Inside Stories from the Brotherhood of the U.S. Navy SEALs

About half of this book is stories you have already read about in other books. The second half is entirely about Benghazi, a long detailed description of what lead up to it, then a long 'what-if' section that describes several different scenarios in which the loss of life could have been prevented, followed by a complete reprint of the "Interim Progress Report for the members of the House Republican Conference on the events surrounding the September 11, 2012 terrorist attacks in Benghazi, Libya" which you can read online for free on dozens of sites by Googling the text I just enclosed in quotes.

If you want to bash Obama and the government for hanging the guys in Benghazi out to dry, go for it. But don't put it in a book and label it as "Inside Stories from the Brotherhood of the U.S. Navy SEALs". That is a best, a half-truth, and more likely a totally blatant misrepresentation.

The book was a waste of my money and my time.

This is a bunch of recycled information previously released in other books released in the past 2 years or more. Information on seal team six and how its creation came about.(Rouge Warrior) The botched Delta Force operation( inside Delta Force) Basically the only new information was on the Benghazi terroist attack. That was just a could of ,would of should of timeline for what could of, would of and should of happened. I do respect the fact that the author gives credit to the two seals that lost thier lives. Glen Doherty and Ty Woods as well as the others who lost thier lives that horriable day. I am not in any way bashing this book. It is a wonderful book if you are just getting in to military history or the war on terror. It serves as a great referance book to everything from Seal Team Six and the Rouge Warrior himself even Inside Delta Force and it creator Eric Haney. That way you can go and purchase(I recommend to please do this) each book and learn not only what it took for each person to sucessfuly complete each process to gain entry to these elite groups but the sacrifices and never quite attitutd it took to accomplish the rights to call themselves, Delta Force, Navy Seals, Rangers, Green Berets or Air Force Para rescue operators. Check out other books like Brandon Webbs-Red Circle, Dick Marcinco's- Rouge Warrior, Glen Doherty,Brandon Webbs book-Navy Seal Sniper and they will lead you to many many more great reads like Marcus Latrells-Lone Survivor, Chris Kyles-American Sniper also check all of Bing Wests books on the war on terror and then decide for yourself if you think the war and wars on terror across the globe is wrong. Then stop and think about all of the great American people of all colors and nationalities that have made the sacrifice to allow us the freedom to sit on the store and voice our personal opinions on books, wars or anything else that you would be killed for in front of your families for reading or watching something that thier religious leaders or government says is inaproperate or does not follow thier religiuos beliefs. I am sorry for typing errors and the spelling errors. I am not a professional writer or Harvard graduate. Im just a person who cares about people and the military that protects me daily to live in the greatest country on earth. The United States of America.

Great insight into the lives of our brave Navy SEALs and how they get things done -- no excuses. Loved the Drago's War chapter. The timeline on Benghazi was also very informative -- our government is still not being completely truthful with us. We should never forget the heroes that have sacrificed so much for our country.

Author should have stuck to the SEALS. That part was good. Then he got into criticising politicians, etc. Detracts from the story of the SEALS. Politics will always be with us, for better or worse. Don't pretend the story is about the SEALS when it is really a criticism of Obama administration.

I had been expecting the release of this book for quite some time due to the fact that the author had dome some other exciting work. I expected what was advertised some "Inside Stories from the Brotherhood of the U.S. Navy SEALs"; but in fact, the author spends a LOT of time detailing the Benghazi attack. I think the title should have been different. So, I was very disappointed to say the least.

This book gives the American people an absolute stunning inside look at what type of person serves there country and the Pride and Honor they achieve in doing so. Being able to have some insight to what this country demands from Special Operators is just amazing and to know that there are service members out there risking it all to uphold our freedom and their code is unbelievable! Thank you for your service and dedication to all who are in this book. Especially to "Drago" who is mentioned for your unbound loyalty to this nation!

As another reviewer stated, this book is a disjointed rehash of a few missions involving the SEALS.
As far as any "inside stories", they were few. Strangely, this book seemed patched together an spent
close to 50 percent of its "time" focusing on the Bengahzi mess.

