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Alpha: Eddie Gallagher and the War for the Soul of the Navy SEALs
An epic account of the Navy SEALs of Alpha platoon, the startling accusations against their chief, Eddie Gallagher, and the courtroom battle that exposed the dark underbelly of America’s special forces—from a Pulitzer Prize–winning reporter
“An important, infuriating, meticulously researched account of modern warfare that I found nearly impossible to put down.”—Jon Krakauer, New York Times bestselling author of Where Men Win Glory and Into the Wild
By official accounts, the Navy SEALs of Alpha platoon returned as heroes after their 2017 deployment to Mosul, following a vicious, bloody, and successful campaign to drive ISIS from the city. But within the platoon a different war raged. Even as Alpha’s chief, Eddie Gallagher, was being honored by the Navy for his leadership, several of his men were preparing to report him for war crimes, alleging that he’d stabbed a prisoner in cold blood and taken lethal sniper shots at unarmed civilians.
Many young SEALs regarded Gallagher as the ideal special operations commando. Trained as a sniper, a medic, and an explosives expert, he was considered a battle-tested leader. But in the heat of combat, some in his platoon saw a darker figure—a man who appeared to be coming unhinged after multiple deployments in America’s forever wars. Their excitement to work with a tough, experienced chief soon gave way to a grim suspicion that his thirst for blood seemed to know no bounds and a belief that his unpredictability was as dangerous as the enemy.
In riveting detail, Pulitzer Prize–winning New York Times correspondent David Philipps reveals the story of a group of special operators caught in a moral crucible—should they uphold their oath and turn in their chief, or honor the SEALs’ unwritten code of silence? It is also a larger story of how the SEAL Teams drifted off course after 9/11, and of the “pirate” subculture that festered within their ranks—a secret brotherhood that, in a time of endless war with few clear victories, made the act of killing itself the paramount goal. The investigation and trial following Alpha’s deployment—and Gallagher’s ultimate acquittal on the most serious charges—would pit SEAL against SEAL, set the Navy brass on a collision course with President Donald Trump, and turn Gallagher into a political litmus test in a hotly polarized America.
A page-turning tale of battle, honor, and betrayal, Alpha is a remarkable exposé of the fault lines fracturing a country that has been at war for a generation and counting.
“An important, infuriating, meticulously researched account of modern warfare that I found nearly impossible to put down.”—Jon Krakauer, New York Times bestselling author of Where Men Win Glory and Into the Wild
By official accounts, the Navy SEALs of Alpha platoon returned as heroes after their 2017 deployment to Mosul, following a vicious, bloody, and successful campaign to drive ISIS from the city. But within the platoon a different war raged. Even as Alpha’s chief, Eddie Gallagher, was being honored by the Navy for his leadership, several of his men were preparing to report him for war crimes, alleging that he’d stabbed a prisoner in cold blood and taken lethal sniper shots at unarmed civilians.
Many young SEALs regarded Gallagher as the ideal special operations commando. Trained as a sniper, a medic, and an explosives expert, he was considered a battle-tested leader. But in the heat of combat, some in his platoon saw a darker figure—a man who appeared to be coming unhinged after multiple deployments in America’s forever wars. Their excitement to work with a tough, experienced chief soon gave way to a grim suspicion that his thirst for blood seemed to know no bounds and a belief that his unpredictability was as dangerous as the enemy.
In riveting detail, Pulitzer Prize–winning New York Times correspondent David Philipps reveals the story of a group of special operators caught in a moral crucible—should they uphold their oath and turn in their chief, or honor the SEALs’ unwritten code of silence? It is also a larger story of how the SEAL Teams drifted off course after 9/11, and of the “pirate” subculture that festered within their ranks—a secret brotherhood that, in a time of endless war with few clear victories, made the act of killing itself the paramount goal. The investigation and trial following Alpha’s deployment—and Gallagher’s ultimate acquittal on the most serious charges—would pit SEAL against SEAL, set the Navy brass on a collision course with President Donald Trump, and turn Gallagher into a political litmus test in a hotly polarized America.
A page-turning tale of battle, honor, and betrayal, Alpha is a remarkable exposé of the fault lines fracturing a country that has been at war for a generation and counting.
480 pages, Hardcover
First published August 24, 2021
About the author
David Philipps
6 books57 followersDavid Philipps is a Pulitzer Prize–winning national reporter for the New York Times. He is the author of Wild Horse Country and Lethal Warriors and a graduate of the Columbia School of Journalism. He lives in Colorado with his family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 155 reviews
October 1, 2021
The Eddie Gallagher saga was the moment when the United States seemed to hit rock bottom morally. Gallagher was a serial killer of innocent people in Iraq and Afghanistan, but was pardoned and even became a celebrity thanks to a reality television star president elected by millions of Americans. This book paints a more complex picture, not of Gallagher, whose true depravity is laid bare to a degree unknown to most of the public, but of the ordinary Navy SEALs who took their official creed seriously and tried to bring him to account. Craig Miller, Dillon Dille, and Joshua Vriens, among others, fought against Gallagher and a corrupt institutional environment that seemed committed to protecting him. They did it to defend ordinary Iraqis, whom they fired warning shots at to protect from Gallagher, but also to preserve a shred of meaning in the face of the pointless slaughter of the wars. Despite everything they truly saw themselves as the "good guys," and tried to live up to that in the face of a platoon chief whom they had come to view as evil incarnate.
The book frames the history of the Navy SEALs as an internal battle between "real SEALs" who believe in their credo and "pirates" who are there to kill, steal, and plunder for their own gratification. The struggle between these two tendencies has gone on since Vietnam, and Gallagher clearly saw himself in the latter tradition. The outcome of Gallaghers case seemed to hand a massive victory for the pirates, but as this book tries to argue, quite stirringly, there are many in the Navy who are still finding ways to push back. The Navy leadership has tried to impress its own lesson about the case onto recruits regardless of what Fox News or the Trump movement says. Craig Miller is now a SEAL instructor, teaching new recruits ethics alongside their standard SEAL training. I hope this worthy book is taught in their curriculum.
If there is another book about moral heroism that is so grippingly written I have not come across yet. In a way it also seems to be a form of retaliation against Gallagher, Trump, and what they represent. The author benefits from a tremendous amount of access at all levels, which suggests that a lot of people inside the military establishment were not happy with how things turned out. It's such an incredible narrative that it feels like the labor of many people, even if it was only written by one. It takes a highly refined civilization to produce the powerful moral statement that this eloquent book represents, and, despite its crimes, it really makes you root for the better angels of the United States.
The book frames the history of the Navy SEALs as an internal battle between "real SEALs" who believe in their credo and "pirates" who are there to kill, steal, and plunder for their own gratification. The struggle between these two tendencies has gone on since Vietnam, and Gallagher clearly saw himself in the latter tradition. The outcome of Gallaghers case seemed to hand a massive victory for the pirates, but as this book tries to argue, quite stirringly, there are many in the Navy who are still finding ways to push back. The Navy leadership has tried to impress its own lesson about the case onto recruits regardless of what Fox News or the Trump movement says. Craig Miller is now a SEAL instructor, teaching new recruits ethics alongside their standard SEAL training. I hope this worthy book is taught in their curriculum.
