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  • The Operator

  • Firing the Shots That Killed Osama Bin Laden and My Years as a SEAL Team Warrior
  • Written by: Robert O'Neill
  • Narrated by: Robert O'Neill
  • Length: 9 hrs and 42 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (559 ratings)

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The Operator cover art

The Operator

Written by: Robert O'Neill
Narrated by: Robert O'Neill
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Publisher's Summary

Stirringly evocative, thought provoking, and often jaw dropping, The Operator ranges across SEAL Team Operator Robert O'Neill's awe-inspiring 400-mission career that included his involvement in attempts to rescue "Lone Survivor" Marcus Luttrell and abducted-by-Somali-pirates Captain Richard Phillips and culminated in those famous three shots that dispatched the world's most wanted terrorist, Osama bin Laden.

In this book O'Neill describes his idyllic childhood in Butte, Montana; his impulsive decision to join the SEALs; the arduous evaluation and training process; and the even tougher gauntlet he had to run to join the SEALs' most elite unit. After officially becoming a SEAL, O'Neill would spend more than a decade in the most intense counterterror effort in US history. For extended periods, not a night passed without him and his small team recording multiple enemy kills - and though he was lucky enough to survive, several of the SEALs he'd trained with and fought beside never made it home.

The Operator describes the nonstop action of O'Neill's deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, evokes the black humor of years-long combat, brings to vivid life the lethal efficiency of the military's Tier One units, and reveals firsthand details of the most celebrated terrorist takedown in history.

©2017 Robert O'Neill (P)2017 Simon & Schuster Audio

What the critics say

"Gripping...this story is impossible to put down.... What O'Neill has written is unique, surprising, a kind of counternarrative." (Doug Stanton, New York Times best-selling author of In Harm's Way and Horse Soldiers)
"O'Neill wrote himself into American history with the three shots he fired into Osama bin Laden...intensely moving and awe-inspiring." (Marcus Luttrell, New York Times best-selling coauthor of Lone Survivor and Service)

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Amazing... but

As a huge fan of any SEAL books, this one was intense. Always an overdrawn account of their time in BUDS... but Its always worth hearing over and over. The intense and dangerous training they go through gives credence to the farfetched stories of events during their ops and overall deployment.
The aggravating part is that he always blanks out that he's on SEAL team 6.
The term DEVGRU is never blanked out and he describes ops that only team 6 were a part of. It's no mystery he was part of team 6, and other Operators on the team have written similar books.... no need for the beeps

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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I’m Canadian

This book was one of the most interesting and motivating books I’ve read. Found it because of the interview the author did with Howard Stern and bought it immediately. The passion strength and heroism of the author is unmatched and the praise and commendations he gives to his squad and not him made me find a real sense of the SEAL life. I’ve been struggling and this book really helped me sharpen and focus my mind seeing just how hard men around the world are working at all times to preserve freedom. This man is an American hero if there ever was one,”. I highly recommend this book to ANYONE who loves war stories but more importantly loves a story of perseverance of the human mind and spirit. OOH RAH 208!

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    5 out of 5 stars
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What a book!

One of the best military books of all time. Rob’s account of the missions and interactions paint a picture in your mind that make it feel very real. I recommend this book to everyone.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Not exactly what I was expecting

Though the training is brutal and the stories are entertaining, I felt it fell a bit flat. There was far too much of its contents devoted to BUD/S training, trials. It picks up during his deployments but even then, the delivery was a bit disappointing. He’s very fond of ‘shooting in the face’ and kicking ass but I was left feeling that the SEALS were less elite than I thought they were. Perhaps this is because the author isn’t an author. I’m not sure.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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surprisingly emotional

the author did a great job narrating, loved all the historical facts surrounding the different missions talked about in this book, esp the Obama corresponded dinner

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This book is so powerful

I have finished this book twice and hung on to every word both times rob and the teams jump off the page and take you on a the life journey of seal. This book provides heartbreak,healing,motivation,action,fun times, hard times, grit and grind that these extraordinary people go through.

There is no one hero there is only the brotherhood

Rob does a seriously great job at narrating and I genuinely felt like I could imagine every moment.

Special shout out to Cairo cause dogs are awesome and service dogs deserve so much love for there own bravery

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Fantastic

What an impressive individual. This fellow has done an exceptional job with the telling of his time as a seal. Thanks

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Good story!

Good stuff! Was very easy to listen to.

Thank you for your service Mr. O’Niell.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Great book

Having listened to his story gives me hope that others will be as moved by his thoughts on positivity and that stress is self induced as I have been thanks O’Neil

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Amazing story

I absolutely loved every bit of it. The only negative is that I finished it and can't enjoy more.
Seriously though I absolutely loved it from start to finish.
Thank you for sharing.

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