First review! I've been waiting months for this

This book is filled with great stories of the warrior brotherhood but most illustrate the corrupt leaders in Washington, foreign dictators and even in the Spec ops community. Almost half of the book is a detailed account of the Benghazi incident with insider information.

You might read other books that get your blood going with awesome stories of shootouts and insane odds overcome, and while this book contains those, you get to hear the sad ending for some warriors. A new guy works hard to be the best of the best and is kicked out for something insignificant or a 24 year veteran is abandoned overseas for no damn reason but save some politicians butt.

A great read for those who know a lot about SEALs or for those who understand the corruption in the government. The book was a little shorter than I wanted but well worth the price.

Thank you to all those who have served in the armed forces

Overall Rating: Just skip this book!

Scott McEwen burst onto the scene after Coauthoring "American Sniper" with Chris Kyle and has been writing his "Sniper Elite" series since, which I will concede are entertaining, but perhaps he should stick with writing fiction rather then military history. This entry into military naartive seems to be an attempt to capitalize on that fame. While I am not familiar with Richard Miniter, his credentials would lead me to expect much more from this book the is delivered.

To start with, this book really delivers nothing new. To start out the book, a brief introduction to the UDT and its impact on the founding of the SEAL teams is discussed, a story that quite frankly is better told in more detail in any number of other sources, including Roy Bohem's "First Seal" and Richard Marcinko's "Rogue Warrior". Speaking of Marcinko, these authors seem to have been indoctrinated into the cult of Marcinko, which from other reading, while instrumental in getting things accomplished in the SEAL teams, and especially in DEVGRU, seemed to do more harm then good in the long run.

Many of the chapters in this book are simply recaps of operations/missions that are told in other books, much better, by the individuals who actually participated in those operations. For example: the creation of SEAL team 6, better told by Marcinko himself in "Rogue Warrior". The failure of Operation Eagle Claw at Desert One, again told better by Marcinko and Gen. William Boykin (ret.) who was actually there. McEwen and Miniter also try to capitalize on the success of "Lone Survivor" by including a mere 15 page recap of that operation, again better told by Marcus Luttrell in "Lone Survivor" and "Victory Point" by Ed Darack. Another 20 pages are spent retelling the story of the capture of Ahmed Hashim Abd al-Isawi and subsequent circus of a court martial alleging he was abused by Navy SEALs. Again, a story that has already been told in better detail by Patrick Robinson and 2 former SEAL's who were involved, in "Honor and Betrayal.

The remainder of this book is spent discussing the events of Benghazi Libya on Sept. 11 2012. Throughout this part of the book, the authors focus on 2 SEAL's Doherty and Woods, but seems to forget that there were other former Special Forces members on the team including another SEAL who is not mentioned at all. The authors account of the events seem disorganized and chaotic, more sensationalized then informative. The authors also devout a fair amount of pages to several "rescue scenarios" that they claim have been vetted and could have provided a different outcome on that day. When all is said and done, the account provided in this book, does not seem to line up with that in "13 Hours" which was written with help from the surviving members of the GRS security team.

What made this book incredibly difficult to read were several glaring errors that even the most amateur editor should have detected. First and foremost, the context would randomly switch back and forth between present and past tense making this very difficult to read. Secondly for 2 authors who have spent time writing about the military, they should know to double check their information. At one point, they refer to an AC-130 as a "helicopter gunship". Even a basic google or wikipedia search would clearly show that the AC-130 is not in fact a helicopter. Even reviewing Robinson's "Honor and Betrayal" would have prevented this gross over site. Additionally, in their "rescue scenarios" they suggest that fighters out of Aviano Air Base, which flies Air Force F-16 fighters, could have landed on carriers in the Mediterranean Sea. This is ridiculous for many reasons, not the least of which the authors admit that they do not know for a fact where in the Mediterranean Sea, a carrier actually was located. Additionally F-16 fights cannot land on carriers because they are not equipped to do so and the an Air Force pilot does not have the training to perform this difficult task. Finally, early on the book the authors state that the Beretta 92F was designated "F" in honor of a fallen SEAL. In none of my firearm research, SEAL specific reading, or military reading in general have I ever seen anything that would support this. In fact a quick search reveals that Beretta added the F to denote the model that was submitted to the US government for Federal testing and approval.

