First SEALs: The Untold Story of the Forging of America s Most Elite Unit - Hardcover

O'Donnell, Patrick K.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0306821729 ISBN 13: 9780306821721

Publisher: Da Capo Press, 2014

Synopsis

Beginning in the summer of 1942, an extraordinary group of men—among them a dentist, a Hollywood movie star, an archaeologist, California surfers, and even former enemies of the Allies—united to form an exceptional unit that would forge the capabilities of the Navy's Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams. Known as the Maritime Unit, it comprised America's first swimmer-commandos, an elite breed of warrior-spies who were decades ahead of their time when they created the tactics, technology, and philosophy that inspire today's Navy SEALs.

The pioneering men of the Maritime Unit conducted some of the most daring operations behind enemy lines and even survived one of the Third Reich's infamous concentration camps. But after the war, their astonishing record of activity and achievement was classified, lost, and largely forgotten...until now. In First SEALs, Patrick K. O'Donnell unearths their incredible history—one of the greatest untold stories of World War II.

About this title

About the Author:

Bestselling author Patrick K. O'Donnell is a military historian who has written eight previous books: Beyond Valor; Into the Rising Sun; Operatives, Spies, and Saboteurs; The Brenner Assignment; They Dared Return; We Were One (selected for the Marine Commandant's Professional Reading List); Give Me Tomorrow; and Dog Company. His numerous awards include the prestigious William E. Colby Award and the OSS Society's John Waller Award. He has also provided historical consultation for DreamWorks' award-winning miniseries Band of Brothers and for documentaries produced by the BBC, the History Channel, and Fox News. He served as a combat historian in a Marine rifle platoon during the Battle of Fallujah and is in demand as an expert speaker on WWII espionage, special operations, and counterinsurgency on the modern battlefield. Over the past twenty years, O'Donnell has interviewed more than 4,000 veterans who fought in America's wars, from WWI to Afghanistan, and specializes in "unearthing untold true stories that read like novels."

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Review:

Library Journal, 11/1/14

[A] well-written chronicle of the SEAL's World War I precursor, the Maritime Unit Through a combination of detective work in the National Archives and interviews with surviving members, O'Donnell successfully details the group's past, which provided the foundation upon which the modern SEALs were founded This engrossing account of previously unknown World War II history will be of interest to military aficionados of all levels.”

Tampa Bay Times, 11/5/14

Delves into the little-known World War II origins of the extraordinary military unit that is much in the news today.”

Sacramento Bee, 11/11/14

The Navy's Sea, Air and Land teams (SEAL) are rightfully legendary, but until now their origin has been obscured by time. In this behind-the-scenes history, readers learn how a World War II group known as the Maritime Unit became the template for today's elite special force.”

Internet Review of Books, 12/28/14
Patrick O'Donnell does a solid job of bringing the mostly forgotten founders of the OSS's Maritime Unit (MU) back to life Riveting descriptions of daring exploits This book would make a hell of a war movie.”

About this edition

• Publisher: Da Capo Press
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 0306821729
• ISBN 13: 9780306821721
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 320