If there is another book about moral heroism that is so grippingly written I have not come across yet. In a way it also seems to be a form of retaliation against Gallagher, Trump, and what they represent. The author benefits from a tremendous amount of access at all levels, which suggests that a lot of people inside the military establishment were not happy with how things turned out. It's such an incredible narrative that it feels like the labor of many people, even if it was only written by one. It takes a highly refined civilization to produce the powerful moral statement that this eloquent book represents, and, despite its crimes, it really makes you root for the better angels of the United States.
September 11, 2021
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/navy-sea...
I started this review of this outstanding book with a picture of Eddie Gallagher holding the head of the teenaged ISIS captive he had just murdered in cold blood. It's disturbing, as is this entire book. Look at this and tell me what a hero Eddie is. Look at the guy whom Trump went out of his way to defend and pardon, trashing several other SEALs in the process.
This is fantastic and enraging book that (if possible) made me hate Trump and Trumpism even more. This is absolutely essential reading for those who care about the integrity of institutions and all the little ways that lies, tribalism, and callousness erode institutions.
Philipps has amazing sources to reconstruct this story, including thousands of texts sent my the main characters themselves. Let's start with Eddie: Eddie has been present (mendaciously) by his wife, by the President, and by Fox as a perfect SEAL, a tough, old-school warfighter who was betrayed by younger and weaker SEALS. There is basically no evidence for this claim. Eddie was a troubled kid who was kicked out of various schools for fighting. He thrived, in a sense, in the SEALS, going on multiple tours in dangerous areas. He exaggerated his image, spinning stories of bloody heroism that numerous SEALs have independently disputed. He was racist and homophobic, using the N and F words in texts, making racist jokes, and denigrating Arabs. When he found one friend was going to a BLM counter protest, he texted him "Run those n------ over." He was a huge Trump fan, believing that Trump would restore white men to their status on top of the social hierarchy while unleashing brutal violence on America's enemies.
Things really started to delve into nightmarish territory around 2017 when Eddie and his team were deployed to Mosul. He became a drug addict, taking painkillers and steroids, including pills he illegally ordered another SEAL to go to Mexico to buy. Before deploying, he started skipping drug tests and other trainings but wasn't held accountable. On deployment, the real Apocalypse Now stuff started. He became an oddball loner with no respect for the mission, he stole petty goods from his fellow SEALs (including eating a whole jar of Trader Joe's Cookie Butter, which is bizarre and impressive), firing at and most likely killing Iraqi civilians, including an adolescent girl, telling his men to turn their tracking devices off so they could go up to the front lines against their orders, even refusing to call in a medevac when one of his guys was shot after he foolishly put them in a vulnerable forward area (he refused to call in the evac bc then he would be busted for being somewhere he wasn't supposed to be).
This all culminated in murder. Iraqi troops brought in a rare ISIS captive, a malnourished and dazed teenager with a wound to his calf. The medic on the scene testified later that this captive likely would have survived, although many of these captives were tortured and executed by our IRaqi allies. As this medic gave him treatment, Eddie took a knife (one that he had bought specially with the often-expressed hope of sticking to an ISIS fighter) and jabbed the captive in the neck several times, killing him within minutes. Then, to implicate the eyewitnesses, he ordered them to take a photo with him and the body. Eddie grabbed the kid's head, yanked it up, and grinned with his trophy shot. Look up the photos and tell me what a great person this guy is. Of course, this kid had a name and a life: he was a 17 year old from Mosul who was gradually seduced by ISIS during their occupation. His dad, a normal guy from the city, actually chained his son up to prevent him from running away to ISIS, but he escaped. This wasn't some fanatical ISIS maniac of our dreams but a kid who made a huge mistake; to Eddie, he was subhuman, the equivalent of a buck, an object with which to fulfill his bloodlust.
Given that Trump and his acolytes have portrayed Eddie as Mr. America, it is important to lay out what a scumbag he really is. All of these points/anecdotes above are supported by multiple testimonies and/or documents. Of course, Eddie was brutalized by a decade of war and significant TBI injuries that may have worsened an already violent personality. The real story here isn't the descent of one man into barbarity but the institution's response.
Eddie was reported to officers on the ground at the time of the stabbing by other eyewitnesses, and soon a groups called the Sewing Circle formed to plan action against Eddie when they returned after their deployment. The officers in charge of Eddie at the time took no action on him even though he was endangering his fellow SEALs, not to mention Iraqis. Finally, the Sewing Circle reported him back in Coronado, CA, and NCIS took over the investigation. For a variety of reasons, the prosecution did not go well. In the meantime, the conservative media, especially Fox, ran with their own distorted version of the story, bringing the President on board, who of course sided with Eddie, his wet dream of a terrorist-killing blue-eyed real-life Rambo. A couple of witnesses, on the stand, reneged on their earlier testimony, possible bc some had been granted immunity and/or could have been implicated in the photo-taking and other misdemeanors. A key witness, the medic, straight up lied, betraying his friends, and said that he had actually killed the prisoner by asphyxiating him after Eddie stabbed him. Eddie, of course, never denied he had stabbed the captive; he later lied and claimed everyone there had agreed the kid was going to die anyway or be turned over to the IRaqis to be killed, so they did medical procedures on him to hasten his death (another war crime, I believe). Trump was probably going to pardon him anyway, and he made sure Gallagher got his rank restored even after he was acquitted. I haven't read about a miscarriage of justice this horrendous since the ZImmerman verdict if not the OJ Simpson trial.
The image of Eddie Gallagher that should be plastered all over Google and at every mention of his name should be him holding up, by the hair, the head of the teenager he murdered in cold blood. He hasn't paid for this crime, and probably never will. I greatly admire the SEALs in this book who came forward, put their reputations on the line, suffered enormous public condemnation, and told the truth. I admire the Navy officials who gave up their careers to confront the President about Eddie and to make sure he wasn't allowed to stay in the SEALs to poison later generations. But my respect for the SEALs as an institution declined bc of this book: ultimately, most of the characters in this book chose tribe over principle, convenience over doing the right thing, and a murderer walked free because of it.
Eddie Gallagher is a symptom of a larger malady in our society. Because he is white, male, and a warrior, we presume he is in the right; we don't shine the light of scrutiny on him, we don't want to hear anything that tarnishes that spotless image of him because that would tarnish our spotless image of himself. We fundamentally do not grant this same benefit of the doubt to people of color, to most women, and to other groups; read the book Zeitoun and tell me that would have happened to someone like Gallagher. This obsession with our own innocence is deadly to others and corrosive of our own proclaimed values. Without the conservative media and Trump mobilizing to defend Eddie, this trial could have gone a very different way, and teh SEAL leadership could have done a lot more to punish him. Instead, he got away with it, and half the country still thinks he's a hero. This story left me in greater despair about our country: we seem to live in totally different realities, and not even the admission that he stabbed the prisoner and photos of him holding the prisoner's lifeless head in a trophy shot could change people's minds.
