Rating: 
Summary: Authoritative
Review: It's rare and valuable to have mature writing ability blended with a career's worth of inside knowledge. Captain Couch has been there at every level with the Navy SEALS, so his detailed account of the current BUD/S training rings with authenticity. The tale is fascinating and inspiring.
Rating:
Summary: Brian Tinley Pk, Il.
Review: The book grabbed me. Well informed book wrote by a man that has been there done that. With personal that determined and skilled it's no wonder we have the greatest armed forces in the world!
Rating:
Summary: Inspiring
Review: What the men in this book went through is amazing. You have to wonder if they are on the edge of insanity to put themselves through this. But they aren't They are driven by a need to be the best at what they do, to do more than is expected of them. To read what they put themselves through really humbled me. It made me look at my daily life in a new perspective. It makes me want to push myself to do more, to do better. If they can put themselves through that much torture than I can push myself too. If you like book on the military and special ops, this should be on the top of your list. From Indoc to Graduation, the book covers the full gauntlet of what the BUD/S trainees go through to have the privelge to be called a Navy Seal. Reading this book will let you understand why becoming a Navy Seal is the greatest honor in the military.
Rating:
Summary: this is no movie
Review: Forget what you have seen in the movies. This book takes you in depth into what makes a man a warrior in the SEAL community. Written by a man who has seen how the teams work up close, Dick Couch has given an accruate and detailed account of the men of class 228. To truely understand the true sacrafice with out being there, this book gives you the intensity that comes with being a SEAL or a student in BUD/S. This is the only book I have ever read more than once and I still read it just to know that there are people out there who still dream and are willing to sacrafice so much to accomplish what so few are capabably of. This is the true story of the forging to make a individual part of the most elite commando force in the world. Definatly worth the read for anyone.
Rating:
Summary: No words can praise this book enough...
Review: I can't say enough about this book. This book should be required reading for all military. Dick Couch takes you from the time they report in to indoctrination through all the phases and what happens to them after graduation. As a former Marine, I wished I had read this book before leaving the Corps in '97 "after feeling sorry for myself" for all the stuff I put off with. One thing I never realized was how many Marines resigned or leave the Corps, joined the Navy for a "chance" to be a SEAL. The Corps part of the Dept of the Navy. THe Commandant and the Secretary of the Navy should get together to offer this opprotunity to Marines so they don't risk Professional suicide trying to be a SEAL as it stands now. One story about a Marine officer resigning to enlist in the Navy blew me away. I don't know whether I should praise him or call him a fool. Also, Class 228 feature the first black to graduate BUDS in years. The author for whatever reason did not point this milestone out and only mentioned him in passing. Book is still good. I'll read it over and over whenever I need motivation and start feeling "sorry" for myself. Add this with the video of Class 234 and I have the complete Seal experience without trying out for them. Marines should READ this book!! Don't let the fact it's a Navy book keep you away. The NCO sword use to belong to the Army. Learn all you can especially when the the Saber is rattling. Semper FI
Rating:
Summary: A welcome and poignant peek at the elite
Review: Dick Couch's book is a refreshing step away from the stolid SEAL trash novels and fantasy scenarios booksellers are glutted with. Following an actual SEAL class from induction through Hell Week and beyond the probation tour, Couch never pulls a punch, showing the world the real pain these otherwise ordinary men go through to do their jobs. Hollenbeck's photos bring an artistic eye to the real-life, tough issues these men face.As a bonus, any graduates of USNA '99 and beyond will recognize some familiar names and faces in these pages!
Rating:
Summary: Best I've Read
Review: This the best book about the Navy SEAL's training that I have come across. In an unprecedented move they allow Dick Couch(ret.) to return to the training grounds as a reporter/writer. He goes through beginning to end with Class 228 and tells you everything they go through. And not only that he gets the trainees response by being able to interview them during the training! This isn't like most books where people try to remember how it was when they went through. There is also a great description of Hell Week in that he was allowed full access to the entire week (although he didn't manage to stay awake for the entire period). The instructors and trainees also ask Couch how things are different from when he went through the training. A must read if you like books about Navy SEALS or just want to know what they really go through.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding
Review: Im actually less than half a year away from SEAL training and I can honestly say that this book fired me up. Not only did Couch capture the physical and mental strains it takes to overcome and become a SEAL but he wrote it in a way that made this book IMPOSSIBLE to put down. I have wanted to be a SEAL for a while and now after reading this book I can honestly say, "bring it on!" Anyone with the guts to try BUD/S come along, for the coward grab this book and only wish you had what it takes! Awsome!
Rating: 
Summary: Good reading for potential SEALS
Review: I had just read Inside Delta Force and enjoyed it so much, I thought a book about the Seals would be good. I enjoyed the book and the detail it went into regarding Class 228's training. Anyone that is an aspiring Seal would greatly benefit from this book. The only criticism I would have it that I wanted to see more detail of missions. The Delta Force had a mixture of training and past missions. That was a good mix. This book closes right where the missions should have started. I would recommend it however.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: This is the best book I have ever read. This book shows you what
kind of strength, stamina, mental toughness, and attitude is
truly needed to make it through BUD/S.
In the future I want to have the chance to become a Navy SEAL
and this book has truly showed me what it takes.
This book covers everything too, from Indoc to Hell Week to
Weapons & Tactics.
If you want to have the chance to become a SEAL, or if you are
just interested in the Elite soldiers that are defending our country, this book is for you.
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