Matt Bissonnette
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| Author | Mark Owen Kevin Maurer |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Subject |
Death of Osama bin Laden U.S. Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU) Maersk Alabama hijacking |
| Publisher | Dutton Penguin |
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Publication date
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September 4, 2012 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) Amazon Kindle iBooks (electronic) iTunes (audio book) |
| Pages | 304 |
| ISBN | |
No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission that Killed Osama bin Laden (2012) is a military memoir by a former member of the United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group (DEVGRU) who participated in the mission that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden. The book was written by Matt Bissonnette under the pen name Mark Owen. It details Owen's career with DEVGRU, including several combat missions in which he participated with the unit. At least half of the book focuses on Owen's participation in the mission that killed bin Laden.
Owen and his publisher's decision to release the book without first submitting it for United States Department of Defense (DoD) review generated controversy. The DoD claims that the book contains classified information, which the book's publisher denies. In late August 2012, advance publicity drove the book to the top of the Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com best-seller lists, bumped up the initial print run from 300,000 copies to 575,000, and led the publisher to release the book on September 4, a week earlier than the originally planned September 11 release date. It also made the New York Times bestseller list.
Shortly after the book's announcement, Owen's identity was revealed as Matt Bissonnette; the Department of Defense confirmed that he was the author. For media appearances, including an interview on 60 Minutes, Owen appeared incognito. In August 2016, he was ordered to return his royalties of US$6.8 million to the US federal government.
In the book, Owen chronicles his upbringing in Alaska and his long desire to be a SEAL. He recounts the rigors of his entry into DEVGRU and describes several operations in which he participated with the group in Iraq and Afghanistan. Owen also tells about his involvement in the Maersk Alabama hijacking rescue operation. Throughout, he describes the camaraderie, professionalism, and dedication of his teammates during extremely demanding training and dangerous combat missions.
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Wikipedia