This is essential reading for understanding the corrosive effects on the rule of law that Trump and people like him represent. Trump and Eddie Gallagher are two sides of the same coin of pure lawlessness. They claim to represent law and order and a code of honor, but they actually represent doing whatever you want to have power and fame, avoiding consequences, dominating other lying, and tearing down anyone who criticizes you or tries to hold you accountable. They deserve each other, but the real question is: do we deserve them? I wish I could say no, but that remains to be seen.
I started this review of this outstanding book with a picture of Eddie Gallagher holding the head of the teenaged ISIS captive he had just murdered in cold blood. It's disturbing, as is this entire book. Look at this and tell me what a hero Eddie is. Look at the guy whom Trump went out of his way to defend and pardon, trashing several other SEALs in the process.
This is fantastic and enraging book that (if possible) made me hate Trump and Trumpism even more. This is absolutely essential reading for those who care about the integrity of institutions and all the little ways that lies, tribalism, and callousness erode institutions.
Philipps has amazing sources to reconstruct this story, including thousands of texts sent my the main characters themselves. Let's start with Eddie: Eddie has been present (mendaciously) by his wife, by the President, and by Fox as a perfect SEAL, a tough, old-school warfighter who was betrayed by younger and weaker SEALS. There is basically no evidence for this claim. Eddie was a troubled kid who was kicked out of various schools for fighting. He thrived, in a sense, in the SEALS, going on multiple tours in dangerous areas. He exaggerated his image, spinning stories of bloody heroism that numerous SEALs have independently disputed. He was racist and homophobic, using the N and F words in texts, making racist jokes, and denigrating Arabs. When he found one friend was going to a BLM counter protest, he texted him "Run those n------ over." He was a huge Trump fan, believing that Trump would restore white men to their status on top of the social hierarchy while unleashing brutal violence on America's enemies.
Things really started to delve into nightmarish territory around 2017 when Eddie and his team were deployed to Mosul. He became a drug addict, taking painkillers and steroids, including pills he illegally ordered another SEAL to go to Mexico to buy. Before deploying, he started skipping drug tests and other trainings but wasn't held accountable. On deployment, the real Apocalypse Now stuff started. He became an oddball loner with no respect for the mission, he stole petty goods from his fellow SEALs (including eating a whole jar of Trader Joe's Cookie Butter, which is bizarre and impressive), firing at and most likely killing Iraqi civilians, including an adolescent girl, telling his men to turn their tracking devices off so they could go up to the front lines against their orders, even refusing to call in a medevac when one of his guys was shot after he foolishly put them in a vulnerable forward area (he refused to call in the evac bc then he would be busted for being somewhere he wasn't supposed to be).
This all culminated in murder. Iraqi troops brought in a rare ISIS captive, a malnourished and dazed teenager with a wound to his calf. The medic on the scene testified later that this captive likely would have survived, although many of these captives were tortured and executed by our IRaqi allies. As this medic gave him treatment, Eddie took a knife (one that he had bought specially with the often-expressed hope of sticking to an ISIS fighter) and jabbed the captive in the neck several times, killing him within minutes. Then, to implicate the eyewitnesses, he ordered them to take a photo with him and the body. Eddie grabbed the kid's head, yanked it up, and grinned with his trophy shot. Look up the photos and tell me what a great person this guy is. Of course, this kid had a name and a life: he was a 17 year old from Mosul who was gradually seduced by ISIS during their occupation. His dad, a normal guy from the city, actually chained his son up to prevent him from running away to ISIS, but he escaped. This wasn't some fanatical ISIS maniac of our dreams but a kid who made a huge mistake; to Eddie, he was subhuman, the equivalent of a buck, an object with which to fulfill his bloodlust.
Given that Trump and his acolytes have portrayed Eddie as Mr. America, it is important to lay out what a scumbag he really is. All of these points/anecdotes above are supported by multiple testimonies and/or documents. Of course, Eddie was brutalized by a decade of war and significant TBI injuries that may have worsened an already violent personality. The real story here isn't the descent of one man into barbarity but the institution's response.
Eddie was reported to officers on the ground at the time of the stabbing by other eyewitnesses, and soon a groups called the Sewing Circle formed to plan action against Eddie when they returned after their deployment. The officers in charge of Eddie at the time took no action on him even though he was endangering his fellow SEALs, not to mention Iraqis. Finally, the Sewing Circle reported him back in Coronado, CA, and NCIS took over the investigation. For a variety of reasons, the prosecution did not go well. In the meantime, the conservative media, especially Fox, ran with their own distorted version of the story, bringing the President on board, who of course sided with Eddie, his wet dream of a terrorist-killing blue-eyed real-life Rambo. A couple of witnesses, on the stand, reneged on their earlier testimony, possible bc some had been granted immunity and/or could have been implicated in the photo-taking and other misdemeanors. A key witness, the medic, straight up lied, betraying his friends, and said that he had actually killed the prisoner by asphyxiating him after Eddie stabbed him. Eddie, of course, never denied he had stabbed the captive; he later lied and claimed everyone there had agreed the kid was going to die anyway or be turned over to the IRaqis to be killed, so they did medical procedures on him to hasten his death (another war crime, I believe). Trump was probably going to pardon him anyway, and he made sure Gallagher got his rank restored even after he was acquitted. I haven't read about a miscarriage of justice this horrendous since the ZImmerman verdict if not the OJ Simpson trial.
The image of Eddie Gallagher that should be plastered all over Google and at every mention of his name should be him holding up, by the hair, the head of the teenager he murdered in cold blood. He hasn't paid for this crime, and probably never will. I greatly admire the SEALs in this book who came forward, put their reputations on the line, suffered enormous public condemnation, and told the truth. I admire the Navy officials who gave up their careers to confront the President about Eddie and to make sure he wasn't allowed to stay in the SEALs to poison later generations. But my respect for the SEALs as an institution declined bc of this book: ultimately, most of the characters in this book chose tribe over principle, convenience over doing the right thing, and a murderer walked free because of it.
Eddie Gallagher is a symptom of a larger malady in our society. Because he is white, male, and a warrior, we presume he is in the right; we don't shine the light of scrutiny on him, we don't want to hear anything that tarnishes that spotless image of him because that would tarnish our spotless image of himself. We fundamentally do not grant this same benefit of the doubt to people of color, to most women, and to other groups; read the book Zeitoun and tell me that would have happened to someone like Gallagher. This obsession with our own innocence is deadly to others and corrosive of our own proclaimed values. Without the conservative media and Trump mobilizing to defend Eddie, this trial could have gone a very different way, and teh SEAL leadership could have done a lot more to punish him. Instead, he got away with it, and half the country still thinks he's a hero. This story left me in greater despair about our country: we seem to live in totally different realities, and not even the admission that he stabbed the prisoner and photos of him holding the prisoner's lifeless head in a trophy shot could change people's minds.
This is essential reading for understanding the corrosive effects on the rule of law that Trump and people like him represent. Trump and Eddie Gallagher are two sides of the same coin of pure lawlessness. They claim to represent law and order and a code of honor, but they actually represent doing whatever you want to have power and fame, avoiding consequences, dominating other lying, and tearing down anyone who criticizes you or tries to hold you accountable. They deserve each other, but the real question is: do we deserve them? I wish I could say no, but that remains to be seen.
