This book was the personal memoir of Don Mann, retired US Navy SEAL, written with Ralph Pezzullo. Mann was in the Navy, and specifically the SEALs, for over 20 years. His experience, stories, and underlying message were very interesting to read about.
Sometimes when I read military memoirs, I wonder what it would be like to actually meet the person. In this particular instance, I think meeting Mann would be fun, but he definitely sounds like a very intense individual. His experience both participating and training in marathons, ultra-marathons, and adventure racing sound pretty crazy to someone like me. That being said, I felt that this book really touched on the good that can come of individuals when they apply their extreme nature to something positive. What I mean is, as a young person, Mann clearly was headed down a path that had very few positive consequences. He needed to find something that used the massive amounts of energy, focus, and spirit he had into something that wouldn’t destroy him or hurt those around him. For Mann, that thing was joining the Navy, and ultimately the SEALs.
Books of this genre often talk about overcoming adversity and managing the personal challenges that can happen for individuals heavily involved in the military. What I found most compelling in this particular story was that Mann talked more about finding something you are passionate about and giving it everything you’ve got. That’s definitely a message that we can all get something from. As with other memoirs I’ve read and enjoyed, I really liked that Mann kept all his previous marital experiences very positive. From what I gather, being a military spouse is very tough. I’m glad that he kept it very classy where both his ex-wives were concerned.
An excellent book and one I would definitely recommend to those interested in getting to know the Navy SEAL community and history a little better.
This book was the personal memoir of Don Mann, retired US Navy SEAL, written with Ralph Pezzullo. Mann was in the Navy, and specifically the SEALs, for over 20 years. His experience, stories, and underlying message were very interesting to read about.
Sometimes when I read military memoirs, I wonder what it would be like to actually meet the person. In this particular instance, I think meeting Mann would be fun, but he definitely sounds like a very intense individual. His experience both participating and training in marathons, ultra-marathons, and adventure racing sound pretty crazy to someone like me. That being said, I felt that this book really touched on the good that can come of individuals when they apply their extreme nature to something positive. What I mean is, as a young person, Mann clearly was headed down a path that had very few positive consequences. He needed to find something that used the massive amounts of energy, focus, and spirit he had into something that wouldn’t destroy him or hurt those around him. For Mann, that thing was joining the Navy, and ultimately the SEALs.
Books of this genre often talk about overcoming adversity and managing the personal challenges that can happen for individuals heavily involved in the military. What I found most compelling in this particular story was that Mann talked more about finding something you are passionate about and giving it everything you’ve got. That’s definitely a message that we can all get something from. As with other memoirs I’ve read and enjoyed, I really liked that Mann kept all his previous marital experiences very positive. From what I gather, being a military spouse is very tough. I’m glad that he kept it very classy where both his ex-wives were concerned.
An excellent book and one I would definitely recommend to those interested in getting to know the Navy SEAL community and history a little better.
January 28, 2015
Really great book, but it's less a story of Navy SEALS in combat than it is the story of one man's incredible journey from biker hood to Navy SEAL to successful athlete. The early biker chapters alone were worth the price of the whole book!
June 13, 2021
Read almost entirely on an airplane, my first in a very long time. Definitely don't think I would have tolerated or been able to soldier through (pun intended) had I not been literally confined. Boy, was this bad. I can appreciate a well-written military thriller and/or memoir, but this was so tedious and shallow.
August 20, 2012
Don Mann’s “Inside Seal Team Six” was a great book full of action, excitement, some horror, and a little romance. The things I liked most about this book was that it was a book about America’s heroes and how brave they are when it comes to risking their lives to save our freedom. These seals train hard to take out the biggest evils of our time and at the same time have to deal with the problems in their families. Navy Seals are the real heroes of our time and I am glad that Don Mann wrote a book on how hard they work to keep our country safe. “I will never quit” is a quote from the book to describe the determination to keep our country safe.
I only disliked one thing about this book, the marking out marking out of “top secret” information. I disliked this because when an action part came up, it seemed like every other word was marked out and this was very irritating because these were the best parts, but I guess if they showed it, we would know too much about what happens with seals. That is the only thing that I don’t like about this book, everything else was awesome. The main character, Don Mann, was a very heroic, daring, and protective man. As a corpsman, he had the whole team on his back, because if one of them got injured, he had to revive them. So he had one of the most important jobs on the team. There are not many other main characters in this book.