When initially picking up this book, I had very high hopes, which were dashed within the first few pages. I continued to read in the hopes that there may be some redeeming quality to this book. Alas this appears to be nothing more then an attempt to capitalize on the "Seal Fever" and "Benghazi Fever" that is sweeping the country. Save yourselves the time, aggravation and money and instead invest in the books that are actually researched and well written.

This book takes a close, realistic look at the positives and the negatives that have shaped the SEALS and their effect on the freedoms we all too often take for granted.
I have read specific accounts of nearly every story relayed in this book, from Operation Red Wings (AKA Lone Survivor) to the capture of Bin Laden. In particular, the truth of the Bengazi story (13 hours) and its coverup is spelled out in detail and the alternative plans are well portrayed.
Scott has done a masterful job in telling the story of Americas Proudest Heros. Thank You SEALS!

Pretty good book. I have read American Sniper, The Red Circle, Lone Survivor & Service prior to this book. Eyes on target is a great read, but my only critique is that you can definitely tell that it was written by professional writers and not by an boots on the ground like the others I listed. It also tells some of the stories that where covered in those others as well. Where this book does shine though is with it's extensive coverage and investigation into the events of Benghazi, Libya in 2012. This book is worth having and reading for those facts alone. This book belongs in your collection next to Luttrell, Kyle & Webb. Get it.

I have read two books about Seals, one a biography and the other, an autobiography. I found both very interesting as they talked a lot about what they have to go through to be a Seal.

This book covered that a little, but it had a lot of history of how the Seals got started, information about some of their missions and some of the early Seals who were awarded medals for their brave acts.

The book is a fascinating read, and not in the least bit boring. The Navy Seals are like a whole different breed of soldier, and this book gives an inside look at what they are all about, how they work, and as I mentioned - how they got started.

The chapters about the Benghazi attack are of special interest and confirms what conservatives have known all along: that there was time for a rescue, but for reasons our government won't tell us, the Seals were not allowed to launch that rescue. It is obvious the authors did a lot of research for the whole book, and on those chapters, for it comes through that they know what they are talking about.

I highly recommend this book. Even if you are not that interested in the Seals, it is a book worth reading.

This book talks about the life and operations of a Navy SEAL. The book is written by a SEAL who speaks about the brotherhood and life as a SEAL and what is require to be one. I have read many SEAL books and I receive the same great American Indestructibility in this one as I did before with books like No Easy Day or Lone Survivor. This book highlights the works done by exceptional Americans who have paid the price to protect our freedom. I recommend this book to all Americans.

This is an excellent history of the Navy Seals. This story begins with the disasterous attempt to rescue the hostages in Iran. This effort was code named
Operation Eagle Claw. It was a total failure resulting in casualties.Another famous personality in the Seal ranks Richard Marcinko is also featured in this novel.He was one of the founding fathers in the formation of the Navy Seals. Another personality in the Seals was named Drago. He was the first Navy Seal
to be from a foreign country. He also proved to be a ferocious warrior. One of the most famous Seal operations was Operation Redwing. A Seal team of four Seals was sent into Afghanistan to assassinate a tribal chieftain who was also a Taliban terrorist leader. Three of the four Seals were killed in action
with Marcus Luttrell being the sole survivor.This story became a best selling book as well as a movie. Another operation in Seal history was in Fallujah.
Seals were accused of assaulting a terrorist leader. They were put on trial and found not guilty.In Benghazi the American embassy was attacked by elements in
Libya. One retired sniper held off the forces of evil. These Americans could get no help from the United States.All calls were ignored.
This is a very good book.

Authors Scott McEwen and Richard Minter give a detailed account of military actions, and
also follow through on plausible scenarios of What Might Have Been Done to alter tragic outcomes, specifically Benghazi, Libya, and the story of Christopher Stevens.