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September 30, 2021I’ve been haunted these last few days by Alpha … It’s engrossing, full of horror and deeply damning.
Sam Sifton, The New York Times
A dogged researcher and gifted writer, Philipps turns the story of Gallagher’s rise, his alleged war crimes and the botched Navy prosecution into an infuriating, fast-paced thriller.
The Washington Post
This is a book to make your blood boil. Expertly reported and written, Alpha details a truly shameful national episode, and stands as a powerful corrective for those who mistake cruelty for toughness and equate war with murder.
Mark Bowden, New York Times bestselling author of Black Hawk Down and Hue 1968
This is one of the best books to come out of the Iraq war. It is also one of the saddest. There have been many books about Navy SEALs and snipers, but Alpha is by far the most important. I think it will be required reading for the Navy, as Black Hearts has become for the Army. Anyone who cares about the American military needs to read this.
Thomas E. Ricks, bestselling author of Fiasco, First Principles, and The Generals
Alpha is a phenomenally reported, deeply compelling portrait of moral courage and moral cowardice in the SEAL teams. Philipps details not simply the many failures of leadership within SEAL ranks that enabled war crimes, jeopardised the mission, and risked the lives of service members, but also the culture that made accountability almost impossible. Superb.
Phil Klay, National Book Award–winning author of Missionaries and Redeployment
Alpha is an important, infuriating, meticulously researched account of modern warfare that I found nearly impossible to put down.
Jon Krakauer, New York Times bestselling author of Where Men Win Glory and Into the Wild
New York Times reporter Philipps presents an enthralling, blow-by-blow account of the 2019 court-martial of US Navy SEAL platoon chief Eddie Gallagher for stabbing a wounded ISIS prisoner to death … This is the definitive portrait of a saga that exposed deep fault lines within an elite fighting force.
Publishers Weekly, starred review
This disturbing but gripping account by award-winning New York Times correspondent Philipps will appeal to a large audience but few SEAL admirers … After a review of SEALs history, training, and operations in Iraq, Philipps delivers the result of years searching confidential Navy documents, court transcripts, service and medical records, thousands of text messages and emails, and interviews with current and former SEALs … Brilliant journalism that offers a deeply disquieting commentary on America’s dysfunctional cultural divide.
Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times reporter Philipps delves deeply into Gallagher's 15-year SEAL career, his 2018 court-martial, and SEAL culture … Philipps is at his best when recounting the unraveling of Gallagher's trial and how the seemingly strong case resulted in an acquittal … This often-gripping narrative will appeal to readers interested in US military courts' prosecution of war crimes, or the mindsets of combatants in modern warfare.
Library Journal, starred review
Shakespearean … An excellent read from a seasoned reporter who covered the entire saga [of] Eddie Gallagher.
The San Diego Union-Tribune
A dogged researcher and gifted writer, Philipps turns the story of Gallagher’s rise, his alleged war crimes and the botched Navy prosecution into an infuriating, fast-paced thriller.
The Washington Post
Shakespearean … An excellent read from a seasoned reporter who covered the entire saga [of] Eddie Gallagher.
The San Diego Union-Tribune
Sam Sifton, The New York Times
A dogged researcher and gifted writer, Philipps turns the story of Gallagher’s rise, his alleged war crimes and the botched Navy prosecution into an infuriating, fast-paced thriller.
The Washington Post
This is a book to make your blood boil. Expertly reported and written, Alpha details a truly shameful national episode, and stands as a powerful corrective for those who mistake cruelty for toughness and equate war with murder.
Mark Bowden, New York Times bestselling author of Black Hawk Down and Hue 1968
This is one of the best books to come out of the Iraq war. It is also one of the saddest. There have been many books about Navy SEALs and snipers, but Alpha is by far the most important. I think it will be required reading for the Navy, as Black Hearts has become for the Army. Anyone who cares about the American military needs to read this.
Thomas E. Ricks, bestselling author of Fiasco, First Principles, and The Generals
Alpha is a phenomenally reported, deeply compelling portrait of moral courage and moral cowardice in the SEAL teams. Philipps details not simply the many failures of leadership within SEAL ranks that enabled war crimes, jeopardised the mission, and risked the lives of service members, but also the culture that made accountability almost impossible. Superb.
Phil Klay, National Book Award–winning author of Missionaries and Redeployment
Alpha is an important, infuriating, meticulously researched account of modern warfare that I found nearly impossible to put down.
Jon Krakauer, New York Times bestselling author of Where Men Win Glory and Into the Wild
New York Times reporter Philipps presents an enthralling, blow-by-blow account of the 2019 court-martial of US Navy SEAL platoon chief Eddie Gallagher for stabbing a wounded ISIS prisoner to death … This is the definitive portrait of a saga that exposed deep fault lines within an elite fighting force.
Publishers Weekly, starred review
This disturbing but gripping account by award-winning New York Times correspondent Philipps will appeal to a large audience but few SEAL admirers … After a review of SEALs history, training, and operations in Iraq, Philipps delivers the result of years searching confidential Navy documents, court transcripts, service and medical records, thousands of text messages and emails, and interviews with current and former SEALs … Brilliant journalism that offers a deeply disquieting commentary on America’s dysfunctional cultural divide.
Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times reporter Philipps delves deeply into Gallagher's 15-year SEAL career, his 2018 court-martial, and SEAL culture … Philipps is at his best when recounting the unraveling of Gallagher's trial and how the seemingly strong case resulted in an acquittal … This often-gripping narrative will appeal to readers interested in US military courts' prosecution of war crimes, or the mindsets of combatants in modern warfare.
Library Journal, starred review
Shakespearean … An excellent read from a seasoned reporter who covered the entire saga [of] Eddie Gallagher.
The San Diego Union-Tribune
A dogged researcher and gifted writer, Philipps turns the story of Gallagher’s rise, his alleged war crimes and the botched Navy prosecution into an infuriating, fast-paced thriller.
The Washington Post
Shakespearean … An excellent read from a seasoned reporter who covered the entire saga [of] Eddie Gallagher.
The San Diego Union-Tribune
August 29, 2021
Brilliant. Riveting. So impressed with The Seal Team Members who stood up for what is right, to hold their chief accountable, under such extreme personal risk and duress. The author's research and commitment is impressive. Highly recommend.
July 24, 2021
A page turner on one of the most important events in US special operations in recent history. A must for anyone interested in the military (in both non-fiction and fiction), the SEALs, or just a plain perfectly engaging non-fiction read (I'd personally comp it to BAD BLOOD and EMPIRE OF PAIN in terms of how engrossing it is).
October 16, 2021
It is clear that after recent events that the American experience in Afghanistan did not end well. With the Taliban victory the future of the Afghan people, especially women are under a darkening cloud. In this environment the American military approach in the region has come under question and many of the soldiers who fought and the families of those who died or suffered life altering injuries must be wondering if their sacrifices were in vain. In this environment any book that deals with the American approach to war is timely. David Philipps’ new book, ALPHA: EDDIE GALLAGHER AND THE WAR FOR THE SOUL OF THE NAVY SEALS fits this category. Though the book focuses on the conduct of American troops in Mosul, Iraq, many of the Navy SEALS involved in the narrative fought in Afghanistan and their approach to combat was carried over to Iraq.
