A New York Times Extended eBook Bestseller and a Washington Post Political Bestseller
A Thrilling Read by a Real Operator
By Rule 556 (New England)
I’ll admit something in line one, I know Don Mann and it was my p to to serve with him at privilege to serve with him at the Naval Special Warfare Development Unit (DEVGRU). Don has seen things and done things few people can even imagine–and has served his country in the shadow places of the world. Inside SEAL Team Six takes readers on a rare inside view of the Team that took out Osama bin Laden, and gives us a picture of how arduous that service is. Don Details some of the missions he has participated in,– and they are amazing. His clear, clipped prose puts you on the line with the shooters at Six . Don’s book is a tribute to the operators who daily put their lives on the line for the country that they love. Highly recommended for its no BS depiction of the life of an operator.
A review of Don Mann’s book, “Inside SEAL Team Six, My Life and Missions with America’s Elite Warriors”
By ZyzzxGV (St. Petersburg, FL USA)
I’m pleased to say I have met Don Mann twice. Once at Primal Quest Utah, and again at Primal Quest Montana. I know him as the guy who heads up the toughest adventure races I’ve ever covered as a journalist. I’d heard he’d been a Navy SEAL, and that was interesting, but not the reason for our relationship. He answered my questions about whether adventure racing teams would climb Utah’s sandstone spires in electrical storms (they would not), or whether he thought the Crazy Mountains in Montana were aptly named (he said they were). He was the guy I interviewed when I wrote about Primal Quest.
So to read this new book, “Inside SEAL Team Six,” brought for me revelation after revelation about Don Mann, especially about his personal life. And my respect for him has quadrupled.
There’s a co-author on this book, Ralph Pezzullo. I don’t know how much of the wordsmithing was done by Mann vs Pezzullo, and honestly, I don’t care. The pace is brisk, the subject matter fascinating, and the ending satisfactory. I feel more informed about SEALs, but especially about the mindset required to be one, having read this book.
Throughout the book there is blacked-out text, or “redactions” of classified material. I found that if I paid close attention, the paragraphs that followed usually revealed what the Department of Defense wanted removed. That was not the case in the book’s final chapter, titled “ST-6 Today,” where the black marks were used to keep secret details of how ST-6 took down Osama bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan. I imagine that resourceful readers already know more about the raid than the DOD blacked out of Mann’s manuscript.
Any momentum lost by black marks in that final chapter is more than made up for in the touching epilogue, where Mann writes about a visit to his hometown of Methuen, Mass. It is my favorite part of the book. In these final pages, Mann humbly shows instead of tells how a local boy can make good in the big wide world, and it’s a true story. Hollywood tries to write this kind of plot every day and often falls short. Don Mann is no Hollywood production. He is flesh and blood. His character development is real, not fake. And I’m proud to say I read his book.
- Mike B.
INSIDE SEAL TEAM SIX: My Life and Missions with America’s Elite Warriors
By Michael Ostrolnk “Michael Ostrolenk” (Washington DC)
This review is from: Inside SEAL Team Six: My Life and Missions with America’s Elite Warriors (Kindle Edition)
Mr Mann’s book “Inside SEAL Team Six: My Life and Mission with America’s Elite Warriors” is a must read especially for anyone interested in going into Naval Special Warfare or other special mission units. I could not put it down, actually, I could not take stop listening to it. I first bought it on audio via audible.com. I was so impressed by the book in audio format, that I also ordered it in hardcover and on my kindle. It will also be on my short list for Christmas and Hanukkah gifts this year. A few things really intrigued me about the book. The first person accounts of the intense training SEAL’s go through as well as mission specific stories grabbed my attention. Mr. Mann’s almost insane drive for optimal levels of athleticism as well as extreme sports inspired me and wore me out just from reading about them. He’s not just superman but a real man as well and that comes through in the book quite clearly. The inspiration and insanity were balanced by heartache and the suffering of real life. He tells stories about his friends and family that can bring one to tears as well as open one’s heart. Mr. Mann is a warrior in the true sense of the word and makes me proud to be an American. I hope to see the book turned into a movie in the near future.