Would have liked a bit more detail on the capture/killing of Osama bin Laden, and not sure which I chose a four star rating.

Brilliant face paced knowledge-rich this book is a sparkling addition to any collection of militaria. Mr. Miniter brings to the work in an inexhaustible determination to ferret out the real story. And as an investigative journalist has literally worn out passport after passport traveling Africa, Europe, the Middle East and the Orient. Buy this book.

"In times of war or uncertainty there is a special breed of warrior ready to answer our Nation's call. A common man with uncommon desire to succeed.

Forged by adversity, he stands alongside America's finest special operations forces to serve his country, the American people, and protect their way of life.

Brave men have fought and died building the proud tradition and feared reputation that I am bound to uphold. In the worst of conditions, the legacy of my teammates steadies my resolve and silently guides my every deed. I will not fail." (Portions of the United States Navy SEAL - The SEAL Creed.

If you are a member, it doesn't matter where or when you served. You can show up uninvited at funerals of the youngest or oldest veterans and be hailed as a brother by total strangers. You can phone another SEAL whom you've never met and be taken for a drink. You might show up to mow the lawn of a widow whose husband died before you served. The bonds are strong partly because the group is so small. There have been fewer than three thousand U.S. Navy SEALs in the history of the world and about half of them are still alive. They all know, or know of, each other. The SEALs call themselves a "brotherhood," and they actually are one. What defines a SEAL is his unwillingness to never, ever give up. It requires extraordinary will in all three aspects of human existence: body, mind and spirit. Very, very few men are dominant in all three." (excerpt from Eyes on Target)

The SEAL Code

Loyalty to Country, Team, and Teammate

Serve with Honor and Integrity On and Off the Battlefield

Ready to Lead, Ready to Follow, Never Quit

Take Responsibility for your Actions and the Actions of Your Teammates

Excel as Warriors through Discipline and Innovation

Train for War, Fight to Win, Defeat our Nation's Enemies

Earn Your Trident every day.

I have always admired the hard work and dedication of our armed forces but none so much as the Navy SEALs especially after reading Eyes on Target: Inside Stories From the Brotherhood of the U.S. Navy SEALs by Scott McEwen and Richard Miniter. It truly takes the readers back into the origins of the SEALs, through training, graduation and missions where they were not always supported by our government through the politics that plague getting the job done.

Both of these authors share some of the infamous stories that we, as readers, may have heard about, but include details most of us have not heard. From Operation Red Wings in Afghanistan where the lives of Lt Michael Murphy, Senior Crew Chief Dan Healy, communications officer Dan Dietz, and sniper Matthew Axelson were lost to Fallujah which claimed the lives of U.S. Navy SEAL Scott Helvenston and three American Blackwater contractors whose bodies were left hanging from a city bridge over the Euphrates river; and finally the Benghazi attacks that have taken the lives of U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens, Gregory Hicks and Tyrone Woods both former U.S. Navy SEALs while our government sat back for hours and did nothing while watching live video feeds sent by drones of what was happening.

What is appalling reading this is why our government and even our current President did nothing to expedite the rescue of these men even though for weeks Ambassador Stevens asked for more security at the U.S. Embassy in Libya. Due to budget cutbacks they never provided him the assets he asked for even when violence was escalating and numerous attacks to the Embassy showed that insurgents were testing the response of what could be accomplished in small steps. How people sat back knowing there were five possible scenarios that could have saved the lives of Hicks and Woods but none of them were considered.

Included in this book are detailed timelines of even during the Benghazi attack, sample rescue scenarios from a military expert who believes that help could have reached Benghazi compound in time, as well as the U.S. House Republican Conference Interim Progress Report on the events surrounding the September 11, 2012 Terrorist Attacks on Benghazi.