Philipps’ effort focuses on Navy SEALS of Alpha platoon and its Special Operations Chief Eddie Gallagher, in addition to a deep dive into the culture and daily lifestyle of the troops involved. Philipps’ work encompasses Gallagher’s last deployment as Chief of Alpha Platoon, SEAL team 7 whose 2017 classified mission was to assist Iraqi troops in clearing ISIS from the Iraqi city of Mosul. In the first few weeks of the deployment Gallagher saw more combat than he had in his first seventeen years in the Navy. After returning home he would be arrested and charged with murdering a wounded ISIS soldier, beginning a two year fight that culminated in a trial as to whether the accused was guilty or not. According to Phillips a battle over what the SEAL teams stood for, and what they would become with consequences that would reverberate for years.
According to the prosecution, Gallagher had become unglued, he lied to get medals, put men in danger to build up his own combat resume, shot at women and children in civilian areas, and murdered a prisoner in cold blood. According to Gallagher and his defense team the accusations stemmed from misguided and inexperienced members of Alpha who refused to go out on ops and created stories to cover up their own cowardness. When his team called him out, Gallagher claimed they were cowards.
Phillips does an excellent job developing the culture that existed within the ranks of the Navy SEALS. He traces groups of SEALS who are referred to as “Pirates,” men who fought in World War II, Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq whose attitude was clear – when dealing with unconventional war, be it terrorists, Viet Cong, the Taliban or ISIS the normal rules of war do not necessarily carry the day. The overriding theme that Philipps explores was that these “Pirates” operated in an environment where they could commit violent acts, even murder with no accountability where testosterone dominated. They believed that the new generation of SEALS was soft, and they had their own network that did not do justice to SEAL tradition. Eddie Gallagher was a “Pirate” and throughout his career, no matter the offence, leadership looked the other way and allowed him to rise through the ranks to the position he found himself in Mosul.
Throughout the deployment Gallagher did not perform the expected duties of a Chief, i.e., plans for the day, imparting tactical information, and played squads off against each other by bad mouthing men behind their backs. His goal seemed to be to take the role of a sniper, though the team had highly trained snipers and see how many he could kill, even firing randomly and using up ammunition. Most snipers would fire off one or two rounds per day, and some days did not fire off any rounds, Gallagher seemed to average well over twenty per day. Some of his strategies put team members in danger as he tried to build up his reputation as “a nasty ass killer.” Eventually team members began to feel he was a detriment to their mission, and he needed to be removed, particularly when he stabbed a wounded prisoner in the neck, watched him die and then took a photo holding him up by his hair remarking what a killer he was.
Philipps’ narrative is very troubling. He does yeoman’s work presenting the most important characters and explaining why their roles were so important to the drama that unfolded. Chief Petty Officer Craig Miller, Gallagher’s second in command will organize the men that will lead to accusations against their Chief; Lieutenant Jake Portier, the officer in charge refused to control or mitigate Gallagher’s behavior and threats; Special Operators First Class, Dalton Tolbert, Josh Vriens, and Dylan Dille, all snipers; Special Operator Corey Scott, a medic who witnessed the stabbing of the POW; Lieutenant Commander Robert Breisch, the commanding officer, an old friend of Gallagher stonewalled any investigation; Navy Special Warfare Group One Commodore Captain Matthew Rosenbloom, in charge of all SEALs on the West Coast who was appalled by Gallagher’s behavior and pushed for prosecution; Timothy Parlatore, a mob trained lawyer who led Gallagher’s defense team, are among the many individuals that Philipps introduces who will play important roles in the narrative.
The battle scenes reflect the absurdity and danger of urban guerilla warfare which are described in intimate detail. However, the most fascinating aspect of the book is the role played by Andrea Gallagher, Eddie’s wife, FOX News, other rightwing outlets, conservative politicians, social media, and of course President Donald Trump who was part of an organized a media campaign to win over the public to Gallagher’s innocence. In fact, as Philipps assiduously presents the trial it is clear that there are seven jurors, but there is an eighth one, President Trump who even before charges were formulated hinted strongly that he was about to pardon Gallagher.
At times Philipps’ work reads like a Hollywood movie manuscript, particularly when one of the witnesses, Corey Scott, one of the prosecutions main witnesses changes his story on the stand to assist Gallagher in large part because he was granted immunity from prosecution. In a scene that compares with Jack Nicholson in the film, “A Few Good Men” the prosecution is floored and is convinced they blew the case. The men who returned from Mosul all agreed that they had to end Gallagher’s career to protect the Navy from what he might do in the future now believed it may have all been for naught. Philipps describes the NCIS investigation, Gallagher’s threats to kill those who charged him, and the evidence that clearly showed what a danger and murderer he was are all on display. Finally, the Navy bureaucracy and politics played a key role in trying to derail any prosecution.
Philipps has authored a remarkable book based on voluminous research and a keen eye for detail and analysis. The story line is not very flattering to the Navy SEAL community which since 9/11 witnessed a society “man crush” on SEAL team operators. Hopefully the book will open the eyes of the public and pressure authorities to take seriously the actions of men like Eddie Gallagher and instill the discipline that the SEALS are trained to operate under, in addition to holding military leaders accountable for the actions of their troops. At a time when presidents eschew conventional warfare and turn to SEALS and other unconventional operatives with any luck their training, attitude, and approach to warfare will rest a bit more on the side of morality.
Philipps’ effort focuses on Navy SEALS of Alpha platoon and its Special Operations Chief Eddie Gallagher, in addition to a deep dive into the culture and daily lifestyle of the troops involved. Philipps’ work encompasses Gallagher’s last deployment as Chief of Alpha Platoon, SEAL team 7 whose 2017 classified mission was to assist Iraqi troops in clearing ISIS from the Iraqi city of Mosul. In the first few weeks of the deployment Gallagher saw more combat than he had in his first seventeen years in the Navy. After returning home he would be arrested and charged with murdering a wounded ISIS soldier, beginning a two year fight that culminated in a trial as to whether the accused was guilty or not. According to Phillips a battle over what the SEAL teams stood for, and what they would become with consequences that would reverberate for years.
According to the prosecution, Gallagher had become unglued, he lied to get medals, put men in danger to build up his own combat resume, shot at women and children in civilian areas, and murdered a prisoner in cold blood. According to Gallagher and his defense team the accusations stemmed from misguided and inexperienced members of Alpha who refused to go out on ops and created stories to cover up their own cowardness. When his team called him out, Gallagher claimed they were cowards.
