No Hero: The Evolution of a Navy SEAL

Reader Michael brings polish and passion to the audio edition of Owen’s latest military memoir, a follow-up to 2012’s No Easy Day. Owen’s new title provides an autobiographical account of his military career and a collection of general principles for success that he gleaned from his time inside the elite warfare unit, which is known for its perseverance and commitment. Michael’s diction is precise and annunciated, but he still manages to come across as conversational. He also smoothly handles the transitions between the more expository content and the dialogue and anecdotes. Though Owen states in the book that he set out to avoid the kind of overloaded introspection often found in the military memoir genre, his book still gives Michael ample opportunity to showcase a flair for evocative narration. One especially memorable passage has Owen observing a cat drinking the blood of an insurgent that he had just shot dead in battle, realizing that a young boy no older than five had witnessed the entire scene. A Dutton hardcover. (Nov.)