Best SEAL Team Book there is
By Wanna Be
I have trained with SEAL/s and SEAL candidates and read every book on the topic over the past 10 years. The Inside SEAL Team Six book is far and away the very best book Ive read. The life of Don Mann and the things he has done is simply amazing. He seems to be the real life version of Chuck Norris, Arnold Swartzneggar and Sylvester Stalone all in one. This book was a real page turner. Simply loved it!!
A leader earns his position, Don is a LEADER
By S. Boardman (Milwaukee wi)
Don Mann is not only one of the kindest people I know he truly exemplifies what it means to serve. Thrilled to pieces to get the word the book was coming out. It exceeds my expectations. If anyone has spent anytime with Don, he is the quiet riot that loves you and in the same breath takes you beyond what you ever thought was possible.
Don found his calling, keeping us safe while forever becoming the Leader he is. Thank you for giving your heart, your unwavering generous spirit and then somehow sharing that with us.
The SEALS put special in special forces.
Run, don’t walk to get this book
By Bill Raucci
Inside Seal Team Six is a riveting account of one man’s quest to become an Elite Navy Seal. Don Mann’s journey starts in his home town in Massachusetts and takes the reader on an incredible trip around the world. This book will make you laugh one moment and cry the next. His training not only as a Seal but as a Navy Corpsman in advanced medical procedures and using that training to save lives is simply inspiring. Mann’s internal will to be the best and out train the enemy left me drained at some points. His personel struggles and failings make you feel his pain realize the sacrifice these elite warriors face. There is something for everyone in this well written account of an American hero.
Great stories!
By WM Klemka (PA)
The book was entertaining, suspenseful and brought tears to my eyes. I appreciated the life stories of the author; it helped me appreciate his accomplishments. This book can serve as an inspiration to many young adults to give them direction and hope for a future in the military. The blocked out sentences and paragraphs were at times a distraction; but it is totally understandable with a book on this subject, they did not affect the readability or enjoyment of the book. I have recommended this book to my friends and family.
Danger Don
By mountainman I served with Don Mann in the US Navy in Newport RI when he was not only dreaming of becoming a SEAL, but also training himself to become a SEAL. He was determined to get to the Iron Man Challenge in Hawaii, and he made it, through sheer force of will-power, with no help from anyone, and a cheap bicycle to boot. While he always was a very generous and encouraging guy, he was also a little rough around the edges. Still, I was proud to be his friend and considered him a Navy brother. When I left the Navy in 1980, I worried that he was bound for trouble.
And he found it in the SEALs. I always wondered what happened to him, and 31 years later I have a book that tells me. He is a no-nonsence kind of guy and and this is a no-nonsence book. If anyone exemplifies sheer will-power, it is Don. In this book Don tells how he became a SEAL, how to stay alive in the most grueling circumstances, and how to persevere when most of us would just give up and go home. You aren’t going to learn any military secrets here, as the government has redacted parts of the book, but you will learn secrets of living that only some people seem to know. The book reminds me of how he taught me to surf in Rhode Island. He gave me his surf board, pointed to the waves and said “Surf!” It really was a simple as that. Just get off your a– and do it! No big mystery here, just another shining example of how one humble man dragged himself through hell and came back to tell about it. A great read, I finished it before I realized I was almost done! An inspirational biography and a look into the real world of the best fighting unit in the world. The United States Navy SEALs!
Great Read!
By Evan
This was a great read. Its a shame I did it in one day but I couldn’t put it down. I know people’s opinions tip from side to side but lets face it, if we took everyone’s opinions on what would be the perfect book, it would be the size of a tractor trailer. Having said that, the information and story were great! Many parts were blacked out due to the censorship of the sensitive nature of the information but its is to be expected with a topic like this. Very interesting to keep the blacked out lines in the book. Adds to the mystery of how much is deleted. For those who are very familiar to this topic, it can be a fun challenge trying to figure out whats been censored.
Great Book!
By TX Girl
Inside Seal Team Six, by Don Mann is a very interesting and inspiring account. While I understand why other reviewers are frustrated with the redacted sections, this book does provide what is promised – a look inside the lifestyle and mission sets of America’s most elite SEALs. If you want to know what it takes to become a SEAL and then progress to to become one of the few that can say they were with “Six,” then this is a book for you. You also get to see that these men are real people too and not robots. They struggle with the types of family issues and tragedies that we all face. However, they must press on because the mission and the needs of the Nation call.
