Fearless: The Undaunted Courage and Ultimate Sacrifice of Navy SEAL Team SIX Operator Adam Brown

Synopsis:

Growing up, Adam Brown started his life like many American boys. He loved taking risks, pursuing adventures, and playing football for his high school team. But when he died on March 17, 2010 in the Hindu Kush Mountains of Afghanistan, he had become a man who served his country with excellence as an elite warrior and leader. Fearless by Eric Blehm is a tribute to the life and legacy of Navy SEAL Team SIX Operator Adam Brown.

As a young man, Adam always tried to honor his family, but there was a time when it seemed that his life might take a downward turn. Lacking purpose after high school, Adam fell in with the wrong crowd and became addicted to drugs, landing himself in jail. Taking the wake-up call to turn his life around, Adam began to search for meaning. He found it in giving his life to Jesus Christ, finding the love of his life, Kelly, and in the dream to become a Navy SEAL.

Adam's determination and hard work propelled him to reach higher and higher until his dream of becoming a Navy Seal was realized. Even after reaching his goal, Adam was always the first to volunteer for the most dangerous assignments. His final act of bravery led to the ultimate sacrifice, and the devoted family man and soldier was killed in action. Fearless is an unforgettable tale of a true American hero--a man of courage and daring who gave his all in service to his country.          CBD product description

Review:

This was a terrific book I genuinely enjoyed. Adam’s story is very well told, and you get an honest look into his life and struggles. You also get to see what an impact he had on the people around him. He’s someone you relate to and root for.

The book wasn’t preachy, but had a lot of lessons that jump out at you as you read. Just a few of the things that stood out to me were how hard Adam worked, how he cared for his wife, and what a fun dad he was.

I’d highly recommend this book to fathers and young adults. A father may want to read through the book first before giving it to their son, as an honest look is taken at drug addiction. It’s not too graphic, but it is honest.

It was amazing being able to read Adam’s story, and I’m so thankful I got the opportunity.

5 out of 5 stars

Author:

Eric Blehm is a bestselling and award-winning author of nonfiction books.

In 2006, Eric Blehm won the Barnes & Noble Discover Award for The Last Season (HarperCollins), a gripping account of the disappearance of legendary National Park Service ranger Randy Morgenson; The Last Season was also named by Outside magazine as one of the ten “greatest adventure biographies ever written” in 2009. Eric Blehm’s next book, New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller The Only Thing Worth Dying For (HarperCollins, 2010), was hailed by former congressman Charlie Wilson, of Charlie Wilson’s War, as a “must read” among books about the current war in Afghanistan.

In 1999, Eric Blehm became the first journalist to accompany and keep pace with an elite Army Ranger unit on a training mission. His access into the Special Operations community and reportage set an important milestone for American war journalism two years before reporters began to gain widespread embedded status with the U.S. military in the War Against Terror. Blehm’s immersion with the Rangers is what led him to the previously untold story of an elite team of eleven Green Berets who operated in the hinterland of Taliban-held Afghanistan just weeks after 9/11 (The Only Thing Worth Dying For), as well as to his current book: FEARLESS (Waterbrook/Multnomah; Random House). On sale in May 2012, Fearless is the heartrending and inspiring story of Naval Special Warfare Operator (SEAL) Adam Brown, who overcame tremendous odds in his rise to the top tier of the U.S. military: SEAL Team SIX.

Eric Blehm is the founder of Molly the Owl Books, the independent publishing company behind Molly the Owl—his popular nonfiction children’s book about a barn owl and her family—which won the 2011 Nautilus Award and the 2011 San Diego Book Award. Currently, he is working on his next nonfiction book, which takes place during the Cold War era.

Blehm lives in Southern California with his wife and children.

Without Warning by Joel Rosenberg

Without Warning is the third book book in a series of political thrillers by author Joel Rosenberg.

The novel set-up sees J.B. Collins, a New York Times foreign correspondent, disagreeing with the US president’s tactics in the fight against ISIS. There is already much conflict within the Middle East, and danger looms inside America. J.B. sees the only solution to this conflict as an all-out manhunt for the leader of ISIS; Abu Kahlif. But will the president listen to Collins or act before it’s too late?

I had been quite excited to read this book, but found it took a while for me to connect with the characters. I believe a lot of this had to do with not having read the first 2 books of the series. I never felt a genuine connection with the characters until much later in the book. The first 2 books set the framework for this one, and you will get a lot more out of this book by having read the first 2. (The Third Target and The First Hostage.)

I still did enjoy parts of this book, particularly watching J.B. Collins’ character development. It took me a while to connect with Collins’ character, but the further I got into the novel, the more I cheered for him. 

The book had a lot of details and exposition, as well as many different characters. This will suit some readers and turn others off. In the same way, there is a lot of politics, which will suit some readers and turn others off. Regardless, those who enjoy political thrillers will likely enjoy this book. I would still recommend reading the first 2 books of this series before picking this one up.

All in all, there were some nice moments to this book with some good lessons. Much value was placed on family, and the integration of faith was also quite powerful. At the end of the day, I can say I’m thankful I got to read this book. Fans of political thrillers will surely enjoy it.

*Tyndale House Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book. The review was my honest opinion. No compensation was received.*

Joel C. Rosenberg (www.joelrosenberg.com) is a New York Times bestselling author of 12 novels and five nonfiction books, with more than 3 million copies sold.

He has been interviewed on hundreds of radio and TV shows, including ABC's Nightline, CNN, CNN Headline News, C-SPAN, Fox News, MSNBC, The History Channel, The Rush Limbaugh Show, The Sean Hannity Show, and The Glenn Beck Show. His articles and columns have been published by National Review,FoxNews.com, CNN.com, the Jerusalem Post, World magazine, and the Washington Times, among others. He has been profiled by the New York Times, the Washington Times, and the Jerusalem Post.

Joel has spoken to audiences and met with religious and government leaders all across the U.S. and Canada and around the world, including Israel, Iraq, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, the UAE, Turkey, Afghanistan, Russia, Germany, France, Belgium, Italy, India, South Korea, and the Philippines. He has also addressed audiences at the White House and the Pentagon, addressed members of Congress on Capitol Hill, members of the Canadian Parliament in Ottawa, and a conference held at the European Union Parliament in Brussels.

He is the founder and chairman of The Joshua Fund (www.joshuafund.com), a nonprofit educational and charitable organization he and his wife launched in 2006 to mobilize Christians to "bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus, according to Genesis 12:1-3."