Navy SEALs: The Untold Story

Despite the title, much of what former SEAL Couch (Sheriff of Ramadi) and historian Doyle (American Gun, with Chris Kyle) cover has been shared elsewhere, but they fill a niche among the voluminous, recent accounts of Navy SEAL operations by linking the pre-9/11 history of the SEALs to the extensive combat operations conducted since. The authors claim that this is the only history of the SEALs that covers the entire period of the SEALs' existence, and they tell the story through a series of vignettes selected to capture the essence of the SEAL combat experience. Beginning with the SEALs' WWII predecessors, the Navy Underwater Demolitions Teams, Couch and Doyle present personal experiences of individual SEAL unit veterans, often through interviews with the authors. The authors also highlight historical aspects of SEAL operations and training that continue to be important today, such as explaining the origin of the relationship between SEALS and the CIA. Though serious students of special operations warfare will find little new material here, it is an entertaining and informative read for a general audience. (Nov.)