No Ordinary Dog: My Partner from the SEAL Teams to the Bin Ladin Raid by Will Chesney

No Ordinary Dog: My Partner from the SEAL Teams to the Bin Ladin Raid by Will Chesney -310 pages

The author deployed as a Navy SEAL to Iraq and Afghanistan and eventually volunteered to be a dog handler and developed a close bond with his dog, Cairo. The book describes their training and missions -one of which nearly proved fatal for Cairo. After sustaining a traumatic brain injury from a grenade, the author went through a difficult recovery and was eventually allowed to adopt Cairo after dealing with a daunting amount of red tape. Once retired from combat, Cairo helped the author recover from his lasting injuries. This book is interesting for its descriptions of a fierce life-saving dog that also had a very easy-going personality and the important role of military dogs.

The Life and Legend of Chris Kyle, American Sniper, Navy Seal by Michael J. Mooney

The Life And Legend of Chris Kyle, American Sniper, Navy Seal by Michael J. Mooney, 129 pages

I had wanted to read Chris Kyle's book, American Sniper, but not sure how I felt about reading too much detail into his kills.  I had recently watched the movie American Sniper and very much enjoyed it.  I wanted to read more about the man Chris Kyle.  Michael J. Mooney writes a short concise biography about the legend we know as Chris Kyle.  I found this book exactly what I was looking for.  It gave me insight into Chris Kyle's life, both as a husband and father and as a Navy Seal.  This was a very well written and heart felt life story.  Chris Kyle was truly a man who died an American Hero.

Fearless by Eric Blehm

Fearless by Eric Blehm -257 pages

The subtitle, "The Undaunted Courage and Ultimate Sacrifice of Navy SEAL Team Six Operator Adam Brown," makes it clear this is a biography of a man who was admired by his peers. Brown's story is unique for several reasons. He lost his dominant right eye in training and still became a sniper using his left side. He also nearly lost the fingers of his right hand. Brown was known for mentoring new guys instead of hazing them and giving hundreds of shoes to Afghan children. But what makes this book an inspiring read has little to do with Brown's membership in an elite military unit. Incredibly, Adam Brown reached the top tier SEAL unit after years of hard core drug addiction as a civilian. The book details how he was able to overcome a destructive life to become a selfless teammate and family man. In a sad postscript, several of Brown's teammates who paid tribute to him in the book were killed before it was published when their helicopter was shot down in Afghanistan in 2011.