Audio books 2020

Originally published in the Ketchikan Daily News, June 2020; written by Tammy Dinsmore.

I love listening to audiobooks while I’m commuting to and from work. I was in the middle of a really good one when things were closed due to the pandemic. For some reason I have a hard time listening when I’m at home, so it was a while before I hopped back in my car to take a drive and finish it.

The audiobook I was listening to was “Sea Stories: My Life in Special Operations” by Admiral William H. McRaven, U.S. Navy Retired. In Sea Stories, Admiral McRaven recounts several instances that shaped his life and from his forty years of naval service he relates some his most exciting experiences.

Admiral McRaven grew up as the son of a military man. As a five year old when his father was stationed in France he would sneak into the American Officer’s Club to listen to men talk of their military exploits, and then later when his father was stationed in Texas, he and some buddies snuck onto a high-security military base. He talks of his high school days playing football, to the University of Texas and then off to the Navy.

He speaks of his training to become a Navy SEAL, how hard that training was, and the perseverance it took to complete the training. Another story is a harrowing account of getting tangled in another parachute jumper’s lines during a training exercise and how long it took to heal from his injuries. He speaks lovingly about his wife and family and the sacrifices they had to make throughout his career, as well as all of the people who helped him along the way.

Other exciting stories include the rescue of Captain Phillips from Somali pirates, the attempted rescue of American missionaries Martin and Gracia Burnham from Al Qaeda operatives in the Philippine Islands, the capture of Saddam Hussein, and the hunt for and hopeful capture or killing of Osama bin Laden.

Several times I sat in my car to finish one of the stories. Admiral McRaven has a great voice for storytelling and I highly recommend this book. If audiobook isn’t your cup of tea, we also have it in hardcopy.

Another book in our collection by this author is “Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World”. This book is based on a commencement speech given by Admiral McRaven in 2014 at his alma mater, the University of Texas, Austin, and he lists ten things that we can all do to change our lives and the world for the better. Admiral McRaven’s philosophy is that by making your bed as soon as you get up, you have accomplished one thing already and sets the tone for the day. This book is in our large print collection and also available at the Alaska Digital Library in both eBook and audiobook formats.

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