Phillips does an excellent job developing the culture that existed within the ranks of the Navy SEALS. He traces groups of SEALS who are referred to as “Pirates,” men who fought in World War II, Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq whose attitude was clear – when dealing with unconventional war, be it terrorists, Viet Cong, the Taliban or ISIS the normal rules of war do not necessarily carry the day. The overriding theme that Philipps explores was that these “Pirates” operated in an environment where they could commit violent acts, even murder with no accountability where testosterone dominated. They believed that the new generation of SEALS was soft, and they had their own network that did not do justice to SEAL tradition. Eddie Gallagher was a “Pirate” and throughout his career, no matter the offence, leadership looked the other way and allowed him to rise through the ranks to the position he found himself in Mosul.
Throughout the deployment Gallagher did not perform the expected duties of a Chief, i.e., plans for the day, imparting tactical information, and played squads off against each other by bad mouthing men behind their backs. His goal seemed to be to take the role of a sniper, though the team had highly trained snipers and see how many he could kill, even firing randomly and using up ammunition. Most snipers would fire off one or two rounds per day, and some days did not fire off any rounds, Gallagher seemed to average well over twenty per day. Some of his strategies put team members in danger as he tried to build up his reputation as “a nasty ass killer.” Eventually team members began to feel he was a detriment to their mission, and he needed to be removed, particularly when he stabbed a wounded prisoner in the neck, watched him die and then took a photo holding him up by his hair remarking what a killer he was.
Philipps’ narrative is very troubling. He does yeoman’s work presenting the most important characters and explaining why their roles were so important to the drama that unfolded. Chief Petty Officer Craig Miller, Gallagher’s second in command will organize the men that will lead to accusations against their Chief; Lieutenant Jake Portier, the officer in charge refused to control or mitigate Gallagher’s behavior and threats; Special Operators First Class, Dalton Tolbert, Josh Vriens, and Dylan Dille, all snipers; Special Operator Corey Scott, a medic who witnessed the stabbing of the POW; Lieutenant Commander Robert Breisch, the commanding officer, an old friend of Gallagher stonewalled any investigation; Navy Special Warfare Group One Commodore Captain Matthew Rosenbloom, in charge of all SEALs on the West Coast who was appalled by Gallagher’s behavior and pushed for prosecution; Timothy Parlatore, a mob trained lawyer who led Gallagher’s defense team, are among the many individuals that Philipps introduces who will play important roles in the narrative.
The battle scenes reflect the absurdity and danger of urban guerilla warfare which are described in intimate detail. However, the most fascinating aspect of the book is the role played by Andrea Gallagher, Eddie’s wife, FOX News, other rightwing outlets, conservative politicians, social media, and of course President Donald Trump who was part of an organized a media campaign to win over the public to Gallagher’s innocence. In fact, as Philipps assiduously presents the trial it is clear that there are seven jurors, but there is an eighth one, President Trump who even before charges were formulated hinted strongly that he was about to pardon Gallagher.
At times Philipps’ work reads like a Hollywood movie manuscript, particularly when one of the witnesses, Corey Scott, one of the prosecutions main witnesses changes his story on the stand to assist Gallagher in large part because he was granted immunity from prosecution. In a scene that compares with Jack Nicholson in the film, “A Few Good Men” the prosecution is floored and is convinced they blew the case. The men who returned from Mosul all agreed that they had to end Gallagher’s career to protect the Navy from what he might do in the future now believed it may have all been for naught. Philipps describes the NCIS investigation, Gallagher’s threats to kill those who charged him, and the evidence that clearly showed what a danger and murderer he was are all on display. Finally, the Navy bureaucracy and politics played a key role in trying to derail any prosecution.
Philipps has authored a remarkable book based on voluminous research and a keen eye for detail and analysis. The story line is not very flattering to the Navy SEAL community which since 9/11 witnessed a society “man crush” on SEAL team operators. Hopefully the book will open the eyes of the public and pressure authorities to take seriously the actions of men like Eddie Gallagher and instill the discipline that the SEALS are trained to operate under, in addition to holding military leaders accountable for the actions of their troops. At a time when presidents eschew conventional warfare and turn to SEALS and other unconventional operatives with any luck their training, attitude, and approach to warfare will rest a bit more on the side of morality.
September 5, 2021
Should be mandatory reading for anyone entering, or currently serving in the military. I have always been irritated by those who paint witb a broad brush and bestow all who serve as honorable, or gushingly place our elite fighting forces on pedestals, calling them all heroes. They're not. All should be judged individually. The same goes for police officers. Occupations such as the military can easily, and does easily breed a very ugly and dangerous subculture if left unchecked. Having served a full career in the military, I saw it firsthand. In this instance, the Navy tried to correct it, but it happened at a time when we had a lunatic as Commander-in-chief who intervened for his own political gain and left a terribly damaged military ethics legacy in his wake.
I would encourage ALL Americans to read this.
I would encourage ALL Americans to read this.
August 22, 2024
4.5 stars
This was an exceptionally well written book about a Navy Seal Chief Petty Officer of 20 years, Eddie Gallagher, who in 2017 went off the rails while serving in Iraq. You might remember some of the details because he enlisted Donald Trump's help when his alleged crimes came to light.
Highly recommended.
This was an exceptionally well written book about a Navy Seal Chief Petty Officer of 20 years, Eddie Gallagher, who in 2017 went off the rails while serving in Iraq. You might remember some of the details because he enlisted Donald Trump's help when his alleged crimes came to light.
Highly recommended.
December 14, 2021
From Richard Marcinko to Eddie Gallagher, the SEALs are renowned for their discipline problems. This book covers more than just the Gallagher story, but that by itself gives great insight into the ongoing battle between those who proudly and efficiently do their duty and those "rogue warriors" who not only believe they are above the law, but undermine morale and discipline.
I've always believed the big problem is the fact that the officers in the SEAL community are more bystanders, letting the chiefs run things, rather than leaders. When that happened in Special Forces with an A-Team leader, it inevitably led to bad things, but it isn't institutionalized in Special Forces as it is in the SEALs.
The true heroes are the men who came forward with the truth in the face of threats.
I've always believed the big problem is the fact that the officers in the SEAL community are more bystanders, letting the chiefs run things, rather than leaders. When that happened in Special Forces with an A-Team leader, it inevitably led to bad things, but it isn't institutionalized in Special Forces as it is in the SEALs.
The true heroes are the men who came forward with the truth in the face of threats.
April 2, 2022
An interesting and often slow moving book. Slow due to the details of the in depth research.
A Navy SEAL is tried for war crimes but political interference and the old school code of silence really got in the way.
So much detail and a peek into the world of JAG and NCIS that you don't normally hear about.
A Navy SEAL is tried for war crimes but political interference and the old school code of silence really got in the way.
So much detail and a peek into the world of JAG and NCIS that you don't normally hear about.
November 1, 2021
Disturbing tale of the forces competing for the heart and soul of the Navy SEALS...told through the trail of Eddie Gallagher (mucked up by then President Trump weighing in).
July 9, 2023
Wowie. I would imagine this is a must read for all SEALs, but would also recommend as a must read for anyone of any rank in the United States armed forces, or really any profession of arms in another country around the world for that matter. Pretty lengthy read, but jam packed full of the whole story from start to finish, as well as a good amount of backstory.
There is no part of this book that is unnecessary, every chapter, page and word contributes to the book coming together to be comprehensive and told in a manner that flows well.
