I Am a SEAL Team Six Warrior

April 1, 2012
Abridged but not toned down, this young-readers version of an ex-SEAL sniper's account (SEAL Team Six, 2011) of his training and combat experiences in Operation Desert Storm and the first Battle of Mogadishu makes colorful, often compelling reading. "My experiences weren't always enjoyable," Wasdin writes, "but they were always adrenaline-filled!" Not to mention testosterone-fueled. He goes on to ascribe much of his innate toughness to being regularly beaten by his stepfather as a child and punctuates his passage through the notoriously hellacious SEAL training with frequent references to other trainees who fail or drop out. He tears into the Clinton administration (whose "support for our troops had sagged like a sack of turds"), indecisive commanders and corrupt Italian "allies" for making such a hash of the entire Somalian mission. In later chapters he retraces his long, difficult physical and emotional recovery from serious wounds received during the "Black Hawk Down" operation, his increasing focus on faith and family after divorce and remarriage and his second career as a chiropractor. Fans of all things martial will echo his "HOOYAH!"--but the troubled aftermath comes in for some attention too. (acronym/ordinance glossary, adult level reading list) (Memoir. 12-14)

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August 1, 2012

Gr 9 Up-This is an adaptation of the author's adult memoir of his time as a U. S. Navy SEAL Team Six sniper, simplified for teen audiences. Wasdin describes in detail his grueling training. As he says, "If I'm able to talk someone out of [becoming a SEAL], I'm just saving them time, because they really don't want it anyway." He also talks about his missions during Desert Storm and Mogadishu, Somalia, where SEALs, Delta Force, and Airforce Rangers were sent to capture the Warlord Aidid. Wasdin was shot three times during this mission and nearly lost his leg. He saw some men die in Somalia and would later fall into a depression that took years to overcome. This is a great book for teens interested in joining the military, adventure fans looking for something meatier, and guys in general. The action will keep all readers turning the pages wanting to see how the missions and training turned out. Wasdin also tells the story from the other side of the press, giving insight into military actions that are often criticized by the media and politicians. The author actually credits the physical abuse he sustained from his stepfather as preparation for his arduous training to become a Navy SEAL.-Erik Carlson, White Plains Public Library, NY

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2012
Grades 9-12 In this YA edition of his SEAL Team Six (2011), Wasdin first flies through traumatic childhood accounts of being beaten bloody by his drunken stepfather, experiences that he claims allowed him to become an especially hardened soldier. He then details the tortuous training regimen required to become a Navy SEAL and the even more excruciating process of becoming a sniper for the elite, ultrasecretive Team Six. After a later stint in Desert Storm, Wasdin found his mettle tested in the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu, the hellish operation dramatized in Black Hawk Down. Being the best of the best isn't likely to leave anyone short on ego, and Wasdin does his fair share of boasting about his own physical prowess and the SEAL Team Six's unflappable record. He also sticks in some conspicuous digs on the liberal media, the Clinton administration, and the frustrating bureaucracy of military red tape. But his incredible, insider looks at combat operations make for unputdownable reading, without an ounce of extraneous description in the lean, objective-driven writing. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: The adult version, published in 2011, capitalized on the serendipitously timed takedown of bin Laden to become a best-seller. SEAL Team Six remains very much in the forefront of the nation's attention, so expect similar demand for this edition.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)