Many people have already reviewed this great book, but for reasons different than my own.
The focus is usually on Don Mann’s experience in Seal Team Six, and in special ops in the Middle East since his retirement; and rightfully so. This is not only where mainstream interest lies, but where Don’s greatest contribution to American society lies as well.
My reaction to the book was very personal, however. I’ve known Don for about ten years. I’ve always referred to him as my “adventure racing mentor,” because when I first got into the sport I attended his six-day adventure racing academy in Virginia. I came home from that week completely jazzed about the sport, and I don’t believe it was solely because of the attractions of the sport itself (although I must confess that the idea of traveling through the wilderness, for days on end, in co-ed teams that must survive through team work, strategy and sheer toughness was always very appealing to me). But it was also because of Don’s presentation. He conveys passion in a quiet, mild-mannered way; he has seemingly endless reserves of physical endurance but also of sensitivity; he is the paragon of toughness, but also of patience and kindness. I remember during the registration for my first race, the difficult two-day Endorphin Fix, a swarm of racers thronged the site and Don must have had a million things to take care of. I told him I was having trouble packing my backpack and he made me feel as if he had absolutely nothing else to do at that moment but give me a lesson in gear organization. That’s how he is.
I laughed and cried throughout the book. My own childhood was also fraught with what Don calls, in the early pages of the book, “a craving for danger, action and adventure.” And like Don, I found it in all the wrong places initially; things that could have gotten me killed or arrested. Don says, “I was a bat-out-of-hell, shit-kicker motorcycle punk” and describes scenes of New England biker bars, hair-raising cop chases, drugs and violence.
But eventually he learns to channel all the fire into something truly useful. And there’s a lesson for all of us in his life story. “Most people have no idea of what their full potential is,” he says memorably. “One of my mottoes is Blood from Any Orifice. Because I figure that if you don’t push beyond what you think your limits are, you’ll never know your true abilities.”
Could anything ring any truer? And I realize that even as a corporate dropout, world traveler, expedition-length adventure racer and volunteer mountain rescuer, I never managed to push my limits the way Don did. Few of us have, in fact.
There were stories throughout the book that I’d heard Don tell before, or heard through the adventure-racing grapevine, but never been able to place in such a meaningful context before. Stories about having toenails removed, or passing out from over-exertion after a workout; but also really painful events like when Dawn Mann’s son was shot while Don and Dawn were in the middle of running a Beast of the East race. There was Mark Burnett’s ruinous railroad operation on Don’s first major race plans, for a Beast in Alaska. And Don selling his Harley and mortgaging his house to finance Odyssey Adventure Racing. I realize now that most of these things happened while Don continued to serve his country in overseas operations that he couldn’t talk about. We were already impressed with Don’s amazing “fire in the belly” and we didn’t even know the half of it!
But my favorite story is one that I’m quite sure I never heard before reading the book. While competing in his first Raid Gauloise, Don says he hallucinated a beautiful Chinese girl in the river on the paddling section of the race. Funny. Because during Primal Quest Utah, the toughest race I ever did and one that Don put on, I hallucinated an Asian woman kneeling on the front of my kayak during the paddling section, and kept telling my teammates we had to pull over because of it.
My friends in adventure who know Don Mann, if you haven’t already read this book, now you see that you must. But for anyone else this book is a must-read too. Read it for insight into the elite team of Seals that took out Bin Laden; read it for the great lessons it can teach our youth who don’t know what to do with their potentially destructive energy; or read it for the inspiring co-existence of a action-hero tough guy and a truly great humanitarian who is not afraid to express compassion and love. Just as long as you read it.
What a story! What a life!
By Diane H.
I just finished reading Inside Seal Team Six, and it is fabulous. What a story! What a life!
First, let me say a huge thank you for serving our country. Second, thank you for writing this story–your story. I had no idea about the training Navy SEALs undergo. And I am so thankful we have elite Special Forces to defend and protect our country. The SEALs are the best of the best.
Thank you again for writing the book.
by Joseph W.
It was a pleasure and honor to read. I wish you and your family a healthy, happy, and wonderful New Year.
Just read your book Seal Team Six. Age 57. Retired at age 42 as firefighter after church collapse.
Three neck fusions..back fusion..13 remodling surguries.