What surprised me in this book is how insanely brave these seals are, they jump out of planes, walk straight into enemy territory, and kill the enemy without making a sound. A quote from the book was “Let’s move a little closer…” In that part, they were moving closer to a dozen armed men, now that takes bravery. What also surprised me is how hard these seals train to do there missions "The more sweat and tears you put into the training, the less blood you'll shed in time of war." Was a quote that was used to describe the benefits of training hard before you go to war.
One question I still have is why did the author leave all the black marks in the book instead of writing something else, but I guess if he would not have crossed out some parts, the military would get angry at him. This book kind of reminds me off the movie Act of Valor. What reminded me the most in this book about the movie is that they are both about seals, obviously, and also how it showed their courage and strength.
A few things the author could have done better is one, put some more information in on what education is needed to become a seal, and go into more detail about his teammates so you would know them better. Overall, I would give this book four out of five stars, because their were a little bit of stuff that could be better here and there, but in the big picture, it was awesome. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has any interest in the military, or someone who just wants a good story of heroes fighting for what they believe in.
I only disliked one thing about this book, the marking out marking out of “top secret” information. I disliked this because when an action part came up, it seemed like every other word was marked out and this was very irritating because these were the best parts, but I guess if they showed it, we would know too much about what happens with seals. That is the only thing that I don’t like about this book, everything else was awesome. The main character, Don Mann, was a very heroic, daring, and protective man. As a corpsman, he had the whole team on his back, because if one of them got injured, he had to revive them. So he had one of the most important jobs on the team. There are not many other main characters in this book.
What surprised me in this book is how insanely brave these seals are, they jump out of planes, walk straight into enemy territory, and kill the enemy without making a sound. A quote from the book was “Let’s move a little closer…” In that part, they were moving closer to a dozen armed men, now that takes bravery. What also surprised me is how hard these seals train to do there missions "The more sweat and tears you put into the training, the less blood you'll shed in time of war." Was a quote that was used to describe the benefits of training hard before you go to war.
One question I still have is why did the author leave all the black marks in the book instead of writing something else, but I guess if he would not have crossed out some parts, the military would get angry at him. This book kind of reminds me off the movie Act of Valor. What reminded me the most in this book about the movie is that they are both about seals, obviously, and also how it showed their courage and strength.
A few things the author could have done better is one, put some more information in on what education is needed to become a seal, and go into more detail about his teammates so you would know them better. Overall, I would give this book four out of five stars, because their were a little bit of stuff that could be better here and there, but in the big picture, it was awesome. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has any interest in the military, or someone who just wants a good story of heroes fighting for what they believe in.
August 10, 2014
I'm going to come clean here and say the closest I've come to combat is beating someone down for a 75% off Derek Lam handbag (Just kidding... Not really). But if you've read any of my work, you know I write a lot about Navy SEALs, Special Forces, guns, knives, and hand-to-hand combat and black ops missions. Which means I research. (God help me if the NSA ever pulls my internet history. I'll look like a potential terrorist with a shoe addiction).
Inside Seal Team Six was one of the first books I read as I was trying to learn more about one of the most talented, committed, and terrifyingly superb military arsenals in the world. Don Mann shares not only his story but manages to both humanize these Titans of men and revere their "nothing is impossible" mental, physical and emotional toughness.
It's a spiraling, complicated, enlightening look into the elite of the elite in the military world, and it's still my "go-to" when I think through how my characters might respond to this/that situation. I also recommend his fictionalized series if you want a dramatic, exciting read. Start with "Hunt the Wolf". Tom Crocker and his crew will amaze and shock you.
Inside Seal Team Six was one of the first books I read as I was trying to learn more about one of the most talented, committed, and terrifyingly superb military arsenals in the world. Don Mann shares not only his story but manages to both humanize these Titans of men and revere their "nothing is impossible" mental, physical and emotional toughness.
It's a spiraling, complicated, enlightening look into the elite of the elite in the military world, and it's still my "go-to" when I think through how my characters might respond to this/that situation. I also recommend his fictionalized series if you want a dramatic, exciting read. Start with "Hunt the Wolf". Tom Crocker and his crew will amaze and shock you.
September 22, 2014
I guess "The Life of CWO3 Don Mann" is a more appropriate, since ST6 or even the SEALs part was only makes up about half the book. But in all fairness, it's probably close to impossible to make a thorough ST6 book, unless the unit somehow decides to embrace the spotlight (in which case, it's not ST6 anymore).
