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American Mercenary: The Riveting, High-Risk World of an Elite SEAL Team Operator Turned Hired Gun
What does an elite Navy SEAL Team operator trained to kill the United States’ most dangerous enemies do when he realizes his skills aren’t being properly utilized? He leaves the Navy.
In American Mercenary, Daniel Corbett takes readers on a wild ride through the unadulterated, morally ambiguous, and riveting world of being a hired gun. From Abu Dhabi to Washington, DC, Cairo to San Diego, Belgrade to places that must remain secret, this is a world where money rules, and where adventure, danger, and absurdity often follow.
A star high school athlete, Corbett passed on a Division I football career and opted for the US Navy. He began his career at SEAL Team 5 and eventually checked into SEAL Team 6. The navy spent millions teaching him and his fellow Team members how to sneak, subvert, recruit, disappear, survive, resist, and exert. And of course, how to shoot, a discipline at which Corbett excelled.
What the navy did not do was prepare these men for post-military lives beyond the usual suite of veterans’ benefits and unimaginative job-training programs. So what does Corbett do? He goes private. There are still plenty of bad men in the world, and the only sin worse than wasting talent in dead-end pursuits is not using it at all. He starts small, but quickly moves up. The work is simultaneously familiar and foreign. The command structure is shady. The clients are dubious. The equipment is subpar. But what the the pay is good.
Then things change in 2017 when Corbett is arrested on a job in Belgrade, Serbia. When the authorities discover he’s a Navy SEAL, they imagine the he’s in Belgrade to assassinate the Serbian president. They throw Corbett in jail, where he spends the next 18 months making international headlines and fighting for his freedom in a kangaroo court.
Ultimately, American Mercenary highlights the struggle of many how to reconcile military service with civilian life. For Corbett, becoming a mercenary isn’t just the best option, it feels like the only option. It’s a lot better than drowning in a bottle or holding a pistol under your chin and pulling the trigger, but is it enough?
In American Mercenary, Daniel Corbett takes readers on a wild ride through the unadulterated, morally ambiguous, and riveting world of being a hired gun. From Abu Dhabi to Washington, DC, Cairo to San Diego, Belgrade to places that must remain secret, this is a world where money rules, and where adventure, danger, and absurdity often follow.
A star high school athlete, Corbett passed on a Division I football career and opted for the US Navy. He began his career at SEAL Team 5 and eventually checked into SEAL Team 6. The navy spent millions teaching him and his fellow Team members how to sneak, subvert, recruit, disappear, survive, resist, and exert. And of course, how to shoot, a discipline at which Corbett excelled.
What the navy did not do was prepare these men for post-military lives beyond the usual suite of veterans’ benefits and unimaginative job-training programs. So what does Corbett do? He goes private. There are still plenty of bad men in the world, and the only sin worse than wasting talent in dead-end pursuits is not using it at all. He starts small, but quickly moves up. The work is simultaneously familiar and foreign. The command structure is shady. The clients are dubious. The equipment is subpar. But what the the pay is good.
Then things change in 2017 when Corbett is arrested on a job in Belgrade, Serbia. When the authorities discover he’s a Navy SEAL, they imagine the he’s in Belgrade to assassinate the Serbian president. They throw Corbett in jail, where he spends the next 18 months making international headlines and fighting for his freedom in a kangaroo court.
Ultimately, American Mercenary highlights the struggle of many how to reconcile military service with civilian life. For Corbett, becoming a mercenary isn’t just the best option, it feels like the only option. It’s a lot better than drowning in a bottle or holding a pistol under your chin and pulling the trigger, but is it enough?
262 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 20, 2024
31 people are currently reading
2319 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
August 25, 2024
Wild story. Would definitely recommend.
December 26, 2024
I understand there is a place for this type of role in the world, but it is morally ambiguous to say the least. “A target, is a target, is a target”? Is it? Is it ok to make decisions about ending someone’s life when you do not understand the context? I guess that is a mindset the military cultivates - follow orders.
It raises questions about the options we make available to highly trained individuals exiting the military. How can we embrace veterans, and offer meaningful employment opportunities that allow them to be positive contributors for their benefit and ours? This should not be seen as one of a few viable options.
An interesting story. The author is rough, ready, smart and adaptable - and while I find the adopted role morally grey, I have to admire the man for these qualities.
It raises questions about the options we make available to highly trained individuals exiting the military. How can we embrace veterans, and offer meaningful employment opportunities that allow them to be positive contributors for their benefit and ours? This should not be seen as one of a few viable options.
An interesting story. The author is rough, ready, smart and adaptable - and while I find the adopted role morally grey, I have to admire the man for these qualities.
December 2, 2025
Great read!
On the drive home from a golf invitational in Rancho Murieta, one of my riders mentioned she golfed with the mother of this fella who had been a Seal and had written a book. I love reading books by and about the teams so I downloaded it. It was a great, fast-paced story. Very enlightening how our "ambassadors" can be so helpful in foreign countries.
On the drive home from a golf invitational in Rancho Murieta, one of my riders mentioned she golfed with the mother of this fella who had been a Seal and had written a book. I love reading books by and about the teams so I downloaded it. It was a great, fast-paced story. Very enlightening how our "ambassadors" can be so helpful in foreign countries.
November 24, 2024
Very interesting story indeed. It was fascinating and held my attention. Corbett is not a writer, and it shows, but the content and story was good enough to make the book enjoyable and worth the read. I recommend it.
March 13, 2025
Great story of grit and courage and resilience. Take a lot about hai time in jail in Serbia and you get to know his roommates which makes you feel you are there with him.
Wish it spoke more about his work as a mercenary before he got put in jail, but overall great read, true page turner.
Wish it spoke more about his work as a mercenary before he got put in jail, but overall great read, true page turner.
October 25, 2024
Son-in-law enjoyed reading this one.
December 29, 2024
Very fast paced, easy, but riveting read. The author is certainly a hero, but learning about the world of mercenaries for hire is eye opening and makes you question what goes on behind the scenes
January 4, 2025
Enjoyed this book and learning about hired mercenary life from the author. Definitely a page turner. Highly recommend.
January 5, 2025
Very enjoyable read
January 9, 2025
La primera parte sentí que no pasaba mucho, la segunda es muy buena
March 4, 2025
A very interesting read. Had to remind myself this was not a perfect fictional character in a thrilling new spy book, but an actual living person. Fully recommended.
March 11, 2025
Okay book. Some humor, but not one of the better ones I’ve read lately
June 7, 2025
A good book that you just can't put down!
October 29, 2025
Definitely worth a read. Interesting story for sure. I listened to the audiobook and the author reads it himself which makes it really good.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews