I thought that I knew alot about the Navy SEALS and their training, but boy was I wrong. Dick Couch did a great job at taking us from day one at Indoc of 114 gung-ho soldiers, down to the last remaining 20 that actually made it through and were secured by the BUD/S staff. This was a quick read, mostly because i refused to put it down. I felt like I was in there with the soldiers, sweating and painfully progressing through grinder PT, the O-course, Hellweek, tests, and evolutions. If you are even remotely thinking of trying out for SEAL training, than this is definately required reading. Although, even if your not, its still a great book if your interested in reading about what some of our elite soldiers must go through everyday just to call themselves "elite". Hollywood has it all wrong, and you'll quickly see that after just reading a few chapters. This will definately be remembered as one of my favorite books. Great work!

I bought this book after reading Marcus Luttrell's "Lone Survivor". Dick Couch does a very good job of describing what it takes to become a SEAL. There's just enough character developmentbehind the scenes to make you feel like you know some of the candidates going through the process. Couch's book was good enough that I purchases 2 other titles by him after reading this. This book is worth your time.

You are probably looking at this book because you are interested in Navy SEALs like myself. If you are interested in SEALs then you won't be disapointed in this book. I decided to pick this book up and was I impressed. The whole time the author was telling the story I felt like I was actually there with the class. It's a quick read but not in a disappointing way.

Terrific book. If you are interested in "things" that are military you will enjoy this work. The book takes you right into the action of what it is like to train to become a Navy Seal and it is very hard to put down.

Dick Couch does an outstanding job describing the experiences of BUD/S Class 228 throughout their training evolutions. You get a true understanding of what it takes to become a Navy SEAL.

I've read this book twice and LOVE reading about the BUDS experience. Anyone considering a move into the Special Operations community should read this book cover to cover.

This book was excellent and I know at least a few other guys that I went through similar USAF training with that used it as motivation. It is well written and you can clearly see the author's care for his subject.

Ever wonder if you would be able to make it through SEAL school ??

This will make you think long and hard about it.

If you can make it through the fitness tests, and the skills tests and the water tests, all the time having a fresh set of Instructors in your face, everytime you breath wrong.

You get to "try" and make it through "Hell Week", not many do.....

Having been a "guest" Instructor, I can say, this book is as close as you can come to being in SEAL school, without being a "sand cookie".

I got it quickly and in tact. It's a great blow by blow of as much of the process as you're gonna get without actually being there. It's a great read and I finished it in about a week or so. I also own the BUDS CLASS 234 DVDs and the amount of detail that this book offers over the DVDs fully justifies buying it. You won't be disappointed.

There's a lot to like about this book. Couch - a SEAL himself - had unprecedented access to the SEAL training program, and was given a wide berth to write about it in detail. As an overview of an incredibly grueling training process, with access most of us will never have, it's solid.

Ultimately, however, Couch isn't up to the task of documenting what's put before him. The writing is intensely mediocre.

First, he fails to adequately some activities (such as log PT) well enough for the reader to actually understand what's going on. This is a common mistake among writers with inadequate editorial guidance. He doesn't know what his readers don't know, so fails to explain some things.

Secondly, Couch doesn't dig to find stories. At the end of the book, you don't feel like you know the members of class 228 as individuals. Sure, you can recite the litany of body-breaking obstacles they overcame, but who are they? Why should we care about these people? Only a few of them are singled out for meaningful individual comment, and they get praise of the blandest variety. No personality comes through.

Lastly, Couch doesn't get into the nitty-gritty of tactical training at all. Evidently there's a technique which helps the trainees swim faster, but Couch can't be bothered with so much as a paragraph to explain what it is. We're told the trainees study military tactics, but the tactics themselves are never explained. Technical detail - so I learned something about how SEALs think and operate - could have compensated for Couch's failure to find individual stories, but is sadly absent from this book.

I have a few friends who were SEALs and this book definitely increased my respect for them. I can't imagine going through what they went though.

On the other hand, I learn more about what SEALs do, and how they do it, from one of my friends' stories than I did from this book. There was tremendous potential in what Couch set off to accomplish ... but sadly, he didn't reach it.

This is an excellent book not just for the military junkie, but for anyone who needs to take action in their life. What these BUD/S trainees go through every single day is more exciting than an average workout all week. The stories in the first 3/4 of the book are enthralling. The end kind of drags, but there's some excellent words of advice from the author that you can take with you to live an inspiring life. Easy read from cover to cover.

This was a great book, and I nearly gave it five stars. It's a detailed observation of Navy SEAL training, written by a man who was once a SEAL himself. Incredibly informative, the author's finest moment (in my opinion) is when he breaks down the reasons why some men succeed in BUD/S, and some Drop On Request. The instructors don't even take bets as to which candidates will remain at the end of training, because all too often they are surprised.

So why only four stars? Because the book really doesn't go beyond being an "observation." As a reader, you may feel like you are watching the action, but you don't feel as if you are actually there. Couch doesn't get inside the thoughts or emotions of the men involved very often; he mainly just reports what he sees.

As one other reviewer noted, "Inside Delta Force" by Eric Haney delivers exciting content with a writing style that really puts you in the middle of the action--I highly recommend that book, as well.

"The Warrior Elite" is definitely worth reading, especially if you're looking to join the SEALs. (It's good to know what you're in for.) A good companion to this book is the Discovery Channel documentary about the Navy SEALs. After reading this book, you can check out the documentary for a good visual of all the stuff you just read about. It's not as detailed, of course, but a great way to round out the whole experience.

Mr Couch has done an excellent job in writing this book, while accompanying the SEAL Class 228. I enjoyed this book very much and recommend it to all people who are interested in understanding the intense training. The details are great and Mr Couch has done a tremendous job of providing it from his privileged access. I would also recommend to those that are considering becoming a SEAL as a primer of what to look forward to and prepare for.

Wow! I can not imagine how these young men go though this. They are truly inspiring. Couch's detailed descriptions allow you join these warriors in the making on their journey that forges our elite warriors; the navy seals.

What does it take to be one of the few? A true Warrior in the skeptical face of a modern world and a people who often find the idea more fantasy or idealistic than reality.

Take a cultural, personal and life-changing journey with Seal Class 228 as they go through the long process of becoming Navy Seals. What do they have to do, why these men, what is the cost, what are these men willing to do to receive the coveted title of Navy Seal?

Dick Couch, a former Seal himself, gives an intimate look at what these men must go through: from physical training, the most difficult in the world, to more advanced techniques such as combat and sharp-shooting skills. By telling the stories of these men, from the students to the teachers, Couch gives us a unique perspective of Seal ideals that began decades ago, based on the honor, blood and sweat, dedication and bravery of Navy frogmen before them and tenants that remain true to this day.

I had no previous knowledge or understanding of the Navy or the military in general, so I was initially worried about jargon and how in-depth the history would be. As it turns out, while Couch does give a brief outline of how the Seals were created and the divisions of the teams and history of the training, it is not so overdone in technical descriptions but enough for the general reader to get a grasp of the organization of such a force. It is not a historical description of the Navy or of Navy Seals, but the human element of a special forces team. The wonderful element is the personalization of the men that Couch is allowed to interview and interact with. Real men, real stories, nothing but.

It's obvious that Couch is very proud of the trade and of the men who have the strength and mental determination to bear through the physical pain. His enthusiasm, detailed, well-written and subjective perspective is why I enjoyed this book so much. Some parts drag on but it's well worth the read, a book that everyone should read...

What does it take to be one of the few? A true Warrior in face of a modern world and a people who often find the idea more entertaining than a possibility.

Take a cultural, personal and life-changing journey with Seal Class 228 as they go through the long process of becoming Navy Seals. What do they have to do, why these men, what is the cost, what are these men willing to do to receive the coveted title of Navy Seal?

Dick Couch, a former Seal himself, gives an intimate look at what these men must go through: from physical training, the most difficult in the world, to more advanced techniques such as combat and sharp-shooting skills. By telling the stories of these men, from students to teachers, Couch gives us a unique perspective of Seal ideals that began decades ago, based on the honor,blood and sweat, dedication and bravery of Navy frogmen before them and tenants that remain true to this day.

I had no previous knowledge or understanding of the Navy or the military in general, so I was initially worried about jargon and how in-deph the history would be. As it turns out, while Couch does give a brief outline of how the Seals were created and the divisions of the teams and history of the training, it is not so overdone in technical descriptions but enough for the general reader to get a grasp of the organization of such a force. The wonderful element is the personalization of the men that Couch is allowed to interview and interact with. Real men, real stories, nothing but.

It's obvious that Couch is very proud of the trade and of the men who have the strength and mental determination to bear through the physical pain. His enthusiasm, detailed, well-written and subjective perspective is why I enjoyed this book so much. Some parts drag on but it's well worth the read, a book that everyone should read...

I think one of Dick Couch's great strengths as an author is his ability to put us in there and help us get to know the people in his pages. Warrior Elite was exceptional for that reason. I have a huge amount of respect for SOF and seeing what these guys go through to be selected and prepared for their work only deepens that respect. Couch's style is not overly "military." The book is easy to read and truly enjoyable. You don't have to have a lot of knowledge going into it, but people who really know their stuff will appreciate the attention to detail shown by the author.

This book is a very interesting description of the beginning of some of the best warriors in the world. The heart and dedication of the young men who put themselves through BUD/s training is unbelievable. Dick Couch captures the essence of the training better than any other book I have read on the Navy SEALs. Highly recommended.

This book is no joke. A SEAL wannabee myself, I found myself questioning whether I had the pure guts it takes to finish this thing. If you haven't fallen flat on your face from exhaustion and your not dead, then you haven't given it your all. That's the most important point I took away from this book. I would suggest the follow up book to this one, "The finishing school". It's about the SQT following BUD/s. It's dry if your not interested in becoming a SEAL, but informative if you are.

This book is no joke. A SEAL wannabee myself, I found myself questioning whether I had the pure guts it takes to finish this thing. If you haven't fallen flat on your face from exhaustion and your not dead, then you haven't given it your all. That's the most important point I took away from this book. I would suggest the follow up book to this one, "The finishing school". It's about the SQT following BUD/s. It's dry if your not interested in becoming a SEAL, but informative if you are.

My son is a Navy Seal and I verified with him that this book very accurately represents the life of a Seal in training. I highly recommend it!

This book should be mandatory reading for anyone thinking about attempting to acquire the Trident Pin. Warrior Elite is very well written and is easy to follow. Towards the end he does tend to go into too much detail but by an large he keeps the reader very interested. It is no wonder why only 13% of the original class of 228 successfully made it through without setbacks. You don't have to be a military veteran (which I am a proud one) to appreciate this book. If anything, the reader is given countless reasons to appreciate these extraordinary men. From indoctrination to all three phases, Couch provides the reader details of exactly what these gentlemen go through. Outstanding book that I guarantee will keep your attention -- that or you'll be doing push-ups.

Dick Couch takes you on a good look into the training of Seal Class 228. His way of writing is easy to read and the book is laid out well and informative. I did not care for his attempts at ego shots towards the Army schools that provide specialized training to the other services along with the seals. I'm sure you can tell that this is my biased opinion though :-)
All in all it was a good read.

As Dick Couch follows class 228 through BUD/S, the reader gets a very personal view of individual's experiences during each phase of training. Couch's detailing of the progress of the trainees as the weeks went on makes the reader feel like a spectator rather than just a reader. This book is captivating, informative, and inspirational!

Marina Kushner
Author
The Truth About Caffeine: How Companies That Promote It Deceive Us and What We Can Do about It

The Warrior Elite, written by Dean Couch, is an excellent account of the type of training that makes a Navy Seal. The author is with class 228 from start to finish, detailing how many there are (and most of the time how many are left), what they are doing, how they are doing it, and why.

The book is a page-turner for sure and, though in itself interesting stuff, the author doesn't detract at all from the suspense, challenge, and ultimate victory (for some) that entails Navy Seal training. In fact, the author's no-nonsense layout of the training fits the subject matter perfectly. Seen through his eyes, the story of class 228 is stripped of all non-essential happenings, leaving you and I--the readers--with the ability to focus on the struggle and the people struggling.

