Drone Warrior, Brett Velicovich
Drone Warrior, Brett Velicovich
19 Rating(s)
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Drone Warrior
An Elite Soldier's Inside Account of the Hunt for America's Most Dangerous Enemies

Author: Brett Velicovich, Christopher S. Stewart

Narrator: Brett Velicovich, Roger Wayne

Unabridged: 8 hr 23 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: HarperAudio

Published: 06/27/2017


Synopsis

A former Delta Force black ops member takes us inside America’s covert drone war in this headline-making, never-before-told account for fans of Zero Dark Thirty and Lone Survivor, told by a Pulitzer Prize-winning Wall Street Journal writer and filled with eye-opening and sure to be controversial details.For nearly a decade Brett Velicovich was at the center of America’s new warfare: using unmanned aerial vehicles—drones—to take down the world’s deadliest terrorists across the globe. One of an elite handful in the entire military with the authority to select targets and issue death orders, he worked in concert with the full human and technological network of American intelligence—assets, analysts, spies, informants—and the military’s elite operatives, to stalk, capture, and eliminate high value targets in al-Qaeda and ISIS.In this remarkable book, co-written with journalist Christopher S. Stewart, Velicovich offers unprecedented perspective on the remarkably complex nature of drone operations and the rigorous and wrenching decisions behind them. In intimate gripping detail, he shares insider, action-packed stories of the most coordinated, advanced, and secret missions that neutralized terrorists, preserved the lives of US and international warriors across the globe, and saved countless innocents in the hottest conflict zones today.Drone Warrior also chronicles the US military’s evolution in the past decade and the technology driving it. Velicovich considers the future it foretells, and speaks candidly on the physical and psychological toll it exacts, including the impact on his own life. He reminds us that while these machines can kill, they can also be used productively to improve and preserve life, including protecting endangered species, work he is engaged in today.Joining warfare classics such as American Sniper, Lone Survivor, and No Easy Day, Drone Warrior is the definitive account of our nation’s capacity and capability for war in the modern age.

About Brett Velicovich

Brett Velicovich has over ten years of experience conducting counterterrorism and intelligence operations globally. As an intelligence analyst within the U.S. military’s elite, his work was directly responsible for countless missions leading to the successful capture and kill of terrorist leaders. Serving five combat tours to Iraq and Afghanistan, he also worked in Somalia and received numerous combat medals for his service, including the Bronze Star and Combat Action Badge. Regarded as a world-renowned drone expert, he left the service and earned an MBA from Duke University and helped start an initiative that looks to employ unmanned aerial vehicles in support of wildlife conservation in East Africa. He lives in Virginia.

About Christopher S. Stewart

Christopher S. Stewart is an investigative reporter at the Wall Street Journal, where he shared a 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting. His work has appeared in GQ, Harper’s, New York Times Magazine, New York, The Paris Review, Wired, and other publications, and he also served as deputy editor at the New York Observer and is a former contributing editor at Condé Nast Portfolio. Stewart is the author of Hunting the Tiger and Jungleland. He lives with his family in New York.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Brittany on June 03, 2023

I spent a lot of time thinking about this one and feel that it deserves a solid 4.5 stars. I got swept up in the storytelling and could relate to a lot of details about my own past. At first, this seemed like it may turn into one of those military brag novels, but I assure you that it is so far from......more

Goodreads review by Jean on October 12, 2017

It seems Drones are playing a key role in the military these days so the title of this book “Drone Warrior: An Elite Soldier’s Inside Account Of The Hunt For America’s Most Dangerous Enemies” grabbed my attention and I decided to read about Drones. This book provides a behind-the-scenes look at Drone......more

Goodreads review by Jennifer on July 15, 2017

Very insightful and educational about the war on terror. As a game wardens wife, I love the new roles UAVs are taking on!!!......more

Goodreads review by Glen on May 22, 2018

I won this book in a goodreads drawing. A biography of a man who joined the armed forces after 9/11, and became involved in the development and use of of drones during the war on terror. A pretty good biography, but I think it's possible some distance from the events might make better, with the benef......more

Goodreads review by Rex on March 09, 2019

Great exposition of the personal experience of a drone target designator. Very readable. The author probably could have included more on how the various systems for cross-indexing information were developed and used. Nevertheless, a ring-side seat in the war against Islamic terrorists from 2004 to 2......more