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Code over Country
- The Tragedy and Corruption of SEAL Team Six
- Narrated by: Braden Wright
- Length: 12 hrs and 10 mins
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Code over Country
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Summary
A hard-hitting exposé of SEAL Team 6, the US military’s best-known brand, that reveals how the Navy SEALs were formed, then sacrificed, in service of American empire.
The Navy SEALs are, in the eyes of many Americans, the ultimate heroes. When they killed Osama Bin Laden in 2011, it was celebrated as a massive victory. Former SEALs rake in cash as leadership consultants for corporations, and young military-bound men dream of serving in their ranks.
But the SEALs have lost their bearings. Investigative journalist Matthew Cole tells the story of the most lauded unit, SEAL Team 6, revealing a troubling pattern of war crimes and the deep moral rot beneath authorized narratives. From their origins in World War II, the SEALs have trained to be specialized killers with short missions. As the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan became the endless War on Terror, their violence spiraled out of control.
Code Over Country details the high-level decisions that unleashed the SEALs’ carnage and the coverups that prevented their crimes from coming to light. It is a necessary and rigorous investigation of the unchecked power of the military—and the harms enacted by and upon soldiers in America’s name.
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What listeners say about Code over Country
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- K. Wright
- 16-10-22
Casualties of the forever wars.
Sad but fascinating at the same time. Lessons to be learnt. I hope the team members read this.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Paul
- 19-05-22
Excellent book
Great book and very well researched. I've read a couple of books from the Walter Mitty type characters portrayed in this book and I for one am glad i now know the truth about these men.
I have served in the British Army and worked with Seals attached to the CIA in Basrah Southern Iraq. On one particular patrol we had to stop one of them from killing an unarmed civilian in his car making his way home.
I've seen how America carries out its wars and occupations first hand and can honestly say nothing in this book suprises me, all from a country that claims to be the righteous symbol of all that is right in the western world.
Thank you to the author for setting the record straight for those who still look upon the men who's discrepancies are memtioned in this book with rose tinted glasses instead of the mindless and government sanctioned killers they are.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 01-01-24
Very thought provoking
This is a very thought provoking book. As a former airman who served in an SF unit, now working as a police officer. I found it deeply disturbing. I am from the era before the most recent campaigns but can clearly see how some of these acts occurred and how and why they weren’t challenged. We would all like to think that we would challenge the wrong doer’s but in my present occupation I have come to realise that most people won’t.
I would hope that in the future strong leaders with honesty and integrity come to positions of power so that they can help redress the failings highlighted in this book. It will be a challenge for all involved. One I hope they have the moral courage to meet.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Freneticmonk
- 22-06-22
Stories that are neither confirmed or denied.
I decided to give this a listen after hearing a interview with Matthew on former Navy SEALs Andy Stumpfs pod cast Cleared Hot.
Andy has interviewed a number of SEALs including Eddie Gallagher and Jocko among other notables in the operator community.
Matthew came across as a really nice guy, serious about his work and honest. Then I listened to the book.
Now, I was in the Navy as a Hospital Corpsman and Fleet Marine Force for 6 years and yes, there are things that happened that never made it off the base. Things that the Navy made disappear.
As with any organisation that your survival may depend on the guy next to you, there are codes of conduct and yes one of those is “no snitching”.
The problem I have with Matthews book is that there is a lot of he said she said and against a few well known people. To me it came across as he heard a story from a guy.
He did hit the nail with the Roberts Ridge event however, everyone in the community knows what happened and what is BS.
Matthew’s narrative on Eddie Gallagher is all wrong. He was accused, at first, of taking the photo. Then the sharks smelled blood in the water. Despite what you see on TV, NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) isn’t full of the best and brightest. Most of them are there ticking boxes to get promoted or move on to greener pastures. That is what happened to Eddie. They saw him as big game and went hunting.
I would have to say that if someone like Jocko or Chris Kyle were complicit in war crimes, those stories would have been sold to the media along time ago.
That’s why I only gave it two stars since, without evidence, it is just a book on a conspiracy theory.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 23-12-22
A very pleasant read
This book is amazing. All kinds of insights other spec ops book will not give you. Very well paced and just plain refreshing to take a look in the kitchen without it being heavily edited.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mr T Kearney
- 18-03-22
Great piece on the dark side of the Tier One unit.
I really enjoyed this title. It hilights the need for more control of these operators before a new era in of war begins.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Andy
- 04-01-23
Well written but one sided
I enjoyed this book and it was well written. My issue with it is that it constantly quotes un-named operators who claim to have been there. These whistle blowers are always nameless and their quotes are always damning. Surely, unless these people are coming forward and giving their name little weight can be put to their account.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- connor
- 24-07-23
A real eye opener
At first I did think that this was going to be 100% biased toward how bad the seals were. But it’s not actually that bad and although the book does talk about the issues the teams face. It still talks highly of the men who deserve to be. Great listen.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Scott Arcari
- 15-06-22
The Details That The US Navy Want The Public to Know About Their SEAL Community
Excellent journalist account of the criminality and human rights abuses by US Navy SEALS. The things the US military want to hide from public scrutiny.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Paul
- 30-03-22
A well researched, unbiased report of facts with personal opinion or ‘blame’ from the author.
The authors account of activity within the SEAL teams is balanced and unbiased. If you spend time to check these stories for yourself you find that he has reported facts and avoided what could have been a more sensationalised expose. Crucially, he provides only well researched facts. It is important to understand the aim of the book is to inform the US public not to trash veterans. The author does not speculate about why these events occurred nor direct blame.
It’s unsurprising we know so much about the SEAL community. The practice of writing books, landing film deals even resulting in a physical altercation over who will get the film deal before the Bin Laden raid, and now you have podcasts so numerous you have an industry based on former US special forces, mostly former Navy SEALS.
Some have left their military life behind and are driven by patriotism focusing on politics and global affairs to do good, others monetise the SEAL brand.
Since this book has been released, many SEALS have ignored it’s existence. Some attempted to trash it’s content. However the author was invited onto the podcast of a former SEAL Andy Stumpf. Stumpf is clearly an intelligent and honest man, stating ‘like every community you get the worst types of people and the best types of people and the Teams is no different”.
He had a civilised conversation with the author and, generally, there was a meeting of minds. Stumpf has also stated his discomfort with the monetising of the SEAL brand. He is also the only SEAL to challenge the story that Rob O Neil killed Bin Laden. This takes character. The fact O Neil was arrested at the time of writing in an intoxicated state and was abusive to officers, strongly supports the narrative in this book.
Ultimately this book highlights something all US veterans will agree with, including those included in this book, that their government, by publicising valour awards, broadcasting the awards process globally, having a media that dogs them for interviews and treats them like superhumans, is not good for that individual no matter how virtuous they are. It backs the recipients into a corner and they are forced to be heroes. And war, as very few of us will learn first hand, is a hell where men just want to escape still alive.
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