Speaking for myself, this makes the book much more interesting, and it makes the ultimate value of this book for a general audience much more realizable. Knowing what makes an "elite warrior" on the battlefield is helpful if one wants to be a master of their own trade, whatever that is. In detailing the class of 228's training, Couch gives his readers exactly that knowledge--though it's up to each reader to induce the general principles.

Here's my recommendation: When you catch yourself starting to whine about how hard your everyday life is or when you are wondering what it would take to really master your profession, stop by your local bookstore, pick up this book, take a rest, and then witness the making of Navy Seal class 228. You will see pretty quickly how easy your life is in comparison, and you will be shown the path to success in any field: precise, clear thinking, lots of hard work, repetition, and persistence.

Being in the Navy, and with unrealized macho ambitions, I bought this book to try to understand the people who shoot and get shot at for a living. This book is an amazing account for the27 weeks journey of a groupd of men through their initial training. It illustrates the amazing physical condition, the determination and, suprisingly, the luck that got these men through the training. Not that they got through on luck, but that some others were simply unlucky and didn't make it.

As a simple military tale, it is great reading, but for those who like to find deeper meaning in their books, this offers that in spades. It is an amazing account of what one person can accomplish if they are absolutely committed and willing to put up with any kind of pain. Makes getting up a running a few miles seem like a cakewalk.

If you are interested in Seal training and you want to know the aspects of it, well I would recommend you read this book. This book is full of great detail and exciting details about the training that our Navy's finest go through. My hats are off to the men who endure this training. So I think if you are a wanna be this should be you next purchase.

Dick Couch, being a former SEAL, follows the Class of 228 in the '90s to document BUD/S training. BUD/S is among the toughest, if not the toughest school you can take part in the military on an international scale, because it deals with spending long days in the water. If you look at other schools, they all have something to do with land exercises and being miserable, but BUD/S is one that pits man against a natural fear - the possibility of drowning. Candidates are taught how to be more comfortable in water than on land, and this makes the SEALs the best choice for water operations, and they are good enough to hold their own on land with other special operators. Dick has to ask himself and others how training has changed, whether it has gotten harder or easier since his days in the Vietnam era. When Dick went to BUD/S, the U.S. was in a war and needed SEALs as soon as they graduated, lowering the quality of BUD/S graduates somewhat. However Dick maintains that they are all brothers no matter the time, and you can find this high esprit de corps throughout all his books. Everyone is on the same team fighting for a common cause. It lists BUD/S training in detail and is recommended for those who want to attend it to get a sense of what they're getting into. Highly recommended to see how SEALs get made.

This is an OK review of SEAL initial training as the Navy and SEALs would like it presented. As such, it is great information. However, if we want to learn all about the SEAL phenomenon and the greater Special Operations community to which it belongs, there is a lot missing. The start of it all was Tarawa a Navy WW-II flaming disaster, that launched Underwater Demolition Teams (UDT) as a need. They did great. But, Navy has always been recalcitrant and at one time in the '50's actually staged a revolt in Washington DC. The whole "new joint-ness" of which SEALs are a part was actually forced on each service by Congress due to service "independence from Congress". Only Army Special Forces and Marince Force Recon can be said to have been there honorably and on their own beforehand. For more details, be sure to read Marchenko's "Rogue Warrior" on the true beginnings of SEALS. Also read "The Company They Keep", on the "new Special Ops" as seen by seasoned Special Forces teams. Then you will have a proper framework to ask the tough questions abouut this book: Why is cheating allowed? Why are so many rules waved? What is this "warrior" stuff they talk about (no PR, we tax-payers want to know what it is!). The "winners and losers" theme is well extended by the book "Winners and Losers" of another era. In these respects, this is a great book for what it catalyzes and should be required reading for us all!

I'm female and I LOVED this book! Navy Seals are the tip of the spear! They are able to stike without warning, anytime, anywhere. They come from under the sea, out of the air, and across land. Read this book and find out what it takes to become a Navy Seal. What makes talented, intelligent young men volunteer for physical punishment, cold water, and days without sleep. This book follows the trainees of class 228 as they struggle through the 27 week Basic Underwater Demolition/Seal (BUDS)..AWESOME..A must read!