Absolutely LOVED reading this after Chief Gallaghers book because it made me laugh a couple times. Comical example— Eddie and his wife wrote his book, but in this book, they talk about how he has texts to his friends along the lines of “can you help me get more tramadol, my wife will kill me if she finds out” and in Eddie’s book obviously his wife cannot speak to what her husband was doing behind her back. But also wish I read this before reading his version.
This book really made me stop and think about the motives for each person involved, and also did a great job explaining the sub culture of the navy seals and how it lead to something like this. Also very insightful to read as a young officer.
Whether you have heard of the case or not, this is the book you need to read to get all the known facts in one place, from an unbiased storyteller. It’s still crazy to me to think that this unfolded during my lifetime, during a time that I joined the navy, I saw it happening on the news, and now it will serve as a case study for years to come.
🚢 ship > shipmate 🫡 > self🧍🏼
Here are some fun emojis that I felt pertain to the book
🐸: frogmen
🦭: seal
🔱 : trident
α : alpha platoon
🔪🥷🩸: isis terrorist
🇺🇸🏴☠️ 🇮🇶 : battle of Mosul
There is no part of this book that is unnecessary, every chapter, page and word contributes to the book coming together to be comprehensive and told in a manner that flows well.
Absolutely LOVED reading this after Chief Gallaghers book because it made me laugh a couple times. Comical example— Eddie and his wife wrote his book, but in this book, they talk about how he has texts to his friends along the lines of “can you help me get more tramadol, my wife will kill me if she finds out” and in Eddie’s book obviously his wife cannot speak to what her husband was doing behind her back. But also wish I read this before reading his version.
This book really made me stop and think about the motives for each person involved, and also did a great job explaining the sub culture of the navy seals and how it lead to something like this. Also very insightful to read as a young officer.
Whether you have heard of the case or not, this is the book you need to read to get all the known facts in one place, from an unbiased storyteller. It’s still crazy to me to think that this unfolded during my lifetime, during a time that I joined the navy, I saw it happening on the news, and now it will serve as a case study for years to come.
🚢 ship > shipmate 🫡 > self🧍🏼
Here are some fun emojis that I felt pertain to the book
🐸: frogmen
🦭: seal
🔱 : trident
α : alpha platoon
🔪🥷🩸: isis terrorist
🇺🇸🏴☠️ 🇮🇶 : battle of Mosul
February 21, 2023
A tale of true moral heroism by men who not only had the courage to lay down their lives as Navy SEALs, but who also had the courage to wage an internal battle within the SEAL Teams by choosing to do what was right. Two factions clearly emerge through Gallagher’s story - SEALs who truly believe in the Teams’ ethos and “pirates” who only seek blood. As someone who has never served and has always had the utmost respect for the brave men and women who do, it’s impossible to put myself in the shoes of those on the front lines. However, the determination by the group of SEALs in Alpha and their relentless quest to bring forward the truth in order to protect the SEAL credo for generations to come is truly inspiring and can be understood by anyone, veteran or civilian. Philipps does a fantastic job in this meticulously-researched and page-turning work.
November 26, 2021
It is obvious this work was a collaboration with the disgruntled SEALs of Team 7, which if fine, if the book would have been marketed that way. It is anything but an unbiased and critical review of events. The book reads like a Shamwow commercial of jealous school boys ratting out their headmaster, and when the first thing doesn’t stick it’s, “but wait, there’s more!” With the release of deployment videos, trial audio, and mounds of evidence this book is just silliness at this point.
For instance, why didn’t SEAL command step in if there’s an off the charts rogue Chief making his men sit in humvees, “like dogs at Walmart,” while he shoots at everything and nothing? How did the operation achieve success, much less ahead of schedule, if it was this dysfunctional or the Chief just sat around shooting at everything and nothing all day?
Their answer, “Alazzawi had bigger things to worry about. He was overseeing three platoons in Iraq, and the other two teams of so-called elite commandos were barely functioning.” So essentially, every other SEAL and SEAL Team in Mosul was incompetent and “barely functioning” except these 6 whiny bitches on SEAL Team 7. Really? Come on?
Gentlemen, you’re an embarrassment to our nation.
For instance, why didn’t SEAL command step in if there’s an off the charts rogue Chief making his men sit in humvees, “like dogs at Walmart,” while he shoots at everything and nothing? How did the operation achieve success, much less ahead of schedule, if it was this dysfunctional or the Chief just sat around shooting at everything and nothing all day?
Their answer, “Alazzawi had bigger things to worry about. He was overseeing three platoons in Iraq, and the other two teams of so-called elite commandos were barely functioning.” So essentially, every other SEAL and SEAL Team in Mosul was incompetent and “barely functioning” except these 6 whiny bitches on SEAL Team 7. Really? Come on?
Gentlemen, you’re an embarrassment to our nation.
March 11, 2022
4.4 stars. A well written, infuriating, thoroughly researched book written by someone with obvious respect for American service persons, and SEALs in particular, which exposes Eddie Gallagher as the mendacious, murderous turd that he at some point became. Also exposed is the bankrupt culture of ‘pirates’ and ‘rule breakers’ who believe rules don’t apply to them in the SEALs and their many wanna be tough admirers. Nowhere is that bankruptcy more clearly revealed than in the celebration of this quote often attributed to Orwell - ‘people sleep peacefully in their beds because rough men stand ready to do violence in their behalf’ with the total omission of the other half of the coin - How the violence is done matters. How we fight, how we treat prisoners , how we balance personal and unit loyalty with loyalty to the rule of law and due process - these things matter. They are ignored at our peril.
February 27, 2022
ALPHA by David Philipps is a book that should be required of every student studying leadership or ethics - yes it is that good. It poses the question, when you train a man to be a lethal killer, where do you draw the line? At the heart of the narrative is essentially a murder case in which there is no physical evidence. This is also a book about loyalty, standing up for what is right, even at great personal cost but also but also lifts the layers off some awful societal woes from a toxic culture, a beleaguered system and the power of media. Well researched and constructed, Philipps did a masterful job.
September 14, 2021
As another reviewer stated my “blood boiled” after reading this well researched book. It’s shameful to think that Navy Seals like Eddie Gallagher exist. There is nothing brave or honorable about the “pirates” that exist in the Seal Teams. Eddie is nothing but a cold blooded murder who got away with it. Thank God for the Seals that turned him in and the others trying to push out the bad apples in the Seals. Eddie has his own book out as well, I will not give him my time or my money. He’s a disgrace. Great book!
September 7, 2021
Brilliant. Couldn't put this down. I've always enjoyed books that set the record straight, telling stories that the media utterly botched. It's an important story and Phillips has done us a service in finally detailing the truth, even more so for the honorable men of Alpha and the SEALs.
September 13, 2021
Very well done
Not perfect but pretty close. Meticulously researched and sourced. Intense topic and well struck balance. Page turner that reads quickly.
Not perfect but pretty close. Meticulously researched and sourced. Intense topic and well struck balance. Page turner that reads quickly.
December 6, 2021
Well written and researched but I decided (after 120pp.) that I just don't need this ugly person in my brain.