Been struggling a bit lately, Your book relit the fire.
Much appreciated.
Excellent!!!
by Christian S.
I just finished Seal Team Six and thought it was excellent!!!
Your hard work and dedication to achieving your goals is very
motivating and inspiring!
Thanks for your service to our country!!
The greatest book on the topic to date.
As a former Spec Ops Operator who has worked with Don- I can honestly say that this book is %100 accurate and in my view, the greatest book on the topic to date. In the Spec Ops community- don is a legend who has walked his talk. This book is a direct inside view of an elite Tier #1 operator and only a small portion of the actual operations that don and six have done….this is a must read by a true warrior…
Learn the real meaning of heroism.
Don Mann has written a compelling work about the extraordinary lives of those inside Seal Team Six. From the beginning, he grabs your attention with a personal account of one astonishing incident after another about a life that could easily have gone in another direction. He has given us memorable and inspirational lessons in leadership, courage, loyalty, and patriotism with remarkable insight about the ‘best of the best.’ Don explains the obvious need for the redactions so be aware, get beyond them and learn the real meaning of heroism.
You are my main inspiration in life!
by Dexter
Hello Mr.Mann, I look up to you more than anyone else. You are my main inspiration in life! Especially since I have aspired to enter the SEALs since the 7th grade. I’m only 16 and if your even reading this id love to hear back from you! I would love to ask you a few questions about the actions I should take to accomplish my goal of being involved in that service for my life as a career. I read your book as well, very amazing man you are. So please email me back when you get the time!
You are a GREAT American!
by Matt H.
Just read “Inside Seal Team Six” in 2-days……WOW! Great story of your life and very moving for me – You are a GREAT American!
You give the word “tough” a whole new meaning.
by Bill and Diane P.
Inside SEAL Team SIX is amazing! It is hard to understand how you can still be alive after what your body has endured. You give the word “tough” a whole new meaning. James Bond looks like a wimp compared to you. I am so glad that you are on our side!
Thank goodness for Chief Mann!
by Pappy
As a retired Army Special Forces operator I’ve read and continue to enjoy reading books from the other Services’ special operations forces. I’d read “SEAL Target Geronimo” several weeks ago and had, frankly, sworn I’d not read another SEAL authored book for some time to come given how poorly it was written and how, IMHO, misguided the former ST6 author was to have written it at all.
I hope there is more to come. De Oppresso Liber!
I discovered Don Mann’s book while changing planes on a recent trip and on a hunch bought it.
Don and his co-author offer a great story and an intense read. There’s something for everyone in this book and more than a few highly personal / motivational insights and “lessons learned”. Don’s good-natured (mostly) digs at us “Green Berets” reminded me of all the equally good-natured (mostly) shots we enjoyed and still enjoy taking at our SEAL brothers. His hard-earned and totally objective view of how we in Special Operations view the loss of our teammates in training brought back a few memories and reminders, as well.
I was surprised the author team did not simply provide the Navy’s reviewers with material showing that much of what is redacted (to a distracting degree while reading the book) was and is previously available in the public and should have been left in the book. This takes a little time to research and compile but letting the reviewers get nearly everything they wanted was absurd, especially toward the ending. If not completely clean for publication I’d like to have seen Don and Mr. Pezzullo rewrite the objected to material in such a way it would have conveyed what the author wanted to convey without necessarily compromise.
It the “black bars of secrecy” were left in for some form of spooky effect they, IMHO, failed to do more than cause the chapters affected to lose their otherwise tenor, tone, and high energy pace. Please don’t do this again!
Most of all this, to me, helped in a positive way to blunt the earlier book mentioned. Chief Mann was clearly a monster on the midway, a dedicated warrior and SEAL operator with a lifetime of credentials and experiences, and a man whose own story and stories about others can and will inspire people from all walks of life.
For a SEAL Don didn’t do too bad with his first literary effort :) I hope there is more to come. De Oppresso Liber!
Thanks for the journey
by Bill Wamsley
It is rare that I read a book in one sitting. However, Mann’s book dealing with Seal Team Six was a page turner. I was impressed not so much with the inner workings of the Teams. There has been numerous books covering our Special Ops Community. What I found impressive was Mann’s journey and his commitment to a dream.
