Suffer in Silence: A Novel of Navy SEAL Training

Suffer In Silence Navy Seals are the playboys of the elite. The suffering one must endure prior to reaping the benefits of calling himself a Navy Seal is great. David Reid's recollections of Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUDS) are so vivid I could picture myself laying there suffering with the other young men. Hell week is 120 hours of unforgiving torture and sleepless nights. Although written as fiction, Reid leaves the reader wondering if the only thing fictitious about the story is the characters names. Having attended BUD/S himself, he writes with the authority a person with first hand knowledge would have. Grey, the main character, thought he knew what to expect entering class 283, but when one of his fellow classmate's attempts to blackmail an instructor, the term Hell week takes on a new meaning when a student dies and foul play is a foot. Mark Grey was a man that easily rose to any challenge. In high school, Grey regularly logged eighteen hour days hoping this would lead to him getting into a top university. Then while attending Stanford, Grey found time to relax and have himself a string of girlfriends. Upon reading the word "hardest" military training in the world, Grey set his sights on becoming a Navy Seal. Grey was intrigued by the thought of "[leading] men who had bled and suffered by his side"(Reid,2011,P.2). To prepare for BUD/S, Grey competed in triathlons, and even qualified for the Hawaii Ironman challenge. Overall he was a perfect candidate for BUDS with his outstanding PT scores and 3.8 GPA. Although Grey met all the requirements, he spent a substantial amount of time in after hours training. Hhe was baffled by the fact the instructors, particularly Redman, were so hard on him when he was so well qualified. To make matters worse, Seaman Murray drew even more unwanted attention to the boat crew in Grey's charge. Murray was a problem child from the beginning; he was consistently late for muster and, demonstrated inappropriate behavior at the most inconvenient times. As class 283 continues to progress in their training, Seaman Murray tries to convince Ensign Grey of Redmans foul play. Although his suspicions are growing Grey is not completely convinced. The plot thickens with Murray's death. Due to circumstance, Grey is convinced that Murray's death was caused by Redman and consequently convinced of his foul play. Later Grey is caught trying to prove Redmans guilt; inevitably, this leads to a heated argument between Grey and Redman. The argument reveals that Murray was the one guilty of foul play the whole time. In conclusion I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys military action/drama.. Much like an addictive television series that builds suspense keeping viewers anticipating the next episode, David Reid's book is a page turner. Immediately you feel a connection to class 283, feeling like you are there with them suffering in the surf. The plot keeps the reader captivated as it strategically progresses. In the end I felt relieved by the conclusion, although the outcome was unexpected.ReferenceReid, D. (2011) Suffer In Silence. New York: St. Martins Press

Suffer in Silence is an entertaining depiction of what it is like to go through the intensity of BUD/S, with the added drama of a Hollywood-inspired mystery story. David Reid does a good job of putting yourself in the boots of a cadet on his way to becoming a Navy SEAL, especially early in the book through all the physical and mental fatigue. I’ve read quite a few SEAL memoirs, and the events in this book sound pretty accurate to the stress, hazing and hardships others have said it takes to become an elite soldier.I bought Suffer in Silence because I thought it would be more of a memoir. The description said it was inspired by Reid’s own experience going through First Phase, and he started writing it shortly after his training. The details of the BUD/S and Hell Week sections plainly demonstrate this experience, and serve as a strong backbone to keep the reader turning pages. That being said, this is very much a fiction book and definitely reads like one. Where the book falls short in my opinion is through the dialogue. I often felt myself rolling my eyes at some of the thinly-veiled set-ups and weak conversations between characters. It was in those moments I would quickly remember that this was a story Reid made up in his head. Even if it was 99% true to some events that actually happened one day in the past, I still lost a bit of attention, especially toward the end of the book.In hindsight, I should have read the description better and realized this is not a true story. If I was looking for an action/mystery/gritty fiction piece, I probably would have looked elsewhere by a seasoned author who has been doing this awhile. I don’t regret buying the book, though. I liked it, and I’m sure others will find it entertaining and reflective of the SEAL life. Just heads up, it's not a memoir.

I bought this book as the Navy Seals have always interested me. If I were a little younger, I'm not sure if I'd have the guts to try and make it through the intense training the BUD/S trainees endure. It takes a certain individual to go through the punishment they have to.The book is a work of fiction, but almost reads like a personal diary of a trainee. The author takes you into the "abuse" the trainees endure each day. They are always cold, wet, and tired. And that is still before their Hell Week. By the time the author gets you through Hell Week, you'll need a space heater and electric blanket to get your body temp up.The author does not do a whole lot of character building within the book, but overall tells a great story with the group of characters he does create. Some of the "torture" the trainees endure by the instructors towards the end of the book is a little hard to believe, but then again I've never been through the training so wouldn't know for sure.Every time I read a book like this it gives me a greater appreciation for the young men and women who choose to serve this country. Coming from a family where a grandfather served, and a father served, I sometimes regret my choice not to serve this great country.I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to gain a little insight into the Seals training, and for anyone who enjoys a good military mystery.

Wer sich für die Materie interessiert erhält einen tiefen Einblick in die Situation derer, die sich entschieden haben, ein SEAL werden zu wollen. Der eigentliche Plot ist zwar auch durchaus gelungen, jedoch eher Nebensache.Fazit: Informativ und lesenswert!

I probably didn't read into this clearly, but I thought this book was fact and not fiction. Having said that, it was obviously written well enough for me to think it was fact by the time I was halfway through reading!

Amazing book

True story or not the aspect of murder and mischief took away from the main focus of the story for me; the training that these guys go through and what it takes to make it.