It is a great book, though, to motivate yourself to push harder. Readers can see first-hand examples of an extremely hardcore CWO3 Mann finishing triathlons, Ironmans, and adventure races, and all the while still managed to finish BUD/S, earn his Trident, and live up to his responsibilities as a Navy SEAL.
It is a great book, though, to motivate yourself to push harder. Readers can see first-hand examples of an extremely hardcore CWO3 Mann finishing triathlons, Ironmans, and adventure races, and all the while still managed to finish BUD/S, earn his Trident, and live up to his responsibilities as a Navy SEAL.
April 13, 2013
We listened to this book on CD during road trip(s). I would think of this book of more like an autobiography of Don Mann, not really an "inside Seal Team Six" summary type book. He definitely lead an interesting life. He had more insane experiences in his first 40 years in life and in his 20+ years in the Navy than most people will have in their entire lifetime.
Worth a read if you like these types of adventure books, but if you're squeamish of medical scenarios, you'll be wincing a lot during most of the situations described in the book.
Worth a read if you like these types of adventure books, but if you're squeamish of medical scenarios, you'll be wincing a lot during most of the situations described in the book.
January 31, 2014
This was a fascinating read despite the blacked out security information. The author goes throughout his experiences from childhood to training to the run around the military sometimes gives you so he can truly become a Seal. The was my first book I read of Don Mann and it makes me want to read more from him. The experiences he tells of his experiences in ST1, ST2, and ST6 are so packed with information you will devour this book. I am grateful to all the men and women who gave their lives for this country so I can be safe. To those men in Seal teams: thank you.
March 12, 2016
I thought the book was good, only one complaint, there was parts that were blanked out because he couldn't share that information. I would recommend this to anyone who likes war stories.
February 18, 2013
Inside SEAL Team Six – My Life and Missions with America’s Elite Warriors recounts the unbelievable life story of Don Mann, primarily during those years while he served with SEAL Team Six. Navy SEALs are said to be the finest military force in the world for performing the missions with which they are tasked. That being the case has been clearly demonstrated numerous times. Given that SEALs as a group are the finest military force in the world, the members of SEAL Team Six are without question the elite of all the SEAL Teams. It would not be off the mark to suggest that Don Mann is in the upper 5% of all who have ever served as members of SEAL Team Six. For many years SEAL Team Six was not even acknowledged to exist, it was so ultra-secret. It certainly got a high level of publicity when SEAL Team Six members took out Osama bin Laden. This was especially disturbing since SEAL Teams do not seek publicity; they try to avoid it as all costs.
Don grew up in a tough neighborhood not far from Boston. He was into getting the adrenaline highs that he sought from motorcycle racing and driving in an extremely dangerous manner, almost killing himself in a terrible car wreck. He watched many of his friends go down the wrong paths into crime and the drug culture and vowed that he would get away from it. This led him to the Navy Recruiting Office. During his recruit training he was shown a movie about Navy SEALs. He immediately set his goal to become a SEAL.
Before he was accepted for the BUD/S (basic underwater demolition/SEAL) training he first had to attend specialty training to qualify as a Hospital Corpsman and then serve a non-SEAL tour of duty for general experience. He would have 10 days to get from his home on the east coast to report for the corpsman training in San Diego. He decided to travel the 3,000 mile, 10-day trip on his bicycle. He would have made it but his travelling partner slowed him down so much that he had to quit and settle for faster transportation. After being thwarted on that ultra-endurance goal, he later decided to compete in the Ironman Triathlon. He arrived in Hawaii from his active duty assignment in Okinawa carrying his $109 Motobecane bicycle. An exceptionally fit blond athlete saw him and commented said “So that’s a Motobecane” and that the titanium pedals on his $5,000 Bianchi bicycle were worth more than his Motobecane. As they hit the water for the start of the race, Don saw the blond guy swim past him. He struggled a bit with the swimming but completed it without too much difficulty. He started the bicycle portion and felt a burst of energy, quickly moving from 175th (out of 576 starters) to 150th without much problem. Then he more slowly began overtaking others. Soon he saw the ripped blond guy and blew past him with the comment “So that’s a Bianchi, huh?” Before long he was in 110th place about to pass the previous year’s winner. Finishing quite well on the bike, he made the transition to running and took off so fast that others tried to warn him to slow because there was an entire 26 miles to go. Soon the previous winner had caught up to him, but Don speeded up further. They pushed each other hard for the remainder of the race. Don finished 38th out of 538 competitors, in just his 2nd Ironman race.