Very gritty, true to life stuff. Could not put it down. Excellent read even if your not into this stuff. Just the dedication and stories are enough to keep you interested.

Let's start with the positive, because there's so much here that's so good. The Warrior Elite tells an incredible story. As a reader, you get to ride along with a class training to become Navy SEALS. Couch, a former SEAL himself, does a great job of capturing the details of BUD/S training so that you understand the challenges and trials these young men face to become SEALS.

You come to know the men of Class 228 well and you quickly learn the differences between movie SEALS and real SEALS (not many 6'3" 250 pounders to be found on the real SEAL teams). You also have the interesting experience of simultaneously being inspired and realizing your own limitations. It's almost impossible to read this book without imagining what parts of SEAL training you could handle and what would be your undoing. You end up realizing that we are all capable of more than we think, but not many of us have what it takes to become a SEAL (far better candidates than I'd be fell out of Class 228 pretty quickly).

So what keeps this from being a five-star book? The writing; and that's hard to say, because after reading this book you respect Couch so much for what he's accomplished as a SEAL. Even so, the writing is mechanical, the structure slows down your reading considerably, and you will be painfully aware of the repetitive use of some unique phrases.

That said, Couch does give you a great view of something that most people will never see, and he does it from the perspective of someone who's done it himself. This book is absolutely worth reading for anyone interested in the SEALS. For a similarly great story with story telling to match its content, check out Inside Delta Force by Eric Haney. The two books are great to read back-to-back to compare and contrast not only Delta Force and the SEALS, but also two different writers.

This is the best book that I've read that deals with BUDS and SEAL training because it deals with three different areas that no other book on this subject does. Prior to entering BUDS, going through BUDS (not just hell week), and what happens after BUDS. Tremendous credibility is added to the book having been written by a retired SEAL as he offers perspectives of when he attended BUDS training. Well written and flows as if you were reading a novel.
Jason Innella, New Jersey

Before I read this book, I had the idea that all SEALs are: fearless, 6-2, 210 pounds, and musclebound, with no doubts. This book really shows you that these guys are young "kids" who are really normal people, like you and me. Look at the photos of them. They look like anybody. Most are not "huge" by today's [steroid] standards. In fact, the book makes the point that they do it the "natural" way, with no creatine, no steroids (creatine can get you killed in SEAL training, as it can on the football field). I wish all young American men red this book at 16 or 17, to understand that you can do miraculous things with your body, without chemical "help". The intro. details a SEAL wartime operation in Grenada in 1983, in which the young SEALs are afraid for their lives. The real fear of war came through to me, not the "gung ho" movie stuff. I also thought that at age 39, I am "too old" to be at their level. But there have been SEALs as old as 39 who went through BUD/s ! This taught me that it is a cop-out to say "I am too old to train hard". What I am trying to say is, this book is very real, and shows these guys are just "normal guys", but they do incredible things. I found it really uplifting, oddly, because of what it depicts. But the human mind is so strong, if it is focused. Thank God we have young men like this in our country, too.

I purchased this book with little knowledge of the SEAL training program, other than what I had seen in movies. As soon as I began reading the first few pages, I knew I was hooked - I could not put it down! Throughout the book, I found myself cheering on the members of the team, and feeling a pang of despair each time one would drop from the team. Reading the descriptions of the immense training SEALs are put through was enough to make me reconsider any athletic training I had ever thought to be difficult! Although as I am female, I could never be a SEAL, this book was still immensely inspiring to me, and has consequently become one of the select titles I am very very protective over.

This book gets by on the sheer compelling nature of what it takes to be a Navy SEAL. The process truly is amazing. Unfortunately, you don't get to know the people going it through it as well as you might want (somewhat understandable, since they were kind of busy at the time). I also wanted to know more about life in the teams and actual missions. I realize that's probably a different book, but I didn't want it to be. If you want great military writing, this is not your book. If you want a feeling for what a SEAL (or SpecOp in general) has gone through to get where he is, this is a must-read.

I also found it truly inspiring. When I'm on a run or working out and it starts to hurt, I think of what 228 went through and things don't seem so bad. Or else I just tell myself the basic lesson I learned from the book: SEALs don't quit, so I won't either.