There are few people that can overcome such a rebellious childhood and the tragedies of his life. His determination and focus on his goals and fellow operators are indeed worthy of our respect and thanks.
I highly recommend this book for those seeking a renewal of faith in setting goals and in the renewal of faith in the basic honesty and sacifice of all our military protectors.
Well done Chief Mann….thanks for the journey.
A very good book
by Kenneth D. Jones
A very good book, action packed but also showed a personal side as well. I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to everyone.
A great piece from which we can learn a lot
by Scotty Maurer
This was a very well written, and very personal account of a career SEAL. What was interesting most about it is hard to pin-down; the amount of redacting that eludes to the author’s physical part in it, the turbulent youth, or how it accurately displays a common crisis in the military (the deployment cycle, lack of down time, precedence of mission over self) were all equally engaging. Chief is a beast. Read on about the extreme adventure sports and personal dedication, fanatical even, to physical fitness and ability to accomplish the myriad of complex mission that ST-6 may… or may not… have to accomplish. Great piece for anyone inside the military or who might be a fan of black ops. PICK.THIS.UP.
Exciting and truthful and a real story
by Larry A.
Exciting and truthful and a real story. The Seals are an amazing group of dedicated warriors. God bless these men.
MUST READ, RUN TO THE BOOKSTORE AS FAST AS YOU CAN
I read this book so fast I was finished before I new I was near the end. It made me hungry for more! Mr. Mann details his troubled childhood and his early Navy days before he was a SEAL in order to tell a story about a young man who, by sheer force of will power, overcame not only his troubled childhood but also everything the Navy could throw at him in SEAL training. His insane athleticism inspires and wears the reader out. It seems he always had a new goal, a new challenge in his drive to excel. He gives some details of actual missions, which were then redacted by goverwnment censors (he leaves the lines, blacked out, in place, which I thought was a clever touch), but in the interest of protecting our existing Special Forces Operators, of course he left a lot to the imagination. Still, the book provides insight into what kind of training our elite forces are undergoing, and how special they really are. Reading this book made me laugh, cry, cheer and hoot. Mr. Mann’s infectious personality is in this book. He curses like a sailor, tends to the wounded like Mother Teresa, and uplifts the reader with his story of his life. He is a true hero and you will feel the same after reading this book.
Inside Seal Team Six should be mandatory reading for anyone headed down the wrong path.
by Butch W.
I have just finished reading your amazing book of dedication, determination and courage. It really gives an inside perspective of what it takes to be a Seal. One thing that really made an impression on me was your statement that “ANYTHING IS POSSIBE IF YOU WORK HARD AND PREPARE”. This is so true in life and you are certainly a great example of that. Inside Seal Team Six should be mandatory reading for anyone headed down the wrong path. Thank God for you and the Navy Seals.
Facinating as well as inspirational.
by Clay
Don, your book, “Inside Seal Team Six” is facinating as well as inspirational. Have read and listened to several “Seal” books. Your book particulary piqued my interest because I am an endurance athlete as well. Thank you for serving our country.
Runaway bestseller.
by Mike B.
Inside SEAL Team Six is a runaway bestseller. This is as good as the Robert Baer books about his days with the CIA.
GET THE BOOK!
Don Mann is possibly one of the most selfless, kind and unstoppable person I know. Was always in awe of his grace under pressure. We will get the fabulous chance to get to know how that was nurtured and his born with leadership skills were brought to the surface. I love that quiet riot in him. GET THE BOOK!
This is the first book I have read cover to cover in 5 years
by Warren K.
I just finished reading Inside SEALTteam Six. This is the first book I have read cover to cover in 5 years (I am 41). As a busy father, committed christian, accomplished runner, and active businesman – I don’t usually have time to read books… One of my best employees is a naval academy grad so I can see where military diligence and dedication are valuable traits in life.
The best message I got from your book was that of preperation, and the pursuit of excelling in whatever it is you do. I also like your message about turning ones life around and earning 2nd chances…. Our Lord Jesus is a true inspiration to all who come to him. Once the economy turns around, we would love to have you come in as a potential inspirational speaker for my company.
Great read and great motivation!
by Dillon G.
Mr. Mann, Rear your book Inside SEAL Team 6 yesterday…. 24 hours later I have put in 9.23 miles. Great read and great motivation!