Don remained extremely focused and continued to push himself so hard that he completed the intense grueling requirements for his BUD/S training, leading up to the final hurdle of that phase of becoming a SEAL. “Hell Week” was 5 ½ days of the most intense training of any military unit in the world with the SEAL candidates having to manage on an average of 2 hours sleep a night, sometimes being required to sleep under a running shower. Don described it as “nonstop cold, wet, sore, and exhausting. I thought the Ironman race was tough. Hell week was like ten Ironman competitions in succession.”
Before his assignment to his first team, he attended a very intensive additional medical training referred to as “Goat Lab.” The participants learn a very high level of combat medicine using goats as their patients. That training served him extremely well as he performed numerous life-saving procedures in a variety of both military and civilian situations.
With his assignment to SEAL Team One he began an additional high level of specialty training. During the pre-deployment cycle they participated in the following types of professional development: scout/sniper operations, breacher operations, surreptitious entry, technical surveillance, advanced driving skills, climbing/roping skills, advance air operations, diving supervision, ranger training, unmanned aerial vehicle operations, languages, close-quarters combat, urban warfare, hostile maritime interdiction, combat swimming, just to name a few. One of their instructors was the person who did the spectacular skydiving stunts for some of the James Bond movies.
Shortly before to Don’s assignment to SEAL Team Six, the team had been sent to Grenada by President Ronald Reagan to defuse the hostile takeover by Marxist rebels of many parts of that country. It was a baptism of fire as many things went wrong. They were determined that would never happen again. For example, the PTs (physical training) were harder. “We did weekly long swims, long runs, obstacle courses, sessions in the weight room, and … what was known as a Monster Mash—three to five hours of insane nonstop paddling, running, swimming, O-course drills, as well as carrying simulated wounded men and stopping at various stations to shoot at targets, assemble weapons, put together the radios, and establish comms with HQ.” He further stated that “All of our operators were always physically ready for battle. We did not train to get big, ripped, or cut—we PTed so we could do our jobs.”
Once during a HAHO (high altitude, high opening) jump from just under 18,000 feet, Don flipped right through his parachute risers and began falling backwards. This caused his risers to spiral where they jerked his head in an awkward manner. He thought his neck was broken. He calmly cut away his main, non-functioning chute and deployed the reserve chute. The pain in his neck and jaw was so intense that he was unable to speak over his radio. He then palpated his jaw and realized that it was dislocated and way to the left of where it should be. So he did to himself what he had done to dozens of other people in the ER. At around 8,000 feet, he placed his thumb on his bottom teeth, pushed down hard, and jerked his jaw to the right. “It popped into place and hurt like hell!”
Later, he attended winter-warfare training near the Buskin River in Alaska. On the last 2 days of the 45 day course, their FTX (final training exercise) included a 2,000-meter cold-water ocean swim, a river crossing via high line, and long-range navigation through the mountain wilderness to infiltrate and establish covert surveillance of a target site. They had to accomplish all this while carrying 75 to 90 pounds of operational gear each, including weapons and ammo.”
As if the SEAL training was not enough, Don continued to challenge his need for a continuous adrenaline high in ultra-endurance competitions. He readily accepted the challenge to participate in the Raid Gauloises, known as the world’s premier and most difficult long-distance, multisport endurance race. The 500-mile race included mountain biking, kayaking, white-water rafting, running, rock climbing, and swimming for a 5-person, coed team. This 1995 race was through the Patagonian area of Argentina – a million square miles featuring a harsh combination of ice, snow, glaciers, mountains, heat, and relentless Antarctic winds.
Following his retirement from SEAL Team Six, Don founded a company with 2 others called Odyssey Adventure Racing (OAR) to stage long-distance adventure races. It proved to be a tremendous success . Their basic race was a 350-mile, 5-day competition in some very challenging parts of Virginia and West Virginia. They called it “The Beast of the East.” Soon they added 1 and 2 day races, plus the Odyssey Triple Iron (7.2 mile swim, 336-mile bike ride, 78.6-mile run), Odyssey Double Iron, Odyssey Half Iron, and Odyssey Off-Road Iron (the world’s most difficult triathlon).
September 11, 2001 changed Don’s life again. His focus immediately switched to the war on global terrorism. Sports took a backseat. With his return to the defense of his country his efforts were in a number of different capacities -- training people for BUD/S and teaching military, special-police units, and government agencies how to do surveillance, close-quarters combat, fast-roping, diving, shooting, urban, jungle, desert, and arctic warfare, and more.