I received Eyes on Target by Scott McEwen and Richard Miniter compliments of Center Street Publishing for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for my review and the opinions are strictly my own unless otherwise noted. It does provide the reader with enough details on what was happening during those attacks and what our own government response was and how they continue to intervene in playing politics when it comes to getting in the way of the SEALs getting the job done. It is saddening to see how in so many other situations this would never have happened, but why it unfolded the way it did on 9/11 needs to be addressed and resolved. There is too many questions that still remain to be answered by our own president and those that were in a position to provide help but didn't. I easily rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

The true stories of various missions are captivating. The detail of what happened at the Benghazi attack is shocking and it makes me sad to know that 2 valiant ex-seals died because of a a long list of what went wrong, knowing that it could have been avoided.

I recommend this book to all lovers of good quality true special forces books.

This book talks about the life and operations of a Navy SEAL. The book is written by a SEAL who speaks about the brotherhood and life as a SEAL and what is require to be one. I have read many SEAL books and I receive the same great American Indestructibility in this one as I did before with books like No Easy Day or Lone Survivor. This book highlights the works done by exceptional Americans who have paid the price to protect our freedom. I recommend this book to all Americans.

Went straight to the Operation Red Wings chapter...they kept writing that the helicopters carrying the seals were Black Hawks; they were in fact Chinooks. How can you not even get this right? Many other inaccuracies. Amateurs.

This is an excellent history of the Navy Seals. This story begins with the disasterous attempt to rescue the hostages in Iran. This effort was code named
Operation Eagle Claw. It was a total failure resulting in casualties.Another famous personality in the Seal ranks Richard Marcinko is also featured in this novel.He was one of the founding fathers in the formation of the Navy Seals. Another personality in the Seals was named Drago. He was the first Navy Seal
to be from a foreign country. He also proved to be a ferocious warrior. One of the most famous Seal operations was Operation Redwing. A Seal team of four Seals was sent into Afghanistan to assassinate a tribal chieftain who was also a Taliban terrorist leader. Three of the four Seals were killed in action
with Marcus Luttrell being the sole survivor.This story became a best selling book as well as a movie. Another operation in Seal history was in Fallujah.
Seals were accused of assaulting a terrorist leader. They were put on trial and found not guilty.In Benghazi the American embassy was attacked by elements in
Libya. One retired sniper held off the forces of evil. These Americans could get no help from the United States.All calls were ignored.
This is a very good book.

Authors Scott McEwen and Richard Minter give a detailed account of military actions, and
also follow through on plausible scenarios of What Might Have Been Done to alter tragic outcomes, specifically Benghazi, Libya, and the story of Christopher Stevens.

Would have liked a bit more detail on the capture/killing of Osama bin Laden, and not sure which I chose a four star rating.

Brilliant face paced knowledge-rich this book is a sparkling addition to any collection of militaria. Mr. Miniter brings to the work in an inexhaustible determination to ferret out the real story. And as an investigative journalist has literally worn out passport after passport traveling Africa, Europe, the Middle East and the Orient. Buy this book.

"In times of war or uncertainty there is a special breed of warrior ready to answer our Nation's call. A common man with uncommon desire to succeed.

Forged by adversity, he stands alongside America's finest special operations forces to serve his country, the American people, and protect their way of life.

Brave men have fought and died building the proud tradition and feared reputation that I am bound to uphold. In the worst of conditions, the legacy of my teammates steadies my resolve and silently guides my every deed. I will not fail." (Portions of the United States Navy SEAL - The SEAL Creed.

If you are a member, it doesn't matter where or when you served. You can show up uninvited at funerals of the youngest or oldest veterans and be hailed as a brother by total strangers. You can phone another SEAL whom you've never met and be taken for a drink. You might show up to mow the lawn of a widow whose husband died before you served. The bonds are strong partly because the group is so small. There have been fewer than three thousand U.S. Navy SEALs in the history of the world and about half of them are still alive. They all know, or know of, each other. The SEALs call themselves a "brotherhood," and they actually are one. What defines a SEAL is his unwillingness to never, ever give up. It requires extraordinary will in all three aspects of human existence: body, mind and spirit. Very, very few men are dominant in all three." (excerpt from Eyes on Target)

The SEAL Code

Loyalty to Country, Team, and Teammate

Serve with Honor and Integrity On and Off the Battlefield

Ready to Lead, Ready to Follow, Never Quit

Take Responsibility for your Actions and the Actions of Your Teammates

Excel as Warriors through Discipline and Innovation

Train for War, Fight to Win, Defeat our Nation's Enemies

Earn Your Trident every day.