March 19, 2022
The story is horrific and appalling. The storytelling is incredible. A must-read for anyone interested in the military or Veterans’ issues.
June 29, 2023
In this novelization of the Eddie Gallagher story author Mark Phillips holds to the characterizations of events told by the self-named 'Sewing Circle' - the five or sex men on Gallagher's 2017 platoon who brought forth charges of war crimes against him.
Phillips paints a damning picture of Gallagher inspired mostly by his interviews with his accusers (as well as their public testimonies) and strings together their accusations into a single cohesive narrative.
As a novel it's fast paced and gripping. As a retelling of real events it's presented as an unbiased account, but fails to mention the amount of information withheld for the sake of the narrative. For example the appendix shows interviews were sourced from Navy Officers, enlisted men and civilians who contradicted the Sewing Circles' version of events in public, but for the book Phillips chooses a retelling that holds their claims as gospel.
In one version of events you have five or six noble young men who came forward with allegations against a war criminal. These men supposedly risked their place in the brotherhood to seek justice and were unsuccessful due to faulty prosecution and betrayal from within the Sewing Circle. In another version of events you have five or six disgruntled employees who allegedly try to get their boss fired on charges of petty theft (stealing a red bull out of the fridge, not repaying a haircut) which they then escalate to war crimes. In both cases we have a story not so different from many others - a friction in the workplace between the harder men of the previous generation and the softer men of the current.
Even knowing the author's explicit bias (alluded to in an initial quote differentiating what seemed to happen from what happened) the book provides an entertaining story of what seemed to happen from the accusers' point of view, which will no doubt serve to fuel the ongoing political polarization this case continues to hold.
Phillips paints a damning picture of Gallagher inspired mostly by his interviews with his accusers (as well as their public testimonies) and strings together their accusations into a single cohesive narrative.
As a novel it's fast paced and gripping. As a retelling of real events it's presented as an unbiased account, but fails to mention the amount of information withheld for the sake of the narrative. For example the appendix shows interviews were sourced from Navy Officers, enlisted men and civilians who contradicted the Sewing Circles' version of events in public, but for the book Phillips chooses a retelling that holds their claims as gospel.
In one version of events you have five or six noble young men who came forward with allegations against a war criminal. These men supposedly risked their place in the brotherhood to seek justice and were unsuccessful due to faulty prosecution and betrayal from within the Sewing Circle. In another version of events you have five or six disgruntled employees who allegedly try to get their boss fired on charges of petty theft (stealing a red bull out of the fridge, not repaying a haircut) which they then escalate to war crimes. In both cases we have a story not so different from many others - a friction in the workplace between the harder men of the previous generation and the softer men of the current.
Even knowing the author's explicit bias (alluded to in an initial quote differentiating what seemed to happen from what happened) the book provides an entertaining story of what seemed to happen from the accusers' point of view, which will no doubt serve to fuel the ongoing political polarization this case continues to hold.
September 14, 2022
What are the differences between the “good” guys and the “bad” guys in war? What makes a coward and how is loyalty defined? Is loyalty in the military different than elsewhere? Does it need to be? Does it matter how you treat enemy captives? How do people get turned into desensitized killers and whose fault is it? The story of SEAL Team 7 Alpha Platoon is a great vehicle with which to explore these questions.
This book is amazing. Great storytelling, high quality journalism, well researched, and well written.
This story is infuriating at times and often sad. There are many victims in this story, and in some ways Eddie is even a victim of the culture and environment of the SEALs. There are also genuine heroes - people who sacrifice for what’s right, for the ethos of the SEALs and of the country.
I highly recommend this book if you are interested in the US military, US-Middle Eastern politics, ISIS, Navy SEALs, ethical considerations in war, war crimes, leadership, or the challenges of and motivations behind standing up for what’s right.
This book is amazing. Great storytelling, high quality journalism, well researched, and well written.
This story is infuriating at times and often sad. There are many victims in this story, and in some ways Eddie is even a victim of the culture and environment of the SEALs. There are also genuine heroes - people who sacrifice for what’s right, for the ethos of the SEALs and of the country.
I highly recommend this book if you are interested in the US military, US-Middle Eastern politics, ISIS, Navy SEALs, ethical considerations in war, war crimes, leadership, or the challenges of and motivations behind standing up for what’s right.
August 25, 2023
I strongly believe this should be mandatory reading for all service members, up and down the chain of command.
For young enlisted, it is a lesson in standing up to your leadership when something is truly wrong. For JO’s it’s shows how important it is to grow a backbone. For senior leaders, it demonstrated the “trust but verify” principle.
Phillips did an amazing job framing this story in a way that service members and civilians can read it and understand it, without it being too in the weeds, or overly simplified. I hesitate to say that I “enjoyed” this book, because it was not a comfortable read. But I could not stop thinking about the story, and will not, for a long time.
For young enlisted, it is a lesson in standing up to your leadership when something is truly wrong. For JO’s it’s shows how important it is to grow a backbone. For senior leaders, it demonstrated the “trust but verify” principle.
Phillips did an amazing job framing this story in a way that service members and civilians can read it and understand it, without it being too in the weeds, or overly simplified. I hesitate to say that I “enjoyed” this book, because it was not a comfortable read. But I could not stop thinking about the story, and will not, for a long time.
May 26, 2024
"If you think leadership isn't important, read my story. I'm literally the best there ever was, at everything, beside Mr trump of course."
Eddie Gallagher
All jokes aside, Phillips clearly has biases in his book and that probably unfortunately taints some of his work to elucidate some obvious cultural problems in the military. Either way, this book should be required reading for officers. Regardless of Gallagher's actions, this book leads me to believe more strongly in the importance of leadership and how LT Portier failed to his part as a leader. (Don't like talking trash about people I don't know, but he also had ample opportunity to tell his side of the story and refused to)
Eddie Gallagher
All jokes aside, Phillips clearly has biases in his book and that probably unfortunately taints some of his work to elucidate some obvious cultural problems in the military. Either way, this book should be required reading for officers. Regardless of Gallagher's actions, this book leads me to believe more strongly in the importance of leadership and how LT Portier failed to his part as a leader. (Don't like talking trash about people I don't know, but he also had ample opportunity to tell his side of the story and refused to)
November 29, 2021
Like many people, I closely followed the story of Eddie Gallagher, a Navy Seal accused of murdering an ISIS combatant, when the story hit the press in 2019. And, like many others I was outraged when President Trump and other Republicans interfered with the case. “Alpha” is thoroughly researched, fairly reported and highly readable. I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to better understand the special operations culture during the “forever” war on terror and in the context of unprecedented political interference with the military justice system.
January 9, 2022
Best investigative book I have read in a LONG time. This is the story of a narcissistic sociopath being rewarded for war crimes, the system that enabled him, and a few brave sailors determined to stand up and say, “Stop!” Absolutely riveting.
October 2, 2021
Difficult to read but truly compelling. The chapter, "The Fighter" is an extraordinary masterwork of insight and empathy
March 20, 2022
Read if you want to cut through the BS and misinformation on this case.
September 15, 2021
Exceptionally reported and well-written. The details will really piss you off.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 155 reviews