As you can probably tell from the length of this review, I thought the book was fantastic and highly recommend it to others.
[Book 8 of 2013 Target 50 (Jan-6; Feb-2)]
Don grew up in a tough neighborhood not far from Boston. He was into getting the adrenaline highs that he sought from motorcycle racing and driving in an extremely dangerous manner, almost killing himself in a terrible car wreck. He watched many of his friends go down the wrong paths into crime and the drug culture and vowed that he would get away from it. This led him to the Navy Recruiting Office. During his recruit training he was shown a movie about Navy SEALs. He immediately set his goal to become a SEAL.
Before he was accepted for the BUD/S (basic underwater demolition/SEAL) training he first had to attend specialty training to qualify as a Hospital Corpsman and then serve a non-SEAL tour of duty for general experience. He would have 10 days to get from his home on the east coast to report for the corpsman training in San Diego. He decided to travel the 3,000 mile, 10-day trip on his bicycle. He would have made it but his travelling partner slowed him down so much that he had to quit and settle for faster transportation. After being thwarted on that ultra-endurance goal, he later decided to compete in the Ironman Triathlon. He arrived in Hawaii from his active duty assignment in Okinawa carrying his $109 Motobecane bicycle. An exceptionally fit blond athlete saw him and commented said “So that’s a Motobecane” and that the titanium pedals on his $5,000 Bianchi bicycle were worth more than his Motobecane. As they hit the water for the start of the race, Don saw the blond guy swim past him. He struggled a bit with the swimming but completed it without too much difficulty. He started the bicycle portion and felt a burst of energy, quickly moving from 175th (out of 576 starters) to 150th without much problem. Then he more slowly began overtaking others. Soon he saw the ripped blond guy and blew past him with the comment “So that’s a Bianchi, huh?” Before long he was in 110th place about to pass the previous year’s winner. Finishing quite well on the bike, he made the transition to running and took off so fast that others tried to warn him to slow because there was an entire 26 miles to go. Soon the previous winner had caught up to him, but Don speeded up further. They pushed each other hard for the remainder of the race. Don finished 38th out of 538 competitors, in just his 2nd Ironman race.
Don remained extremely focused and continued to push himself so hard that he completed the intense grueling requirements for his BUD/S training, leading up to the final hurdle of that phase of becoming a SEAL. “Hell Week” was 5 ½ days of the most intense training of any military unit in the world with the SEAL candidates having to manage on an average of 2 hours sleep a night, sometimes being required to sleep under a running shower. Don described it as “nonstop cold, wet, sore, and exhausting. I thought the Ironman race was tough. Hell week was like ten Ironman competitions in succession.”
Before his assignment to his first team, he attended a very intensive additional medical training referred to as “Goat Lab.” The participants learn a very high level of combat medicine using goats as their patients. That training served him extremely well as he performed numerous life-saving procedures in a variety of both military and civilian situations.
With his assignment to SEAL Team One he began an additional high level of specialty training. During the pre-deployment cycle they participated in the following types of professional development: scout/sniper operations, breacher operations, surreptitious entry, technical surveillance, advanced driving skills, climbing/roping skills, advance air operations, diving supervision, ranger training, unmanned aerial vehicle operations, languages, close-quarters combat, urban warfare, hostile maritime interdiction, combat swimming, just to name a few. One of their instructors was the person who did the spectacular skydiving stunts for some of the James Bond movies.
Shortly before to Don’s assignment to SEAL Team Six, the team had been sent to Grenada by President Ronald Reagan to defuse the hostile takeover by Marxist rebels of many parts of that country. It was a baptism of fire as many things went wrong. They were determined that would never happen again. For example, the PTs (physical training) were harder. “We did weekly long swims, long runs, obstacle courses, sessions in the weight room, and … what was known as a Monster Mash—three to five hours of insane nonstop paddling, running, swimming, O-course drills, as well as carrying simulated wounded men and stopping at various stations to shoot at targets, assemble weapons, put together the radios, and establish comms with HQ.” He further stated that “All of our operators were always physically ready for battle. We did not train to get big, ripped, or cut—we PTed so we could do our jobs.”
