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Drone Warrior Audiobook Summary

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.

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Drone Warrior Audiobook Narrator

Brett Velicovich is the narrator of Drone Warrior audiobook that was written by 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 the Author(s) of Drone Warrior

Brett Velicovich is the author of Drone Warrior

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Drone Warrior Full Details

Narrator Brett Velicovich
Length 8 hours 23 minutes
Author Brett Velicovich
Category
Publisher HarperAudio
Release date June 27, 2017
ISBN 9780062747655

Subjects

The publisher of the Drone Warrior is HarperAudio. includes the following subjects: The BISAC Subject Code is Biography & Autobiography, Military

Additional info

The publisher of the Drone Warrior is HarperAudio. The imprint is HarperAudio. It is supplied by HarperAudio. The ISBN-13 is 9780062747655.

Global Availability

This book is only available in the United States.

Goodreads Reviews

Brittany

September 18, 2017

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 story telling and could relate to a lot of details with my own past. At first this seemed like it may turn into one of those military brag novels, but I assure you that it so far from what this book is about.This book is about what so many of us work towards and the rally that many of us heard on 9/11. I felt the same affinity to serve as the author, and he got to make an impact that many of us could only dream of being a part of. He ran himself ragged in the process, but his impact saves more lives than can ever truly be imagined. His frustration and his highs and lows are very clearly depicted and felt through the pages. I highly recommend this for people who think that no difference or impact has been made and to give hope for the impact we continue to make today and in the future. This was a phenomenal share and I'm happy that even this much of his story was able to be openly shared with the public.

Jean

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 Warfare. This memoir provides a first-person perspective of Drone operations. Velicovich was an Army intelligence specialist. The time frame of the book is from 11 September 2001 to the 2010 surge in Iraq. Velicovich joined the Army after 9-11 and was sent to Afghanistan. He became a Delta counterterrorism force member and learned to operate the Predator Drone. He learned to gather intelligence on insurgents, track them, and dispatch special operations teams to capture or kill them. Velicovich points out the pros and cons of the Drones and the ethical dilemmas.After leaving the military Velicovich uses his expertise with drones to safeguard endangered species from poaching in an African wildlife preserve. The book is well written. Velicovich collocated with Christopher S. Stewart, a Wall Street Journal reporter, to help him with the memoir. The author omitted a lot of details, military ranks, places, and people for security reasons. The book provides lots of real-world examples of the triumphs and challenges faced by the unmanned systems. I think the book would have been enhanced if Velicovich had also discussed the broader operational and strategic role of the unmanned systems.I had read in the hardbook format and the book is 318 pages long. The book is published by HarperCollins in 2017.

Sarah

December 15, 2017

“Hunting terrorists was a rough existence. It was a stressful job and I had to give up a lot to do it right.”Brett Velicovich joined the Army after the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. He wanted to help America fight its enemy. Little did he know that his path in the military would take him to joining the elite 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment – Delta, where he would be an intelligence analyst using drones to gather data and target terrorists. When he was deployed with the group, his entire life centered around hunting down terrorists so Special Forces could go in and capture them. Drone Warrior is his autobiography.I saw this book mentioned in a news article and also read that it was going to be turned into a movie. I grew up as a military brat, so I keep my eye on military stories. This one seemed really interesting, as there is a lot of conflicting information and views out there about how drones are used by the military. I thought I could learn a lot by reading a first-person account of someone who worked with the people who used the drones.Despite being 300 pages, Drone Warrior was a fairly quick read for me. Velicovich moves through his story quickly and goes more in-depth during his deployments. He tells several stories of times they hunted down terrorists, found kidnapping victims or prevented trucks with explosives from reaching their destinations.Read more here: http://sarahannecarter.com/drone-warr...

Jennifer

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!!!

Rex

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 2914.

Dan

July 06, 2017

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. You really get to see what goes on before, during, and after drone strikes. It shows that drones protect American soldiers and America. Highly recommended.

Louis

September 15, 2021

I listened to this book on mp3. Interestingly, the author speaks at the beginning and end of the novel's narration. This is a fascinating look into UAV's (unmanned aerial vehicles), aka drones, by a person who was involved in military operations in Iraq, Somalia, and Nigeria. The book was vetted by the U.S. government to be sure that not too much secret information was given away. Some names were changed as well. This is as much a personal story as it is an account of the military operations conducted using drone surveillance. As such, the book becomes a little repetitive as the author becomes exhausted, obsessed with catching the "bad guys," and dehumanized. While it is an accurate look at what PTSD looks like, it is such a recurring theme that it diminishes for the reader the impact of the effect it had on Velicovich. One thing that I learned is that the drones you and I can buy are nothing like the drones the military uses. Theirs are high-tech machines and as such are not readily available to the public. The accounts of how military intelligence worked to capture or kill high-priority targets in the war on terror are detailed and instructive. It sounds as if the ability of the military to gather data about anyone is quite impressive. The intrusion of the competing agencies and various bureaucracies to diminish the effects of this intelligence gathering is predictable and sad. I did like how the author talks about how innocent lives were occasionally killed in these operations. He attempts to deal with the implications of this guilt but it is noteworthy that the efforts are so team-driven that there always is someone else in the team to blame. The best part of the book is the ending. The author has decided to use drones to protect endangered species in Africa. Whether or not this effort was able to be implemented remains unresolved at the end of the book, but it is a great idea for catching poachers.

