Drone Warrior

An Elite Soldier's Inside Account of the Hunt for America's Most Dangerous Enemies

By: Brett Velicovich, Christopher S. Stewart

Narrated by: Brett Velicovich, Roger Wayne

Length: 8 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's 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, cowritten 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 action-packed insider 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.

©2017 Brett Velicovich and Christopher S. Stewar (P)2017 HarperCollins Publishers

Brilliant writing, definitely binge- worthy

This insider view of a soldier's story in modern warfare is beautifully written. This opened my eyes to both the secrets of advanced technology warfare and the mind on the warfighter. The performance was well spoken and kept me listening throughout!

Interesting View into Intel Analyst's experience with RPA

Insightful view into how Special Operators use Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA). Quick and easy read and flowed well. Interesting transition that he made going from the military to civilian uses of RPA technology, and uses that transition to push the technology to more than military applications. Good companion to the book Hunter Killer by McCurley and Predator by Whittle.

Great Story. Bad Narrating (at times)

Great story. although I must say when he changes to a ladies voice it is hilariously bad. hahahaha. if you can get past the bad womens voice you will like this book.

Phenomenal Story...

About the psychological toll has on not just the soldiers on the ground, but those who conduct operations from the "box". Very fascinating to see the growth of drones and the expansion from fighting the war on terror to helping conservation efforts across the world.

This was an excellent book that was narrated very well. If you are interested in military history and want a topic that not much is known on, I would highly recommend this book. I believe that this book will be referenced regularly in the years to come as the way wars are fought continue to evolve.

love this book

I really love the way this story's told really
amazing to hear what our men and women in uniform are doing for this great country under the radar.

Light shed on what exactly Bret did during his ser

I got it read in about 2 days . I was really hard to put down. I thoroughly enjoyed it can't wait to talk to Bret more about it when we meet up again

Awesome book!

Great perspective on combat drones during war. Also helps with understanding what soldiers go through during and after combat missions. I highly recommend this book if you are interested in how drone warfare has been beneficial in critical missions, and what drones can do outside the military for good.

So Few Protecting the Many!

This book reports on the use of drones as a tool against bad people and the price paid by the few that fight to protect the majority. It is informative and a must read to learn about the smart well trained and dedicated modern warrior.

If You Like War Stories, You'll Enjoy This Book.

If you are familiar with most books in this category you will know that a majority of them are written by the special operators themselves, however, this book gives an entirely new and (very) interesting perspective as it sheds light on the drone/intel side of the war on terror. This book helps the reader/listener get a better idea of what drones do and how drone strikes are conducted. While the author isn't in "direct action," that doesn't mean there aren't just as many interesting and exciting stories in the book. I also thought the narrator did an excellent job.
Bottom Line - if you enjoy books in this category, you will enjoy this book

I want to listen to this again and again

Great narration and well written; the suspense had me hooked. What a crazy life to live, this is a great look into modern warfare and the view from someone working in a controversial position. Would definitely recommend