Once during a HAHO (high altitude, high opening) jump from just under 18,000 feet, Don flipped right through his parachute risers and began falling backwards. This caused his risers to spiral where they jerked his head in an awkward manner. He thought his neck was broken. He calmly cut away his main, non-functioning chute and deployed the reserve chute. The pain in his neck and jaw was so intense that he was unable to speak over his radio. He then palpated his jaw and realized that it was dislocated and way to the left of where it should be. So he did to himself what he had done to dozens of other people in the ER. At around 8,000 feet, he placed his thumb on his bottom teeth, pushed down hard, and jerked his jaw to the right. “It popped into place and hurt like hell!”
Later, he attended winter-warfare training near the Buskin River in Alaska. On the last 2 days of the 45 day course, their FTX (final training exercise) included a 2,000-meter cold-water ocean swim, a river crossing via high line, and long-range navigation through the mountain wilderness to infiltrate and establish covert surveillance of a target site. They had to accomplish all this while carrying 75 to 90 pounds of operational gear each, including weapons and ammo.”
As if the SEAL training was not enough, Don continued to challenge his need for a continuous adrenaline high in ultra-endurance competitions. He readily accepted the challenge to participate in the Raid Gauloises, known as the world’s premier and most difficult long-distance, multisport endurance race. The 500-mile race included mountain biking, kayaking, white-water rafting, running, rock climbing, and swimming for a 5-person, coed team. This 1995 race was through the Patagonian area of Argentina – a million square miles featuring a harsh combination of ice, snow, glaciers, mountains, heat, and relentless Antarctic winds.
Following his retirement from SEAL Team Six, Don founded a company with 2 others called Odyssey Adventure Racing (OAR) to stage long-distance adventure races. It proved to be a tremendous success . Their basic race was a 350-mile, 5-day competition in some very challenging parts of Virginia and West Virginia. They called it “The Beast of the East.” Soon they added 1 and 2 day races, plus the Odyssey Triple Iron (7.2 mile swim, 336-mile bike ride, 78.6-mile run), Odyssey Double Iron, Odyssey Half Iron, and Odyssey Off-Road Iron (the world’s most difficult triathlon).
September 11, 2001 changed Don’s life again. His focus immediately switched to the war on global terrorism. Sports took a backseat. With his return to the defense of his country his efforts were in a number of different capacities -- training people for BUD/S and teaching military, special-police units, and government agencies how to do surveillance, close-quarters combat, fast-roping, diving, shooting, urban, jungle, desert, and arctic warfare, and more.
As you can probably tell from the length of this review, I thought the book was fantastic and highly recommend it to others.
[Book 8 of 2013 Target 50 (Jan-6; Feb-2)]
March 24, 2023
Eh, not great. The entire "novel?" is a collection of what seem to be overly embellished tales from Don Mann. While his service in the military is clearly exceptional, this book goes into much more detail on adventure racing, arrests, and bar fights and on details on Seal Team 6. Large segments of the book are redacted and the editors didn't seem to have any interest in editing and reworking those sections.
I'm glad we've got guys like Don and all of the SEALs he references on our side, but I definitely can't recommend this book
I'm glad we've got guys like Don and all of the SEALs he references on our side, but I definitely can't recommend this book
October 24, 2017
Not a bad book. There were a lot of redactions due to security concerns but that is understandable since it was written after 9/11. The author seems to jump around a bit in subject matter in each chapter writing about Spec-Ops, endurance racing and family matters. An enjoyable book and a quick read.
October 15, 2017
Candid, engaging and a quick read. Many pages have passages blackened out due to classified information - it would've been neat to get the details about several missions but national security is a priority.
September 22, 2018
One of the first books to come out after they got Bin Laden I'm guessing. Some good stories and layout of some of how the navy has Spec. ops, but mostly a look at me I'm a SEAL book. Some rough personal sharing from Mann.
December 28, 2019
Amazed by what I learned why listening to this on CDs. Riveting. I couldn’t stop until I heard it all. Navy seals live an entirely different life to civilians to wear it seams like we are in different worlds. Utterly fascinating.
April 25, 2020
This is an awesome book which gives you a glimpse into the life of a navy seal.It has a vivid description of the seal's work , their operations and the level of expertise they possess in what they do .It is a must read if you have a taste for military stuff .
November 10, 2022
Exciting and interesting true stories! Easy to read and follow, and motivating for one’s own life. I’ve met Don a few times, and he is an inspirational and overall great person. Highly recommend this read.