Mohamed

September 06, 2017

this is one of the most interesting books in its genre as most special ops book are based on the encounters of the "operators", not intel. it's kinda sparse on the details, but I guess that is how it was allowed to get published, but it has the minimum information to understand.It also could be the first american Special Ops book I read, that is very neutral to Arabs and Muslims. the writer didn't generalize and despite what he felt during the missions and the losses he and his working circle suffered, he didn't generalize the hate towards the Arabs or Muslims. I personally respect that.The book gives a brief look at the unit and teams conducting surveillance and special operations in a well written book that grabs the attention throughout its entirety. It also sheds the light on the struggle during and after those missions. I thought giving the nature, safety, and remote status associated with conducting those missions would have less of an impact than being on the field.Giving the nature of the stories in the book, it kinda slows down at the end. It's full of thrill and attention grabbing stories while he is in the unit, and a bit tedious after he gets out and I can only feel that it was virtually the same problem he faced during and after his enlistment was done.

W. Derek

November 14, 2020

One Man’s War Against TerroristsI bought this book some time ago, but decided to read it after reading reports about how Azerbaijan used drones extensively during its recent war with Armenia. I was hoping to find out how drones are used in combat, but discovered that this book focuses on how drones are used to hunt down and capture or kill terrorists.Still, this is a well-written book that held my attention throughout its entire narrative. In this book, Velicovich describes his experience as one of America’s elite drone operators. There’s plenty of action and excitement to satisfy those seeking a good true-life action read. Velicovich is honest about the toll that his work took on him on multiple levels, which provides the reader with a well-rounded perspective on the work drone operators do.The one drawback to this book is the amount of profanity in it. I understand that profanity is very common in the military, but I still found it unnecessary to tell this story. Still, I highly recommend this book for those who wish to know more about the role drones play in America’s ongoing War on Terror.

Patrick

September 12, 2018

For many years after 9/11, like many Americans I was left to wonder how the war on terror was progressing. It’s a difficult thing to measure, especially since such a war requires utmost secrecy from our military, and the enemy is evolving and mysterious. Drone Warrior provided an in-depth account of one aspect of that war through the eyes of Brett Velicovich, leader of an anti-terror drone team in hot pursuit of fundamentalist scumbags. The book has plenty of gripping action as terrorists are hunted from the sky and then taken down by ground operators, but the reader gets much more than that. We experience Brett’s mindset from beginning to end as he endures his unyielding desire to give everything he has for the cause. For those who think only soldiers who get shot at get battle fatigue, think again. The military is a tough job at all levels, it’s not something I could ever do, and I’m grateful that people like Brett can serve and make a real difference out there. A highly recommended and very informative read. Thanks for your service Brett!

Craig

June 18, 2022

For nearly a decade, Brett Velicovitch was at the center of America’s new generation of warfare: an arsenal of unmanned aerial vehicles—drones—taking down the world’s deadliest terrorists across the globe. One of the few elite members in the entire military with the authority to select targets and issue death orders, he and his small intelligence team worked in concert with the human and technological network of America’s intelligence assets-analysts, spies, informants, and the military’s most elite and secretive operations-to stalk, capture, and eliminate high-value targets in Al Qaeda and ISIS. Now this decorated veteran, with journalist Christopher S. Stewart, tells his story in a remarkable book packed with more classified drone operations cleared for public release than any other account ever published, according to the U.S. government. Drone Warrior offers an unprecedented view into the remarkable complex nature of drone missions and the rigorous and wrenching on-the-ground decisions behind them.

Steve

January 15, 2018

An excellent read that I could not put down. The technical and logistic details of how the drone war really works is fascinating. Also the absolute souless cruelty of these redicalized killers is once again revealed. But I was also struck by the side story of the author himself in his journey through the Army. Lots of ups and downs and false starts before he becomes "DELTA" via the mysterious "Mr White". Through it all his passion as a soldier never fades. These are truly special people and we owe so much to soldiers like this. As one can imagine his personal life completely fades away and like many of his peers his re-entry to civilian life is not easy but he eventually makes a good transition.

Steven

April 16, 2018

Heroism ExposedThere is a tremendous amount of work by the US special forces and warriors in clandestine operations in multiple government organizations for which this book is used to slightly open the door of the “Box” to give the reader a glimpse. Well written to describe the heroism and horrors of fighting evil people using drone technology in other countries so that the US does not experience the same level of day to day atrocities experienced by people in many parts of the world. Well written and great insight as a warrior is born and then finds a career outside of military conflict to continue to positively impact his world.

Thomas

October 18, 2017

Well written and addictive. Reads like a good episode of Homeland, but the bigger picture or lesson if you will, is not very clear. Is it that it's tough to be a soldier? That seems to be the biggest focus.I came away with the message that drones have changed warfare radically because they provide real-time intel from above. That obviously helps to 1. locate and analyse assets and behavior, and 2. coordinate interventions.Drones are yet another source of data for soldiers and there'll be more and more data sources, in the form of sensors and other. Those combined with big data analysis will improve efficiency of soldiers, but will the "good guys" continue to be the ones with the newest technologies, or will be see situations where the "bad guys" have the advantage? And in the latter case, would the well educated westerner be able to compete with technology?

Hugh

December 28, 2017

InsightfulA great personal view into a world most will never see or know about. Warfare will continue to morph into these types of engagements but most of the population will still picture WW 2 or Vietnam when they think of war. This book unfortunately leaves a lot out due to classified information but provides enough insight to allow the reader to get a real sense of the suffering and then the rebirth the author goes through. My constructive criticism is that the writer needs to develop other phrases to describe “armed to the teeth”. The phrase is overused.

Joseph

April 10, 2022

A rare look inside the life of the early "drone" program from an intelligence perspective from pre-recruitment until after calling it quits. The story and storytelling are simple and straightforward with many parts seeming rehearsed. Though cautiously written, it is not too bland. The author isn't very emotive or evocative, but still blends in personal reasons for why he made the decisions he did: to enlist, to go back again and again, to spend long hours well past rational limits. He's a different kind of modern hero.

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