Synopses & Reviews
In America's new war, the first guns in the fight are special operations forces, including the Navy SEALs, specially trained warriors who operate with precision, swiftness, and lethal force. In the constantly shifting war on terror, SEAL units—small in number, flexible, stealthy, and efficient—are more vital than ever to America's security as they take the battle to an elusive enemy around the globe.
But how are Navy SEALs made? Dick Couch, author of the acclaimed Warrior Elite, follows SEALs on the ground and in the water as they undergo SEAL Tactical Training, where they master combat skills such as precision shooting, demolitions, secure communications, parachuting, diving, and first aid. From there, the men enter operational platoons, where they subordinate their individual abilities to the mission of the group and train for special operations in specific geographic environments.
Never before has a civilian writer been granted such close access to the training of America's most elite military forces. The Finishing School is essential listening for anyone who wants to know what goes into the making of America's best warriors.
Review
"Couch is a well-qualified guide to this class of men who possess what he calls a relentless desire to fight and win as a team." ---The Wall Street Journal
Synopsis
An unprecedented look into the training of Navy SEALs from acclaimed author Dick Couch, The Finishing School is essential listening for anyone who wants to know what goes into the making of America's best warriors.
About the Author
Dick Couch is a 1967 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. He graduated from BUD/S Class 45 in 1969, and was the class Honorman. As Whiskey Platoon Commander with SEAL Team One in Vietnam, he led one of the only successful POW rescue operations of that conflict. Following his releas from active duty in the Navy, he served as a maritime and paramilitary case officer with the CIA. In 1997, he retired from the Naval Reserve with the rank of Captain. Dick is also the author ofThe Finishing School, Chosen Soldier, and Down Range, as well as four novels: Seal Team One, Pressure Point, Silent Descent, and Rising Wind. He lives with his wife, Julia, in Ketchum, Idaho. Arthur Morey has performed in theaters and cabarets in New York, Chicago, and Milan. He freelanced scripts for Paramount and ABC-TV and won awards for both plays and fiction. A former literary manager of Chicago's Body Politic Theatre, he taught acting at Fordham and writing at SUNY Rockland, Northwestern University, and the School of the Art Institute. He edited Viola Spolin for Northwestern University Press and later was managing editor at Renaissance Books in Los Angeles. Winner of a number AudioFile Earphones Awards, he has narrated novels by John Irving, Nathan Englander, Richard Russo, and John Burnam Schwartz, as well as nonfiction by Kurt Eichenwald, John McCain, George Tenet, Deepak Chopra, Gay Talese, and others.