October 13, 2023
im also gonna give this a 3 star because i thought the culture of the teams were hilarious—but for the most part, it was hard to understand (obviously since im an absolutely clueless non-American LOL, so i decided to give 4 stars instead of 3)
October 27, 2016
I recently finished the book Inside SEAL Team Six by Don Mann and Ralph Pezzullo. Don Mann, the main author of the book was a Chief Warrant Officer Third Class in the US Navy and was a SEAL Team Six platoon member, assault team member, boat crew leader, and advanced training officer, he was also the program director preparing civilians to go to BUDS (Basic Underwater Demolition). The first major part of the grueling selection process. Since 1998 he was on active duty with SEAL Team Six. In addition, he also served with SEAL Team One in 1983 and NSWG (Naval Special Warfare Group). Don Mann who played an important role in the United States Defense shares special insights of his job in the "Teams". Unfortunately, he can not tell everything he has done because he is not permitted to do so by government regulations.
Don starting out as a rowdy teenager, hanging with the wrong crowd, gets him in trouble often, not only with his parents but with the law too. He experiences drugs, alcohol, and many different bad things. Don knew he had to change, he wasn't meant to be with the bad teenagers he hangs out with. After thinking about his future, Don goes to a Navy recruiter to get recruited into the US Navy. His first year, he desperately tries to get into the SEAL Teams. After years and years, Don finally gets a call to report to BUDS. The BUDS selection process was hard but he passed, but he was not done yet. After successfully completing BUDS out of less than 10 people, Don asks the CO (Commanding Officer) for orders to report to SEAL Team Six. However, Don needed to be trained to become smarter and stronger. Throughout Don's countless years of training he explains his near-death experiences, his night operations and tactical warfare practice. After that he completed so many trainings with the Marine Corp and Navy. He completed platoon trainings, jungle warfare, weapons training, NSW(Navy Special Warfare) jungle school, and medical trainings. In 1998, Don finally retired and still did not live a life of relaxation. Don, then created a program named Oddysey Adventure Racing where top athletes compete through rough terrain, uncompromising rivers, and the highest mountains.
(Prompt 2)
I found out that Don Mann was just a normal rowdy teenager in the 1970's. Don explains his accounts with humor, but he also explains his professional life accounts with lessons that he learned, mistakes he had made, and what he had to go through to resolve the problem. What I didn't know about Don was that he would later become one of the key assets of the United States Navy, Department of Defense and the United States Armed Forces. Don's life went from complete disaster to a professional career as a Navy SEAL. Don tells his story about his teenage life his bad mistakes with drugs and breaking the law. Don's story was not just made for people interested in the military, or in athletics. Don's story talked about the up's and downs of life and how to overcome them. " Inside SEAL Team Six changed my view of life not only as an athlete or a person interested in the military. It changed the way I think, act, and live every day. Don's honor and devotion to duty to his country made him a person who is respected. Don's courage was when he served his country in the most hostile territories in the world. Don's commitment to the Navy and SEALS, training over the course of decades with SEAL Team One and Six. Don says " the more sweat and tears you put into the training, the less blood you'll shed in time of war". Don Mann is talking about BUDS and how hard it was. The instructor's job was to make things harder for you. Don explains the hardships that he and his fellow recruits faced during the process and the constant harassment of the instructors. " Did you get uncomfortable?" " What are you wasting your time for , quitter?" " You want to quit now? " They were given thirty seconds to answer before they were tossed out of BUDS. " " Some guys left voluntarily--- it was a challenge that got to the core of what it meant to be a SEAL, to face something profoundly uncomfortable and come out the other side." " Those who said they wanted to keep going were thrown back into the pool." The lessons of Inside SEAL Team Six envelops determination, honor, courage, commitment, and perseverance. Don Mann's challenging life led to complete success being a Navy SEAL, the most elite warriors on the planet and feared by every nation in the world. Don leaves by telling us " I will never quit."" I persevere and thrive on adversity." " My nation expects me to be physically harder and mentally stronger than my enemies." " If I get knocked down, I will get back up, every time." " I will draw on every remaining ounce of strength to protect my teammates and to accomplish our mission." " I am never out of the fight." In the span of twenty years a teenagers life, once disastrous and headed for prison became a completely different person. A person who the United States looked down on, became a person who the United States respects. CWO3 Don Devereaux Mann believes no one should ever quit, and I couldn't agree more.