Can’t put it down.
by Matt B.
Your book is phenomenal. Can’t put it down. Would love to see what’s behind the black block out!
A must read.
Mr Mann’s book “Inside SEAL Team Six: My Life and Mission with America’s Elite Warriors” is a must read especially for anyone interested in going into Naval Special Warfare or other special mission units. I could not put it down, actually, I could not take stop listening to it. I first bought it on audio via audible.com. I was so impressed by the book in audio format, that I also ordered it in hardcover and on my kindle. It will also be on my short list for Christmas and Hanukkah gifts this year. A few things really intrigued me about the book. The first person accounts of the intense training SEAL’s go through as well as mission specific stories grabbed my attention. Mr. Mann’s almost insane drive for optimal levels of athleticism as well as extreme sports inspired me and wore me out just from reading about them. He’s not just superman but a real man as well and that comes through in the book quite clearly. The inspiration and insanity were balanced by heartache and the suffering of real life. He tells stories about his friends and family that can bring one to tears as well as open one’s heart. Mr. Mann is a warrior in the true sense of the word and makes me proud to be an American. I hope to see the book turned into a movie in the near future.
Thank you.
by Mitch S.
Mr. Mann, I’ve read many books about many things, but your the first author I’ve ever been compelled to write after finishing their book. A simple thanks doesn’t sound like enough, but thank you all for all that you have sacrificed and suffered thru, both personal, and professionally and all that you’ve done for our country.
SO excited for another of Don Mann’s books
by Shirlry V.
SO excited for another of Don Mann’s books…Know many of my friends would love to read the INSIDE Seal Team Six…Don is one of the most amazing, yet humble men I’ve ever met…competed in one of the 1st Ironman events, climbed(s) the some of the highest peaks in the world, fights the most intense rapids, bikes crazy terrain…trains civilians in the Seal methods…has produced Primal Quest’s 500 mile extreme adventure competitions…
This one is the best. by far.
by Josh McDonough
Like so many people I share a fascination with military special operations, more notably the US Navy SEALs and their elite cut; Seal Team Six. In fact, as a kid , joining Seal Teams was my aspiration. Dramatic events eliminated my moving forward toward this objective.
The teams have remained of high interest all these years later and I have read several books and articles. This one is the best. by far.
Don Mann recounts things that are familiar to me; growing up as a hell raiser in and around Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire and then turning a corner to channel his intense energy in directions that he (and we) should be tremendously proud of.
And then there are experiences that only the most driven, fierce and fortunate could live. These include, BUD/s, covert deployments and operations, sustained injuries (plus fighting through and past them), marathons, ironmans, Advanced Training Director for the worlds most elite- SEAL TEAM SIX(!!!) and ultra adventure endurance racing.
This is one tough Operator and Instructor who has been called the toughest in SpecOps by some.
What I liked is how matter of fact the tone of the book was with absence of bravado- i.e., the is what i did, this is what got in the way, this is how I got past it, through perseverance or flat out luck.
I was hit by how motivated and, at the same time humbled, Mr. Mann told his story. And, revealed the highs, lows, personal details, thrills, action and even shortcomings of his life to date.
It made me take on a deeper appreciation for what our militaries best do. It also forced me to look at myself in a more ambitious and humbling light…… It lit a fire in me. I thank him for that.
I could not recommend this book with greater confidence that the reader will take away excitement, value and understanding.
The only disappointment I had was when the story came to an end.
by Brian Fathke
The book jacket for Inside Seal Team Six caught my eye so much that I read the description. And that interested me even further so I read the introduction–all this while I was standing at the book aisle in the store. I bought the book–one of the first ones I’ve ever spent my money on! That night I spent hours reading it. I was caught up in Dan Mann’s life story, especially before he was in the Navy. The way it was written made me feel as if I actually knew him–sneaking smokes, building go-cars, and even getting into trouble on his dirt bike. His life as a Navy SEAL was really interesting. I was fascinated with the things they did like HALO and HAHO jumps. The book captured the life of a SEAL and made you feel proud of the men who do the job. If more book were written like this I would probably read a lot more. The only disappointment I had was when the story came to an end.
» Click here to read all the reviews.
Order your copy now: Amazon.com | BN.com | BooksaMillion.com | Powells.com