I have always admired the hard work and dedication of our armed forces but none so much as the Navy SEALs especially after reading Eyes on Target: Inside Stories From the Brotherhood of the U.S. Navy SEALs by Scott McEwen and Richard Miniter. It truly takes the readers back into the origins of the SEALs, through training, graduation and missions where they were not always supported by our government through the politics that plague getting the job done.

Both of these authors share some of the infamous stories that we, as readers, may have heard about, but include details most of us have not heard. From Operation Red Wings in Afghanistan where the lives of Lt Michael Murphy, Senior Crew Chief Dan Healy, communications officer Dan Dietz, and sniper Matthew Axelson were lost to Fallujah which claimed the lives of U.S. Navy SEAL Scott Helvenston and three American Blackwater contractors whose bodies were left hanging from a city bridge over the Euphrates river; and finally the Benghazi attacks that have taken the lives of U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens, Gregory Hicks and Tyrone Woods both former U.S. Navy SEALs while our government sat back for hours and did nothing while watching live video feeds sent by drones of what was happening.

What is appalling reading this is why our government and even our current President did nothing to expedite the rescue of these men even though for weeks Ambassador Stevens asked for more security at the U.S. Embassy in Libya. Due to budget cutbacks they never provided him the assets he asked for even when violence was escalating and numerous attacks to the Embassy showed that insurgents were testing the response of what could be accomplished in small steps. How people sat back knowing there were five possible scenarios that could have saved the lives of Hicks and Woods but none of them were considered.

Included in this book are detailed timelines of even during the Benghazi attack, sample rescue scenarios from a military expert who believes that help could have reached Benghazi compound in time, as well as the U.S. House Republican Conference Interim Progress Report on the events surrounding the September 11, 2012 Terrorist Attacks on Benghazi.

I received Eyes on Target by Scott McEwen and Richard Miniter compliments of Center Street Publishing for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for my review and the opinions are strictly my own unless otherwise noted. It does provide the reader with enough details on what was happening during those attacks and what our own government response was and how they continue to intervene in playing politics when it comes to getting in the way of the SEALs getting the job done. It is saddening to see how in so many other situations this would never have happened, but why it unfolded the way it did on 9/11 needs to be addressed and resolved. There is too many questions that still remain to be answered by our own president and those that were in a position to provide help but didn't. I easily rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

The true stories of various missions are captivating. The detail of what happened at the Benghazi attack is shocking and it makes me sad to know that 2 valiant ex-seals died because of a a long list of what went wrong, knowing that it could have been avoided.

I recommend this book to all lovers of good quality true special forces books.

Started well but was just Obama bashing in the end. Facts are dodgy with the expectations that Air Force F-16s can just land on carriers anytime . F-16s can't land on carriers. Period. I had to put the book down.

They may be NY Times best selling authors, but not this time. Some minor interesting sea stories in the first seven chapters, but the rest is overwhelmingly obviously written from ignorance. They have no concept of the planning and preparation needed for deploying the military assets they claim would be so quick and easy. More interested in a hatchet job on the government and the people trying to do their jobs under the tension and uncertainty than dealing with reality.

Pretty good book, but not very well written...may redundant facts...I found one factual error: the author calls a AC130 a helicopter gunship when in fact a AC130 is a C130 outfitted with artillery, cannon, and machine guns.

The authors spend a good portion of the book dissecting all the failures of the Obama administration which led to the loss of four American lives including our Ambassador to Libya in Benghazi in 2012. They expose the fact that political motivations and spin took precedence over principle and good judgment. The total lack of leadership and competence in foreign affairs leads straight to the top of Hillary Clinton's State Department and Obama's White House. A must read.