Don starting out as a rowdy teenager, hanging with the wrong crowd, gets him in trouble often, not only with his parents but with the law too. He experiences drugs, alcohol, and many different bad things. Don knew he had to change, he wasn't meant to be with the bad teenagers he hangs out with. After thinking about his future, Don goes to a Navy recruiter to get recruited into the US Navy. His first year, he desperately tries to get into the SEAL Teams. After years and years, Don finally gets a call to report to BUDS. The BUDS selection process was hard but he passed, but he was not done yet. After successfully completing BUDS out of less than 10 people, Don asks the CO (Commanding Officer) for orders to report to SEAL Team Six. However, Don needed to be trained to become smarter and stronger. Throughout Don's countless years of training he explains his near-death experiences, his night operations and tactical warfare practice. After that he completed so many trainings with the Marine Corp and Navy. He completed platoon trainings, jungle warfare, weapons training, NSW(Navy Special Warfare) jungle school, and medical trainings. In 1998, Don finally retired and still did not live a life of relaxation. Don, then created a program named Oddysey Adventure Racing where top athletes compete through rough terrain, uncompromising rivers, and the highest mountains.
(Prompt 2)
I found out that Don Mann was just a normal rowdy teenager in the 1970's. Don explains his accounts with humor, but he also explains his professional life accounts with lessons that he learned, mistakes he had made, and what he had to go through to resolve the problem. What I didn't know about Don was that he would later become one of the key assets of the United States Navy, Department of Defense and the United States Armed Forces. Don's life went from complete disaster to a professional career as a Navy SEAL. Don tells his story about his teenage life his bad mistakes with drugs and breaking the law. Don's story was not just made for people interested in the military, or in athletics. Don's story talked about the up's and downs of life and how to overcome them. " Inside SEAL Team Six changed my view of life not only as an athlete or a person interested in the military. It changed the way I think, act, and live every day. Don's honor and devotion to duty to his country made him a person who is respected. Don's courage was when he served his country in the most hostile territories in the world. Don's commitment to the Navy and SEALS, training over the course of decades with SEAL Team One and Six. Don says " the more sweat and tears you put into the training, the less blood you'll shed in time of war". Don Mann is talking about BUDS and how hard it was. The instructor's job was to make things harder for you. Don explains the hardships that he and his fellow recruits faced during the process and the constant harassment of the instructors. " Did you get uncomfortable?" " What are you wasting your time for , quitter?" " You want to quit now? " They were given thirty seconds to answer before they were tossed out of BUDS. " " Some guys left voluntarily--- it was a challenge that got to the core of what it meant to be a SEAL, to face something profoundly uncomfortable and come out the other side." " Those who said they wanted to keep going were thrown back into the pool." The lessons of Inside SEAL Team Six envelops determination, honor, courage, commitment, and perseverance. Don Mann's challenging life led to complete success being a Navy SEAL, the most elite warriors on the planet and feared by every nation in the world. Don leaves by telling us " I will never quit."" I persevere and thrive on adversity." " My nation expects me to be physically harder and mentally stronger than my enemies." " If I get knocked down, I will get back up, every time." " I will draw on every remaining ounce of strength to protect my teammates and to accomplish our mission." " I am never out of the fight." In the span of twenty years a teenagers life, once disastrous and headed for prison became a completely different person. A person who the United States looked down on, became a person who the United States respects. CWO3 Don Devereaux Mann believes no one should ever quit, and I couldn't agree more.
December 7, 2017
A lot of respect for the team and it's interesting hearing about it from someone who knows it so well.
December 14, 2017
Was quite surprised how much I liked listening to this book. Very insightful and a reminder how much others push despite challenges. Makes you think harder when you think you want to complain.
March 28, 2019
So cool. I loved it.
May 18, 2019
The book had some interesting parts but after a while it lost steam for me. Seal Team 6 kicks ass and I am glad they are on our side.
April 11, 2020
I enjoyed the book, but the redacted stuff got annoying after awhile. Just don’t put it in.
October 10, 2021
Persoonlijk verhaal van een ex-Navy SEAL. Ik snap deze keuze voor de gecensureerde stukken die ze erin hebben gelaten, maar dat verhoogt niet de leesbaarheid
January 31, 2022
Good book
Good story but too many things blacked out. Censorship at its finest. But overall a very good and informative story.
Good story but too many things blacked out. Censorship at its finest. But overall a very good and informative story.
March 27, 2022
Glad I’ve read numerous other SEAL books as this one has so so much redacted. Really enjoyed this one though.
January 13, 2023
No matter how many of these types of books I read, each one provides something new. A little self patty on the backy, but I guess that's what happens with memoirs.
June 24, 2023
If this guy has done 10% of the things he says he has in this book, he is a legend!
I think he is a legit hero...
I think he is a legit hero...
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